(This installment was originally published in Maximum Rocknroll last year...)


HOW MUCH ART CAN YOU TAKE?

The poster accompanying the press release touts this as Washington vs. Indiana,with the former represented by Kid Chrome, Lysol and Stiff Love 7" slabs and the latter by odds 'n sods compilation LPs from Liquids and Erik Nervous. Neck Chop keeps cranking out a quality assortment of spirited punk sounds.

Out of the Pacific Northwest comes the latest from Lysol, two songs of slam-bang punk. "Teenage Trance" is a collision of hardcore and garage, throwing in a nod to Bad Brains'"Right Brigade." Meanwhile, "Chemical Reaction" has a purer garage feel, with a keyboard-less Hank Wood and the Hammerheads type arrangement. All you need to know is it fuckin' rocks.

The two other 7"s from that part of the country include people from Lysol. Kid Chrome is the nom-de-punk for Chad Bucklew's solo project. His latest musical ommunique features three re-recorded songs from earlier demos and the recordings are sharper and clearer but far from pretty or polished. The rhythm remains mechanized but the guitar riffs slash and burn and the vocals are full of soulful howls. Stiff Love has Lysol's Christine Lundberg (under the name Lazy Susan) handling guitar and vocals and their four song  Trouble 7" is a fun 'n brash garage punk excursion, with sneaky hooks and a whomping backbeat. What's not to love?

Northwest Indiana, as many of you probably know, has been a hotbed of quirky, weirdo punk for the past several years, an incestuous scene where it seems like everyone involved plays in multiple bands or have their own solo type projects. Liquids' Hot Liqs Revenge offers 20 rip roarin' tracks in about 30 minutes (19 are listed and the one that isn't is a rough 'n ready cover of Nick Lowe's "Heart In The City.") I can't keep up with the band's prolific discography but, as far as I can tell, this is the first time these songs have been on vinyl, although they've been available digitally. Liquids mastermind Mat Williams has a pure punk rock 'n roll heart and he takes the traditional trappings and lowers the fidelity, more on some tracks than others. "Don't Give A Fuck About You" is the attitude and that's there in spades. Almost all of 'em are loud, fast and snotty.

Erik Nervous (real last name Hart), who is actually from Kalamazoo, MI and not Indiana, has a similarly minimalist bent. He also orders listeners to "stop calling it DEVO-core." Well, Erik has a point, because these songs won't make you think of the Spuds from O-H-I-O. The closest he comes to that is synth-driven track "(Do The) Simulate." If anything, he draws from the Urinals (who he covers) and early Wire, along with jabbing post-punk ("Misfit Right In" sounds like Delta 5). "&&&" is near pop. There are some offbeat cover versions--the somewhat obscure "Bridgeport Lathe," by the Boston band the 2x4's, which is a longtime favorite song of mine. It sounds a bit off but I'm impressed he (un)covered it (pun intended). His dismemberment of blues chestnut "I'm A Man" is also quite entertaining. For bedroom recordings, the fidelity isn't that low, either. Taken from a number of demos and 7"s on Total Punk and Neck Chop plus a few unreleased songs and only a small sampling of what he's released over the years. Check out eriknervous.bandcamp.com for a lot more. (neckchoprecords.com)
SOME DERANGED MUSIC



Deranged Records has been going strong for over a decade and a half at this point and label founder Gord continues to put out quality releases. The latest batch includes some gems, although not all of them fall into that category. The latest 7" by Chicagoans Tarantüla maintains their full-bore power on their third 7"The Very Best of Sex and Violence. They could have added "drugs" to the title, as well, as three of the songs here deal with substance use and abuse. The musical attack remains muscular, mid-tempo punk rock 'n roll with gutteral vocals and, as I've written before, it sounds more complete and focused than Tarantüla's predecessor Cülo. 

Damagers' self-titled 7" is a vinyl pressing of their demo from last year and provides a bruising hardcore punk assault with a bootboy undertow. Nothing new or different, just loud and energetic fodder with floor-thumping drumming and plenty of anger.
No Problem's third full length, Let God Sort 'Em Out, is their first in four years and they still offer urgent and earnest melodic punk. The title track is a collage of musical and audio samples, with the main rhythm coming from DYS'"Wolfpack" (cool) and that fades into their west coast-inspired sounds, albeit with a darker undertow at times. "Warpaint" comes on strong with a vintage Adolescents-tinged approach. "Eyes Of A Killer" and "Let It Bleed Pt. II" both have a sinister edginess. The heart-on-sleeve sentiment sometimes gets more than a bit obvious--"No Justice No Peace" comes to mind--but it's in the right place.

Spiritual Cramp probably take their name from the Christian Death song but don't sound like that band and the lead off track on their Police State EP is called "Spiritual Cramp" but its not a cover version. It's also the best song by far, a feisty, energetic garage punk stomper. Unfortunately, the other three songs don't live up that--the lilting reggae of "850 Bryant," the reggae/rock of "I Feel Bad Bein' Me" and melodic "Blood Clot" are a complete letdown after that promising start. Strong lyrical messages, describing the grittiness of their San Francisco home, but the music doesn't match up.

Criminal Code are another band who haven't been heard from in a bit--2534 is their first album since 2013 and second overall. They continue to ply melody-driven punk mixed with goth but, while they had a shimmery rawness in the past, that's been cleaned up on this new collection. There are strong hooks on such songs as "Exiled" and "Cancer," but it seems as though some of the band's previous edginess has been lost. The expanded lengths on the closing tracks for each side tend to drag things out. Still, they exhibit solid tunecraft and, at times, you can hear echoes of a band like the Chameleons. It just doesn't leave all that strong an impression. (www.derangedrecords.com)


FUCK THE WORLD... AND YOU TOO!

... or FTWNU2 for short. That's the moniker for a relatively new label out of Minnesota. They specialize in brutal hardcore. Not a pop song to be found on the pair of 7"s or two CDs that showed up here. The Hive/No Skin split 7" is a rager. Hive have a crusty heaviness on their two songs, punctuated by soul-screaming vocals. But I prefer the flip. No Skin, in case you missed my review of their 12", includes Ben Crew from In Defence and Damage Deposit. Rabid, raw hardcore punk done the right way, boiling over with venomous intent.

Bonefire also pack a of rage into their Murderapolis CD. Energetic Motörcharged hardcore punk, pulling a few early Final Conflict tricks out of their collective amps. Nothing to change the world but the production is raw and the there's some nasty bass rumble underneath everything. Includes two somewhat unnecessary live tracks but the five studio tracks are worthwhile.

I'm not as enamored with Dissident Clone. Their Civilized CD is pretty much by-the-numbers grind/thrashcore/death metal created by two guys handling all the instruments and vocals. Blasting away in pretty much tuneless fashion. Creating The Consumed is a vinyl pressing of a 2014 recording, just guitar and drums, no bass, maybe a little more on the death metal side of things. (PO Box 822, Hopkins, MN 55343, www.ftwnu2.com)



YOU WANT SOME MORE?  

AQUARIUM-Hex (Lumpy, 12")
Jittery, wiry, garagey, post-punk from Minneapolis, but all the lyrics are in German. One of the band members played in the similarly-minded band Uranium ClubNo matter the language, the vocals are spirited and so is the music. It had me thinking of early west coast punk purveyors like the Urinals, Modern Warfare and the Plugz, in that the band favors a kinetic, trebly sound. An angular attack. (www.lumpyrecords.com)

BASEBALL FURIES-All-American Psycho (Big Neck, LP)
A reissue of the Furies' 1999 10" EP, adding on the four songs from their 1998 "Sounds Of Mayhem" 7" to add up to twelve inches of prime, raw 'n nasty garage punk. Distorted, nasally vocals and a gnarled and barbed mess of low-fidelity slop. I mean that in the best possible way. Sure, "Rapid Fire Attack" borrows a little from "I Got A Right," but they condense it to a minute and a quarter of fury. "Last Man," which was the last track on the original 10", is a cacophonous rave-up. And the four songs from the 7" are even rougher-sounding. To use a hoary reference from the movie where they took their name, time to come out and play. But watch out for the bats. (38977 Thomas Mill Rd., Leesburg, VA 20175, bigneckrecords.com)

BLANKZ-White Baby/Sissy Glue (Slope, 7")/(I Just Want To) Slam/Baby's Turning Blue (Slope, 7")
The gimmick for this Phoenix band is to release a bunch of 7"s and then press them on a 12". Here are the first two installments. Driving, catchy new wavish-punk with an early LA feel and also along the lines of the Briefs. Things do feel a bit forced and obvious at times but "Sissy Glue," in particular, has a winning charm, driven along by cheesy keyboards. I just wish it was a bit grittier-sounding. (sloperecords.com)


BROWN SUGAR-Long Strange Drip (Feral Kid/The Loki Label, LP)/Adumdum (Feral Kid/The Loki Label, tape)
Two compilations and over an hour and a half of music (35 songs stretching over almost an hour on the 12"! Talk about bang for your buck...). "Long Strange Drip" collects the band's various 7"s and flexis, plus a few unreleased songs, starting with a rockin' cover of "Hey Joe." The tape features live material and various demo songs, including a cover of Antidote's rather racist "Foreign Job Lot." What makes it funny is the fact that their vocalist, Eddie, is an undocumented immigrant. Brown Sugar were always a wonderful mess, a cascade of punk, hardcore, garage and rock 'n roll with a devil-may-care wittiness. Not that there wasn't a message with the madness--"Deportation" certainly deals with a serious topic. The sharp wit also comes out in the detailed liner notes written by their guitarist Brandon. There was an evolution over time as a good chunk of the earlier material had a thrashy emphasis but still exhibited a good amount of musical skill. They eventually broadened their horizons a bit, while always having a manic and frenetic edge. The live set on "Adumdum," recorded in Cleveland, has them going full-tilt but never falling into disarray. Considering that Eddie was usually charging around like a madman during their sets and I'm sure that it was a wild scene, that's quite an accomplishment. Never predictable and always potent. (feralkidrecords.bigcartel.com/thelokilabel.storeenvy.com)

FIRE HEADS-s/t (Big Neck, LP)
Another band with the involvement of the ever-busy/ubiquitous Bobby Hussy, who also recorded and mixed it. Fire Heads incorporate strains of punk, garage and even country/roots music. No acoustic guitars, though, except for the last track "Night Comes Again," an almost Jandek-type solo guitar/vocal piece that eventually gets subsumed by feedback. Most of the songs are at a high-energy clip, providing a headlong rush, while also maintaining a melodic sensibility. Pretty good. (38977 Thomas Mill Rd., Leesburg, VA 20175, bigneckrecords.com)

GALLERY NIGHT-s/t (Big Neck, 7")
Big rock-riffarola by this Milwaukee three piece, including a former member of the Baseball Furies. A whoop 'n holler, AmReppy Stooges-meets-Jesus Lizard inspiration fused to a propulsive grind and they pound their way through your senses. Ugly and heavy, but with plenty of rhythmic drive. (38977 Thomas Mill Rd., Leesburg, VA 20175, bigneckrecords.com)


GELD-Perfect Texture (Iron Lung, 12")/Demo EP (Nopatience, 7")
A wild hardcore ride. On Australian band Geld's 12" debut, there's an ominous lead-in for about half of opening track "Cleaver" and then the sonic eruption begins. Razor-gargling vocals mixed into a relentless attack but they mix odd guitar effects and phasing in there, along with some formidable shredding. Pronounced echoes of 80s-era Italian hardcore turned into something fresh. It's a twisted concoction, leading to the sputtering, cataclysmic conclusion of "Parasitic Fucker," where everything fades out except for Al's vocals, howling right 'til the end. Meanwhile, Nopatience Records has pressed their 2016 demo onto vinyl. There's not as much of the swarm effect but they still leave behind a wanton trail of destruction. Fast 'n raw. (www.ironlungrecords.com; www.nopatience.org)

GEN POP-II (Feel It, 7")
Olympia band with Maryjane and Ian from Vexx. The first two songs, "Oh No" and "No Change," are loud 'n fast hardcore chargers and just when you think this is going to be pure rage, they go do a near 180 into the moody 'n brooding "Plastic Comb" and follow that with the art-punk attack of "Waxing State." Then it's back to the hardcore races for "No Identify" (part of it, at least) and then another dose of jarring art-punk. Quite a ride and it keeps you guessing as to what will come next. (PO Box 25045, Richmond, VA 23260, feelitrecordshop.com)


GIANT HAYSTACKS-This Is All There Is (Mistake, CD)
This Is All There Is is an anthology of this Bay Area band's singles and EPs, plus one song recorded live on WFMU. A post-punk pulse but there were always melodic underpinnings, accompanying the dynamic, jabbing interplay. There's a familiarity in what you're hearing (Minutemen, especially, but it wasn't a reenactment of their influences. Giant Haystacks mixed those with observational lyrics done in a non-sloganeering style. Singing instead of shouting out any sort of obvious buzz phrases. It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since this band existed but the material still sounds fresh and brash. (gianthaystacks.bandcamp.com)

INSINUATIONS-Prompt Critical/US Muscle (Feel It, 7")
Obscure, quirky punk from Richmond ca. 1980. Punk is kind of a misnomer, so would be art-punk or post-punk but Insinuations don't follow your standard KBD blueprint. Two offbeat, engaging compositions with male/female vocals and barbed, minimalist instrumentation. Satirical lyrics about a nuclear meltdown on the a-side and a poke at the so-called American dream on the flip. (www.feelitrecordshop.com)

LANDLORDS-Hey! It's A Teenage House Party (Feel It, LP)
Awhile back, Feel It put out an unreleased Landlords album, Fitzgerald's Paris and now there's a reissue of this Charlottesville, VA band's album from 1984. Two of the people, John Beers and Charlie Kramer, went on to do Happy Flowers. It's a joyous hardcore punk smorgasbord that incorporates the standard thrash of the day, along with some tuneful and heavy metal elements. Collegiate wiseasses making a fun racket. There's also a cover of Moving Sidewalks' (Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top's early band) garage/psych chestunt "99th Floor." Some of that wit showed up later on in the Flowers was certainly incubated in the Landlords, although there could be darker lyrical material, as well. Includes a booklet with lyrics, flyers, photos and reminiscences and the download tacks on another 18 demo songs. (www.feelitrecordshop.com)

LITHICS-Mating Surfaces (Kill Rock Stars, CD)
Sharp, jabbing art-punk or post-punk or whatever hackneyed expression you want to use. Rock critic crutches for sure, but that's where Portland, OR band Lithics are coming from on their second album, following 2016's Borrowed Floors. Tightly-executed compositions with busy instrumental interplay and Aubrey Hornor's detached-sounding vocals. At times, there's a UK flavor to them. "Still Forms" is reminiscent of the Fire Engines, for instance. "Boyce," meanwhile, has a No Wave flavor. Sometimes, they go for more of a straight-ahead punk sound, as with "Flat Rock" or "Dancing Guy," the latter of which also has some stop/start no wavish-flourishes. Nervy and edgy, throughout. (killrockstars.com)

MALE PATTERNS-Headaches (Peterwalkee, LP)
Male Patterns had a song on their first 7" called "Pissed and Old" and you could say they're just as pissed. Maybe more so. Definitely older, as the 7" came out in 2015. Well-played anger-driven hardcore that's semi-catchy, like a cross between 86 Mentality and Poison Idea. The title track is a cogent expression of frustration and anger borne of life's monotony. Yup, life's a pain in the ass. So play loud and tell the neighborhood kids to get the fuck off your lawn. (www.peterwalkeerecords.com)

NEUTRALS-Promotional Compact Disk (self-released, CD)
Neutrals is Giant Haystacks guitarist/vocalist Allan McNaughton's latest band, following his stint with Airfix Kits. Two demos--one from 2016, one from 2016--on one CD, in case you weren't paying attention. This is a simpler, straight-forward and tuneful approach as opposed to the post-punk angularity of Giant Haystacks (although that's a subtle element). Instead, it's a mainly different strain, taking more from late 70s UK, Rough Trade bands. Lyrical wittiness, as well--"Swiss" points out that while the band are "Neutrals," they are not Swiss, while tweaking some of that country's traditions (neutrality, Swiss Army knives, Kleenex--the band, not the product). Once again, using the past as an inspiration but it's not a sepia-toned image. (neutrals.bandcamp.com)

NO LOVE-Choke On It (Sorry State, LP)
Feverish and frenetic punk by this NC band (including Sorry State honcho Daniel Lupton). There's melody but there's also a high bash quotient that keep the songs surging along. I hear a little bit of White Lung (without the gothic trappings) and Brain F≠, the latter due to the sonic dustcloud effect, and these are thrown into a hardcore swirl. Re-recordings of the two songs from their 2015 7" plus a cover of ISS's "Back Taxes & Anaphylaxis," given a rocked-up reading and riding an engaging guitar line. Three years since the 7", worth the wait. (www.sorrystaterecords.com) 

OPTION-The Hour Of Action (demo)
This Boston three piece includes Dan from No Sir I Won't and Brain Killer and Sam from Innocent and Mundo Muerto. Continuting in a somewhat similar vein as NSIW, only sharper. Punchy UK-style anarcho punk with an urgent delivery and top-not playing--buzzing guitar and a pumping rhythmic undertow, along with outspoken lyrics given a forceful delivery. And it's all quite catchy, especially "The Front Page." (anotheroption.bandcamp.com)

PEZZ-More Than You Can Give Us (Truant, LP)
The songs on Pezz's latest were recorded in 2012 but are just now seeing a vinyl and digital release.This Memphis unit has always plied a melodic take on punk, along with impassioned lyrics that takes on societal concerns with a first person approach, such as with "Welcome To Palestine."    The title track is the best of the lot, providing an energetic surge of older Bad Religion-inspired power and closing song "Guilty" provides a speed-driven conclusion. About the only misstep is the nearly four minute ballad "Miss You So Bad" and, sorry, I'm in favor of keeping cellos out of punk. Not bad, otherwise. They've beefed things up with a three guitar lineup and everything meshes well, a combination of burn and tunefulness. (facebook.com/pezz.memphis; marvinstockwell@gmail.com)



THE PROLETARIAT-The Murder Of Alton Sterling (Bridge Nine, 7")
Yes, new stuff by the Proletariat, their first new recordings in over 30 years. 3/4 of the original lineup--Rick Brown, Peter Bevilaqua and Tom McKnight are joined by new guitarist Don Sanders. Not exactly picking up where they left off, after their somber-sounding "Indifference" album (which was culled from different sessions). The two songs here are aggressive, in-your-face punk, with the title track a sub-two minute rage session ripped from the headlines, as they say, about an unarmed black man being gunned down by the police. "Push Back" infuses a post-punk pulse into a rocking arrangement. A good return and they've got more new material already in the pipeline. (www.bridge9.com)

RULETA RUSA-Viviendo Una Maldicion (Sorry State, LP)
First full-length album since 2013's Aqui No Es and featuring re-recordings of the 7 songs on their Euro 12" from 2015, plus three new originals and bashing covers of two songs by early 80s Spanish band Paralisis Permanente. A rough 'n tumble array of fast-paced hardcore mixed with tuneful punk ("Vivre Sin Ti" is damn near poppy), along with raspy vocals sung in Spanish. No translations but a title like "Todos Es Mierda" gives a pretty good indication where they're coming from--"World Of Shit." There's an anger in the way the words are projected but the music has an energetic, upbeat appeal. Scrappy and boisterous. (www.sorrystaterecords.com)

STUN EVENT-s/t (Antitodo, LP)
Despite the fact that this band includes three former members of Out Cold--vocalist Keven Mertens, drummer John Evicci and guitarist Freddy Defecto adding some lead work (Kevin also plays guitar)-- Stun Event don't really sound like that band. The songs here are herky-jerky hardcore compositions with odd time signatures. There's a post-punk or even jazzy sensibility, but it's something they incorporate instead of it being an obvious element. There aren't always standard song structures or the brevity has them moving on to the next one just about when you've gripped what's playing. In other words it's fairly hookless but the playing is sharp and intense. (antixtodo@gmail.com, stunevent.bandcamp.com) 



TOZCOS-Sueños Deceptivos (Verdugo, LP)
Rough hardcore punk en Espanol from this Santa Ana, CA band, although there are European punk influences, as well. Monse's vocals exude raspy rage and passion and the band sound muscular, with a warm, buzzing guitar tone. There's nuance, though, and darker, semi-goth shadings emerge on "Ritmo De La Muerte" and there's also a near-four minute, intense dirge in "Un Hogar." Most of the time, though, they play at a mid-to-fast clip and avoid having the "all the songs sound the same" syndrome. Solid live band too. (verdugodiscos.storenvy.com)

TV SLIME-Slime Demon (Byaaaaaah!, 7")
The first release in three years from this Chicago crew and their second 7" overall and it's a riff monster, much heavier than their debut. Crushing, punk-driven AmRep style rock, in the same ballpark as a band like Metz, only meaner-sounding. Three sturdy mid-tempo blasts plus one speed bomb ("Timber"). Ugly and crushing. (tvslime.bandcamp.com)

PRINTED MATTER:


The latest installment of Mike "Rufio" Kadoyima's Life Is Posers comic series is about the return of Poserton punk legends The Opposers, about to play their first show in over 20 years. Needless to say, this creates much excitement for Bazz and Skuzz and their punk compatriots. In fact, Bazz is so excited that he can't wait the month until the show and enlists his friend Spit to create a time travel elixir, which is a "carefully crafted mixture PCP, crushed pills, lemon blast moonshine and formaldehyde." As you'd imagine, the results don't come out as expected. And having Frisbee and the Ratpunks opening the show creates other problems, big ones...

For this issue, Rufio has enlisted other artists to draw panels and there are multiple contributions at the end that capture a pivotal Posterton punk event and many of these drawings take a very dark turn. Another thing to look out for are the selections of Posteron's various food establishments. You can get Rudimentary Panini at UK Subs or Springa Rolls at the Chinese Takeaway food truck.

Entertaining as always and Rufio's created his own little on-line punk kingdom where not only can you check out his books but also sample the music of Posterton's various bands, including the Opposers. (lifeisposers.bigcartel.com)

Here's another in the occasional series of my Maximum Rocknroll columns. This originally appeared in the October 2015 issue (#389)

PROTO-THIS ‘N THAT

My email inbox is clogged nearly every day by an abundance of music biz press releases, most of them from a small group of publicity companies. The releases usually provide a link to a digital “promo” for me to review. I wrote about this a few years ago, as part of an April Fools column in MRR, where I said I’d only be reviewing digital promos from that point forward and the email address to send them to would be whoneedsrecords@sonicoverload.net. It’s still an active address but, except for the occasional spam message, it’s pretty quiet. Some wiseass subscribed me to a “cougar” website. I’m much too old for any “cougar” to be interested in me. And I know many people are offended by the term so let’s just move on.

A couple of recent ones stick out. There was one pushing a cover of the Troggs’ “With A Girl Like You” by an artiste named William Alexander. There was a link to check out the song on a site called Culture Collide. As you can imagine, it wasn’t very good. Alexander does his damnedest to sound like the Troggs’ Reg Presley and comes up a bit short. The whole thing comes up short because there’s little chance any cover is going to capture the primitive gleefulness of that song. But the accompanying blurb caught my attention. It called “With A Girl Like You,” “perhaps the best Troggs song (and likely the only memorable one aside from "Wild Thing.”)” My immediate thought was, are you fucking kidding me? Only memorable songs? I left a comment on the page asking if the writer had actually listened to the Troggs. I emailed the publicist and told her the same thing and she replied and said, “off the record, I think you’re right.” I guess it’s not really off the record anymore but I doubt William Alexander or his handlers read this column.

Incidentally, if you do ever want to check out a rather, uh, unique cover of “Wild Thing,” look up Fancy’s 1974 version of it—it’s on YouTube. Fancy was basically a studio group who got together to do this song and they hired a Penthouse Pet named Helen Caunt (I am NOT making that up) to do the vocal—which was basically her whispering and grunting and groaning her way through it. They rearranged it into a minimalist, Gary Glitter-ish hand clapper with some choice synth and wah-wah guitar lines in the middle. After it proved to be a hit and an album was released. (I got it for my 15th birthday, along with ELP’s three record live opus Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends aka the album that never ends), Ms. Caunt—whose vocal performance wasn’t credited—had been replaced by Annie Kavanaugh (who appears on the album cover), an adequate belter but the songs, save the “Wild Thing” retread “Touch Me,” were forgettable. It’s still on my record shelf. The ELP record is long-gone.



The other press release was for a band who play "Proto-punk influenced post-punk." That makes absolutely no sense. I mean, using those genre terms is a reviewer crutch of which I am 100% guilty. The band, Dark Palms, actually sound more like the Stooges-meet-shoegazer rock, if I had to pin it down. It wasn’t that bad, honestly.

So it got me to pondering whether or not there was music you could call “proto-hardcore”—music that had speed and velocity and inspired hardcore but predated it. It’s arbitrary but I guess you could call something proto-hardcore if it came out before 1980, maybe even 1979. I know Black Flag started earlier than that but I don’t think “Nervous Breakdown” is really hardcore. A strong argument could be made for The Germs' 1979 (GI) album being one of the first pure hardcore albums.

The Ruts’ The Crack album came out in ’79 and features a few songs that have the speed of hardcore—“Society” and “Criminal Mind” pick up the pace a great deal. “Society” was also the b-side of their “Babylon’s Burning” single.



Punishment Of Luxury weren’t really a dyed-in-the-wool punk band, having come from more of a Roxy/Bowie/early Ultravox muse. But the b-side of their 1979 Secrets 7” is a different matter altogether—a fired-up ripper called “Brainbomb.” Pure explosiveness with an engaging “B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B, Brainbomb!” tagline and a wacked-out noisy mid-section before the pillaging resumes. Chaos UK covered it on their Chipping Sodbury Bonfire Tapes album.



There were other UK bands who inspired hardcore bands. “Disease,” from the UK Subs’ 1979 debut album A Different Kind Of Blues, had the requisite speed and SOA sped it up considerably for their cover on “Flex Your Head.’ Minor Threat covered Wire's “1 2 X U” on the same compilation. That came from Pink Flag and that song wasn’t really proto-hardcore but “Mr. Suit” sure as hell was. Another DC band, Second Wind, did that one on their Security album. 999’s “No Pity,” from 1977, has a near thrash beat, going along perfectly with Nick Cash’s cat-thrown-into-the-fire snarl.



One could make a convincing argument that the UK band who had the biggest influence on hardcore was The Damned. There are some pretty formidable bashers on their debut album Damned Damned Damned and their cover of The Stooges'’ “1970” (re-titled “I Feel Alright”) is non-stop bedlam. But it’s the title track of their third album, Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) that dishes out the speed and fury and “Love Song” isn’t far behind. Swiz covered “MGE” on one of their records. It makes sense that you see Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins and Keith Morris all singing the praises of the Damned in the Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead documentary (granted, they’re in EVERY music documentary but still...). By the way, the title comes from the lyrics of “Machine Gun Etiquette.”



The Middle Class'Out of Vogue EP came out in ’78 and the title track and “Insurgence” are relentless. They did gradually move into a post-punk relam (I know...) but those early recordings are certainly what one could call proto-hardcore.



Going back even further—and maybe stretching things a bit—Blue Öyster Cult's “The Red and The Black,” from their Tyranny and Mutation LP, has a pretty rapid tempo for 1973.The Minutemen liked it enough to cover it later on. Hell, I might give a nod to the rave-up (i.e. unhinged) part of the Count Five’s 1966 hit “Psychotic Reaction”—which sounded like a more up-tempo Yardbirds knock-off.



What about “I Got A Right” by Iggy & The Stooges? I once wrote a column about that, stating it was ahead-of-its-time punk rock and, given the upbeat arrangement, it does come close—and, of course, has been covered by a number of hardcore and punk bands over the years, but I don’t think I’d really call it proto-hardcore. It’s the same for the Belgian band Blast’s two song single “Damned Flame/Hope.” At the very least, it’s some pretty raw punk-sounding fodder for 1972 and has a similar feel as “I Got A Right,” in its Detroit punk predilection. It just got a legit reissue on the Death Vault label but it’s already sold out (and, of course, I snoozed and missed out). Yes, lines can get blurry but the bottom line is both of those records were pretty off-the-rails for that time period.



Maybe next time, I can do a column about proto-straight edge. Like “I’m Straight” by the Modern Lovers or the anti-drug “Kicks” by Paul Revere & The Raiders, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, from 1966, with these inspiring lyrics: “Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find/And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind/Before you find out it's too late, girl/You better get straight.”



Maybe not... I should probably quit while I’m still ahead.

Next, we have tapes from two North Carolina bands. Vittna  have released a teaser tape for their upcoming 7" EP on Bunker Punks--two of the EP songs, plus three live songs, one of which is a cover of Sacrilege's "Dig Your Own Grave." Scalding vocals and a rampaging attack that also adds some textured tones in the guitar playing. The live tracks are rough but don't sound like they were recorded on a boombox. Jeff from Vittna also plays in Scarecrow and Daniel from Sorry State Records is their bass player. Straight-up Swedish-style hardcore driven by thumping drumming and full-bore guitar crunch/sizzle, with vocals buried a bit in the mix. No surprises, just blaze. (bunkerpunks.bandcamp.com)

The two most recent releases from More Power Tapes are by Science Man and Cyber Bullies. Science Man is a solo project masterminded by John Toohill from Alpha Hopper and Radiation Risks and the insert says it was recorded mostly inside a moving van. That's a tour van, not one you use to move furniture and it was moving. I hope he wasn't driving, too. Bashing, synth and guitar-driven compositions with an angry edge, a bit along the lines of Destruction Unit. There's nothing quirky-cute or mechanized-sounding about it. This comes from a darker impulse. "Science Monster," in particular, is plenty skull-smashing. The one exception is the semi-ambient instrumental "Airport Underground" that won't be mistaken for Eno's "Music For Airports" anytime soon. John's put together a live incarnation and apparently does science experiments while they play. Science gone too far? Let's hope so. (morepowertapes.bandcamp.com)


Lawman's On Patrol demo provides some mean 'n ornery punk/rock 'n roll. Dave Shay (ex-Fast Death/Purgatory) belts out the words with a tonsil-shredding growl and the band exhibit solid high-powered chops. Two mid-tempo crushers, as well as the Motörcharged fury of "Manslaughter." Bare-knuckled pillage. (lawman-rnr.bandcamp.com)

Sick Burn includes 3/4 of Sacramento ragers RAD (different guitarist), and, to borrow one of the song titles, it's a demonstration of the joy of thrashing. Loud-fast slam-bang hardcore punk destined to get everyone into a frenzy. "O.P.I.G."

C.H.E.W.
FUTURA
GELD
IMPALERS
JESUS LIZARD
L.O.T.I.O.N.
PHYSIQUE
TOZCOS
VIDEO FILTH
WASTE MANAGEMENT

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS OF THE YEAR
The album didn't quite make my top ten but I can't get enough of this song by the Cleveland duo Donkey Bugs, which features Steve Peffer (9 Shocks Terror, Homostupids, Pleasure Leftists and more) and Haley Morris (Pleasure Leftists)



IN MEMORIAM

Lillian Shapiro (my cousin)
Todd "Youth" Schofield
Francesca Araya

ANOTHER STAB AT MY NEVER-ENDING ATTEMPT TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMO PILE...

Glue Traps have Tony Pence from Deep Sleep on vocals but, instead of Descendents-inspired punk, they go for a traditional loud, fast hardcore punk style on their Future Shocks demo. Five songs in under four minutes and it's pure burn. Except for brief "Nuke DC," the lyrics veer more towards the personal, just getting through life theme. Doing it well. And plenty of blank tape to fill it up with your own hardcore mix, just like I used to do. (celebratedsummerrecords@gmail.com; gluetraps.bandcamp.com)

Bloomington, IN band The Bills have a taut, minimalist punk sound on their Take Two demo. Not cutesy and while there's a hint of new wave, there's not a keyboard in sight. The tape also includes their Take One demo. One of the songs on there, "Isolation," has a slightly more post-punk feel. No excess, no fucking around, just short songs with a good amount of sarcasm in the vocals. (bill.bandcamp.com)

London continues to produce a promising crop of young bands and Naja are one those. Their self-titled EP has a snaky goth/dark hue to it but also dips into the Rudimentary Peni well. Hitting a sturdy mid-to-fast clip, with a slight amount of echo on the vocals and a thick yet textured guitar tone. (najaband.bandcamp.com)

Also operating in somewhat minimalist vein are XL hell, whose Evel demo provides gnashing punk although they have a harder, faster, thrashing edge. Vocals climb the ladder up to a piercing squeal and the arrangements are really basic. Proving the point that the simple approach is often better. (xlhell.bandcamp.com)

Podium, from Valencia, Spain, don't have song titles on their demo--there are seven in all--but they're all sharp blasts of nervy, new wavey punk. From what I've been able to glean about Podium on-line, it appears to be a solo project that has just started doing live performances. Drill press guitar, synth shadings, mechanized rhythms and low-in-the-mix vocals, all generating some catchy hooks. Echoes of Devo, some Chrome, not really low-fi and it sounds like it'd be at home on Lumpy or Neck Chop. (podiumpodium.bandcamp.com)

Tired of Everything (are they pals with Sick Of It All?) hail from North Carolina and Will Butler fromTo Live A Lie Records handles vocal duties. Six songs of thumping, thrashing uptempo hardcore punk with strong words, among other things, about animal abuse and hypocritical "punk progressives" who commit sexual assault. Tired of Everything pretty much stay away from the grindcore and powerviolence that Will's label usually specializes in, opting for something at a more measured pace and they're good at it. (www.tolivealie.com)

A TASTE OF NEON

Three recent 7"s on the Neon Taste label offer different slices of bruising hardcore punk. Chain Whip's self-titled EP starts off with a thrasher, "Self Destruct," but the rest operates in more of a mid-tempo oi-tinged, street punk vein. Brash and to the point and quite catchy at times. Another self-titled EP is by Cheap Appeal, featuring people from Vacant State, and they work in various shadings from Negative FX (the vocalist sounds like he could be Choke's meaner younger brother), Minor Threat and even some Motörhead. No excess, just meat 'n potatoes hardcore with a rockin' edge. 

Finally, Bootlicker's 6 Track E.P. is also rough 'n tough, starting with the martial drums and machine gun riffs leading into a good musical ass-whuppin'. The mentality can be summed up succinctly by a phrase from "Fragments"--the songs are, indeed, about "societies atrocities." In more of a UK-82 vein than the other bands. The only distraction is the production is a bit muddy. Not that one would expect high fidelity, of course. By the way, Bootlicker have another 7", Who Do You Serve on the Warthog Speak label in the US and it's just as ripping. (neontasterecords.bandcamp.com)

A CASE OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

Five, count 'em, five new releases from Schizophrenic Records, two of them plumbing the archives of 80's Toronto hardcore and the other three of more recent vintage. The older material comes from Chronic Submission and M.S.I. (aka More Stupid Initials). Chronic Submission's Empty Heads Poison Darts was originally released as a demo in 1984 (I have a copy in my collection). Brian Taylor from the old Toronto band Youth Youth Youth produced it and there are some musical similarities. Chronic Submission were young teenagers when they started the band in 1981. The songs on the demo are fast, peppy hardcore thrash with a sense of melody, as well as metallic flash. The record's accompanied by a booklet that features an a reprint of an extensive 2012 interview done by Stephe Perry from Equalizing Distort. In it, the members mention that Jello Biafra was interested in recording them for Alternative Tentacles and advanced them some money, which they proceeded to spend on glue to huff. Oh well. Better late than never. This is high energy stuff and, needless to say, this vinyl pressing was long overdue. 

Unfortunately, the M.S.I. material hasn't aged quite as well, although it's still enjoyable. Taken from 1986 and 1988 sessions and it's fast, peppy hardcore that doesn't take itself too seriously--how can it with covers by the Archies, Village People and a song taken from the "Wizard of Oz" cartoon series--although some of the lyrics express serious concerns. Slam-bang thrash with hints of melody, occasionally out of sync but with energy to burn. The accompanying booklet is filled with lyrics, photos, flyers and anecdotes, including the time they played with Slapshot and one of them was mocking Choke's hockey stick moves. 

Uncontrollable Urge don't sound DEVO-esque, as you might have expected, on their debut album. Instead, it's a tandem of garage, punk and even a little psych No hippy-dippy excursions but tight and rocking, particularly on the hard-hitting "Never Now,""Never Mine" and "Dark Days.""Your Way Out" and "Faked It" have a knotty post-punk fervor. Former members of TV Freaks, adding vocalist/guitarist Angie Lanza and it's not far removed from what that band was doing. 

Flesh Rag's Inside Your Mind is pretty much straight-up rawk. Right from the outset, the influences aren't tough to figure out. The title track is an amalgam of the Stooges'"I Got A Right,""1969" and "Little Doll.""Just One Kiss" is MC5-ish. "Love Dump" starts with some AC/DC style riffing. It's on the ordinary side and "Ballad of Nova" is definitely a skip-over track but there are some good rump-shakin' moments here and there, "Bleed For Me" in particular. Checking out some of their back catalog, this album seems to have smoother production. Their debut, self-titled 12" has a lot more of a raw edge to it. I kind of wish they'd maintained that. 

No Blues'A Collection of Love Songs is limited to 100 copies on vinyl and collects their demos and 7" tracks, plus five previously-unreleased tunes. Masterminded by Scott Paige from hardcore band Born Wrong (he's also dabbed in Crime-inspired rock with X45), No Blues are quite a different animal. Unabashed power-pop-punk that's catchy as fuck. No high-fidelity and, even with the yearning vocals, there's enough distortion on it to avoid any saccharine OD. Most of you probably won't remember New Sweet Breath but they were a 90s band who did this sort of thing very well. And if you're into the Marked Men or Exploding Hearts (one of No Blues' songs has that title), you'll love this. 

IN RYVVOLTE

Three (relatively) new 7"s from the Philly label Ryvvolte are by Syringe, Nightfall and a split 7" with two acts from South American, B.E.T.O.E. and Besthoven. The latter is a tribute to Swedish legends the Shit Lickers EP, where each band (or in Besthoven's case, one man project) offer their own interpretation of this classic EP. I'd give the slight edge to B.E.T.O.E., who come closer to the original's raw spirit, although both are played with affection. I wouldn't call it essential, though.

Nightfall's Deadly Game is a rampaging dose of encrusted Swedish hardcore, done in go-for-the-throat fashion and with Discharge-haiku type lyrics. Self-deseribed as "noise and distortion against the fucking bloodsuckers." That sums it up. Finally, Syringe's vinyl debut, the Rotten Cycle EP, features raw-throated twin vocalists and a fast 'n burning crust-core/d-beat assault, with feedback and wah-wah being part of the guitar aresenal. Syringe also have a new two song flexi, The Leash, on the Dark Raids label (darkraidslabel.storenvy.com) that continues in a similarly loud and raging fashion. (ryvvolterecords.storenvy.com)
BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE...



BAD MOJOS-I Hope You OD (Voodoo Rhythm, CD)
This Swiss band have no doubt listened to more than their fair share of Spits records because that comes through both musically and vocally. Totally blatant, in fact, but they do it damned well. Succinct and to the point, avoiding deep lyrical poetry and just going for a knee to the groin. Plenty of snot, fuzz 'n buzz for your buck. (www.voodoorhythm.com)

BRANDY-Laugh Track (Monofonus Press, LP)
Big-ass riffarola noise-rock with one former member (Matthew Hord) of Running, who specialized in this sort of ear-splittery. While Brandy could very well have been on Amphetamine Reptile and the music is heavy, it's not metal. El distorto bass-lines pulverizing everything in their path, hornet-swarming guitar and whomping drums, to go along with the buried-in-the-mix vocals and everything turned up nice and loud. Chome, Unsane and Jesus Lizard could be some touchstones. "Blandy" is about as close to melodic as they come and even that song rages like crazy. Prepare to be wrecked. (monofonuspress.com)

CELEBRITY HANDSHAKE-That's Showbiz, Baby! (Eastern Prawn, 7")
Two songs of noisy-as-fuck garage bash--just guitar, drums, barely-audible rinky-dink keyboards and unhinged vocals. About as primitive and tuneless as it gets, a wanton sonic excursion that's abrasive as fuck. In other words, it'll clear the people from any room... including me. (celebrityhandshake.bandcamp.com)

DEATHWISH-Rock 'N' Roll's One Hell Of A Drug (Beer City, 2xLP)
When I was much younger, you'd occasionally come across two-fer vinyl packages, combining two previous releases into one. There were a pair of them for early Who albums, as well as sets for Syd Barrett and Jeff Beck. Of course, the CD era made those types of pairings a lot more common. Now this Wisconsin powerhouse have put their first two 12"s (2015's Out For Blood and 2017's Unleash Hell) together for maximum kill effect and, of course, it's limited to 666 copies. The term "Motörcharged" is becoming overused but it's an accurate description for this loud 'n fast unit. Searing, blazing double-barreled guitar riffing along with a rumbling bottom end. At their core, Deathwish are just a fast 'n furious band. Songs like "Flat-Line," and "Six Bullet Roulette" and while "There Will Be Blood" rocks like a motherfucker. Rock 'n' roll definitely remains my preferred kind of drug. (www.beercity.com)

EXOTICA-Musique Exotique #03 (La Vida Es Un Mus, 7")
More noise from Casa de Rata, that is Dave Rata, who's played in a number of bands over the years (Ratas Del Vaticano, Muerte, Pobreza Mental) both in Mexico and NYC. Exotica keep the thumping and chaotic NY bung-punk tradition alive, with scampering drums and buzzsaw guitar (the sizzle-whizzle effects on "Desciendo" are mind-melting), merging it with anarcho touches. Pure burn.(www.lavidaesunmus.com)

LIÉ-Hounds (Monofonus Press, LP)
This multi-racial, multinational band based in Australia have very strong feelings about colonialism, racsim and gentrification, to name a few things, on their first album. Nasho is short for nationalist, something that's on the rise in Australia (as in many places). Those sentiments are combined with a dark, power-packed sound. Echo and reverb on the vocals buried a bit in the mix, along with a dense musical ominousness. Hardcore, punk and goth, with Peni-esque shadings and it's a potent statement. (www.nopatience.org)

NIGHT BIRDS-Roll Credits (Fat, LP)
A band steeped in the history of punk, trashy TV, real crime and also with a bit of a political conscience. You get all of that here, starting with the back cover parodying the Killed By Death comps and the Stiff Records nod for the record's label. Running the gamut from hardcore ("Onward To Obscurity, with backing vocals by Poison Idea's Jerry A and the anti-Trumpster rant "White Noise Machine"), tuneful west coast-inflected punk and opening and closing instrumentals--truth be told, the closing title track goes on a bit long. "Uranium Girl," underpinned by spooky organ and shit-hot guitar playing, is catchy as fuck and kudos for covering the Suicide Commandos, although I might have picked a different song than "I Need A Torch." Maybe "Burn It Down" or, if you wanted to keep in more of a sci-fi bent, maybe "Mr. Dr." Get on it, guys! (www.fatwreck.com)

PRIORS-New Pleasure (Slovenly, LP)
Nervy punk/new wave/garage from this Montreal band that have me thinking they're a more guitar-driven, less mechanized cousin to ISS. Gnashing guitar spearheading this band's heady attack, topped off with squiggly synth lines and echo-laden vocals bubbling just beneath the surface. A psycho-head blowout--yes, that's borrowed and you'll have to look it up--to mess up your mind. A new EP, Call For You is already in the pipeline. (www.slovenly.com)

TOMMY AND THE COMMIES-Here Come (Slovenly, 12")
Technically a one-sided 12", with the program repeated on the second side. Sneaky bastids! Anyway, this is unabashed bright 'n sprightly power-pop/punk although it's tougher than your garden variety skinny tie combo. Tommy and his Commies add a sharp mod revival flair, as well as Undertonesy guitar licks percolating through the hook-laden arrangements. Infectiously fun. (www.slovenly.com)

U-NIX-Nuke Portland (Feel It, 12")
Nuke Portland? But what about all of those cool record stores? Voodoo Doughnuts? Poison Idea Park? OK, I realize there is no Poison Idea Park but there should be or, at the very least, a Pig Champion statue. I feel 'em, though. I sometimes wish they'd nuke the city where I live. U-Nix's guitarist John Cardwell used to do the fretwork for the somewhat underappreciated Nasa Space Universe, who tread in oftentimes unpredictable off-kilter hardcore. U-Nix have some of those qualities but it sometimes sounds even meaner and more unhinged. Sputtering and angry, borth musically and vocally, negotiating hairpin time changes with ruthless efficiency. Threatening to fly apart at any second but they're too tight for that happen. Not even nine mutes long and you're left spent. Time to play it again! (feelitrecordshop.com)

VANILLA POPPERS-I Like Your Band (Feel It, 7")
Four more rockin' rollin' punk songs from the Poppers, who had one of my favorite albums of 2017. Christina Pap's vocals have a cutting, ranting quality and the lyrics are pointed, semi-satirical observations about human interactions and struggles (?). "I Am Adult Baby" shows how hard it can be to get your shit together while the title track is a wise-assed poke at scenester types. Big-ass riffs with plenty of fuzz and an abundance of rhythmic wallop. (feelitrecordshop.com)



WASTE MANAGEMENT-Tried and True (Painkiller, LP)
Well, it's about time this longtime (as in over a decade) Mass. band got an album out and, to use the cliche, yes it was worth the wait. This is a primer in classic hardcore, both from early 80s Boston, as well as NYHC later in the decade and given a modern feel. SS Decontrol, Negative FX and Jerry's Kids figure into the equation from this neck of the woods. Craig sounds pissed off as hell and, while the lyrics express disgust, there's a surprising amount of positivity. Don't let anything stand in your way, fight through it. It's almost like a musical power of positive thinking course. Yes, I'm being a bit of a joker but this is well-played, powerful and urgent hardcore. (painkillerrecords.limitedrun.com)

CHANGES AT MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL... PLUS A COLUMN YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

I'd imagine many of you have heard the news that MRR will be ceasing the print version of the zine with the May issue, after nearly 37 years of publishing. It's a tough time for print zines. I haven't done a print issue since 2003. A lot of it has to do with procrastination or, as somewhat less benevolent might say, pure laziness. I know a blog isn't the same as a print zine and I DO want to return to print for at least one more issue and some kind of book that people has asked me about for years. I just don't know if I have the dedication, ambition or perseverance to do that again. Cost is another consideration, with printing and shipping rates having increased astronomically since I last published. I'd have to sell some advertising, like in the past, but might find that a bit more challenging. That's one of MRR's problems--a large decline in print sales. There are other problems, as well, but that's one of the biggest. 

A BIG NECK...

Big Neck Records specialize in provocative sounds most of the time. There's spirit, there's attitude and the bands often make a(n) (in)glorious messy racket. And some of the same parties are responsible for different shades and slices of this sort of mayhem. The split record with Football and White Savage is one such example. Both bands include Jimmy Hollywood and Jered Gummere, who, between them, have logged time in such bands/projects as Tyrades, Baseball Furies, Ponys, Bare Mutants, A/V Murder and a slew more. Both of these bands will bash your fucking skull in although White Savage have a more expansive stew, as the standard guitar/bass/drums instrumentation is augmented by sax and keyboards thrown onto the heap. Football just keep things brief and ugly, with "Hit By Flying Glass" delivering what the title promises.

Richard Vain isn't a person but a band spearheaded by the aforementioned Jered Gummere and quite different. As in totally different. His/their 12"Night Jammer is a mix of shoegaze, Jesus and Mary Chain, early Stereolab and strains of krautrock. Throbbing, fuzzy soundscapes with melancholy vocals and creating a bliss-filled effect. The exceptions are the brief, harder-edged tuneful rush of "Ratz" and the more-bashing "Tar Pits." Music that envelops your senses with volume and hooks.

Dumb Vision's Modern Things is a hard-driving, mainly fast-paced dose of punk energy. It's a dense sound--hammering drums, guitar lines with surfy and garagey tinges. This is delivered with a full-bodied roar, with vocals having a flat, sort of non-expressive nature that are bubbling near or just below the surface. This Madison, WI band create an inviting cacophony that doesn't fit into an easy niche. It's just loud.

Wood Chickens are another Madison band and Well Done! is their second Big Neck album. Cowpoke punk that sometimes gets a little corny although when they nudge up against a Meat Puppets influence, things get interesting. That's the case with "Mall Cop" and "I Live In Your Basement and Eat Mice," while "We Skate In Boots" and "Porkfinger" are manic punk rock joyrides.

Moving on to a couple of archival items, Sweet JAP (or J.A.P. or Japanese American Princesses) were an early 2000s Minneapolis band that included native Japanese members and they released a few EPs and a full length and appeared on a few comps. Be My Venus is a one-sided 12" of unreleased and compilation track material from '03-'04. High energy garage-tinged rock 'n roll cooking up a nice head of steam on "Debusen,""SJAP" and "I'm Only Moonlight," along with the occasional poppier tune (the title track and "La Rock"). I'm not sure this was an essential unearthing but there's some spark here.

The other exhumed offering is a reissue of Lost Sounds'2000 debut album Dead In Memphis album. It's a more primitive-sounding affair than what followed. Lost Sounds were a three piece at this point--Jay Reatard, Alicja Trout and Rich Crook. A spooky, nightmarish keyboard-drenched collection of gothic rock and garage. Alicja sounds perfectly possessed on "Satan Bought Me." There's a tough garage undertow to "Memphis 99,""Don't Bother Me."and "Don't Ask Why." Some worthy moments, although I think Black Wave remains their high water mark, especially the dramatic and haunting "Don't Turn Around." (www.bigneckrecords.com)
... CHOPPED!

Time for Round 7 of Neck Chop's campaign of destruction. Two LPs and three 7"s this time around. Starting with the smaller round slabs, UK purveyors of rough trade rock Suburban Homes will jitter their way into your hearts on their E.P 3. These four songs were originally slated to be released on In The Red some years back but the label kept dragging its feet and it got delayed until now, with Neck Chop coming to the rescue. The sound of '79, given a modern finish and delivered in glorious mono. "Corporate Hijack" layers on a psych-fuzz guitar flourish and is as angry as they get here, although there's a good amount of drum bash for "City Life." Observational straight-forward assessments, described as songs that, "at least say something about our crappy society."

With an opening song titled "Everybody Looks Like a Fucking Idiot,"Baby's Blood capture my heart right away on their self-titled EP. Mean, agitated punk masterminded by Drew from Sick Thoughts, joined by three Finnish friends and recorded in Helsinki. Growling guitars and vocals conveying a kick-you-in-the-nuts attitude. All 47 seconds of "Sex Punk" list all of life's necessities--"gimme death gimme booze gimme punk gimme sex."Not necessarily in that order, of course.

Natural Man & the Flamin' Hot Band are a different kettle of fish altogether. Sax-laden, funky, punky and soulful no-wavy rawk  (is that a little "TV Eye" I hear for "Sudden Wave"?)--more or less. I imagine they're aiming for something revolutionary or righteous and I get the feeling they're a bit tongue in cheek but it's not something I'm ready to raise a fist or take up arms for.

For pure unadulterated awfulness, there's Neo Neos'Kill Someone You Hate. Yes, I said awful. It's also funny as fuck, so you could say it's awful in a good way. Loopy, rough, raw minimalist punk barely holding together. Rantings and ravings from Minnapolis resident Connie Voltaire, who has cranked out a couple of full-length cassettes and a handful of 7"s since 2016. Some of the songs here have appeared on those releases and these versions were recorded throughout 2016. The funniest thing is Connie is taking the piss out of all of those lo-fi home recording projects--"The Boneheads," as he calls them and doing exactly the same thing only more sloppily and way more obnoxiously. Yup, "Drum Machines Are So God Damn Lame" is accompanied by a drum machine. For deep philosophical treaties, look no further than "Life Sucks and Then It Doesn't." Want historical epics? Try "Hitler Wuz A Nazi.""The Kinks Are Who's Who" will rock your socks off. The lyric sheet is a collage of hand-scribbled words on pieces of scrap paper. And it was double take time when the last thing heard was a sample of the intro to FOD's song on the first Flipside Vinyl Fanzine comp... "the Ardmore assault is on!" So is the Neo Neo's assault. And it's also far from dumb.

Finally, S.B.F.'s first album Same Beat Forever (or Sour Bee Fiasco) is a  mechanized joy created by two punk rock wizards, Cruz Somers and Ray Schmidt. This isn't some quirky, new wavy weirdness but much more aggro. The rhythms are punchy--perhaps the descendants of Roland from Big Black--and sometimes veer into near-industrial territory, as with "Mortician Bee,""Honeycomb" and "Rock To The Head" (the latter of which also has a near-catchy chorus). Harsh vocals accompanied by burning guitar textures. The earlier recordings were pretty damned good but this pushes it into a more intense realm. Cruz's solo recordings are worth pursuing, as well, especially Take Me To Hell When I Can Dance, which is cut from similar cloth from S.B.F., albeit a tad more minimalist. (neckchoprecords.com)

MOVING RIGHT ALONG...

ANEURYSM-Awareness (Tor Johnson, LP)
Throwing it back to the 90s, in a way, with heavy riff-rock-a-rolla. Not metal but bashing volume-soaked fodder that might have fit in on Sub Pop or Amphetamine Reptile, yet it doesn't sound dated. You can hear some echoes of Nirvana and even Mudhoney on a few songs--"Newport" comes across as a merger of both bands. Keeping things up to date, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out who "National Embarrassment" is aimed at and it's emitted with a whole lot of ferocity. That's the case for just about every song here. Walloping drums and an unholy tandem of big-ass guitar and bass crush, to go with the somewhat-buried expressions of rage revealing a tortured soul. Or something like that. This doesn't require deep analysis--it just rocks like a motherfucker. (www.torjohnsonrecords.com)

ARCTIC FLOWERS-Straight To The Hunter (self-released, LP)
Arctic Flowers' first full-length in four years and, after a decade, they remain a potent band. Raw melody men and women, to borrow a title from New Model Army, who have certainly influenced this band but it's harnessed to a punk-infused attack. The songs have a haunting melodicism but also a good solid punch, especially with songs like "Waking Things.""Rose In Bend,""In Silence" and a cover of Toxic Reasons'"Dreamer," which appeared on that band's third album Within These Walls. I didn't even realize it was a cover until their guitarist Stan mentioned it--it's not one of my favorite albums by that band and, after listening to it again, Arctic Flowers' version is a lot harder-edged and forceful. And the lyrics about an increasingly divided world are just as pertinent now as they were then. Maybe more so. They also delve into music inspired by shimmery 80s post-punk/goth, although it's not the main focus. Forgive me for this but Straight From the Hunter goes straight to the heart. (arcticflowers.bandcamp.com)

COMBATANT-Witness To Destruction (Not Like You, 12")
Same program on both sides--stop trying to confuse an old man, Combatant! Standard d-beat hardcore punk delivered at a healthy clip, with lyrics about police abuse, foreign entanglements and fascism at home. Proof that even in small town Mane, there's plenty of anger about the state of the world. Loud and fast, just how you want it. (102 Richmond Dr. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, www.notlikeyourecords.com)

COWBOYS-The Bottom of a Rotten Flower (Feel It, LP)
The Cowboys are one of those bands I've just never been able to get into and that remains the case. I'd say it's power-pop but it's not powerful enough to even fit that category I don't hate music that has a tuneful bent but these songs mainly come across as cloying and precious. Only a few songs have enough fire to catch my (passing) interest, those being "Pie In My Eye" and "Red-headed Girlfriend," which pack a slightly more energetic surge. Ultimately, it's still innocuous and inoffensive. Maybe that's the problem--at least for this listener. (www.feelitrecordshop.com)

DISSEKERAD-s/t (Varning, 7")
By-the-books Swedish hardcore from people who have been around the block... a few blocks, in fact, with their vocalist Poffen, whose pedigree goes back to the 80s with Totalitär and has continued with Institute, Krigshot, Makabert Fynd and others. Four song EP that was pressed for the Varning fest last year (yes, I'm late). Loud, fast and angry, the genuine article. Accept no substitute. (no info)

DRUX-s/t (Static Age Musik, LP)
Mean, well-played hardcore punk from Leipzig, Germany and balancing speed with stompier elements. Rough and tumble production to prevent it from sounding too slick. Lyrics are in English and concerned with hating people, hating romance, hating being judged and just hating life in general but, in the end, "I want to free myself," as they say on "Stuck In The Past." Did I say it's mean-sounding? Tucked inside a heavy stock, screened cover. (staticshockmusik.com)

FRIED EGG-Square One (Feel It, LP)
The sound of alienation, a soundtrack for coping with misery and disappointment. Not exactly cheery but Fried Egg's first full-length provides an effective platform to work through it. Edgy, sense-warping hardcore that's evolving and maintaining their core intensity. Ravenous thrash, as well as slower creepy crawl bringing Bl'ast to mind a bit and this is definitely coming from a dark place.The vocals exude snarly rage and that alienation I mentioned earlier comes from a lyrical standpoint as well, with titles like "Why Bother,""Fatalist" and "Grin and Bear" ("sold a lie. told life was fair, it's all a ruse.") The older I get, the more I feel that way. Life often sucks. Idealism is dead. Thankfully, this sort of provocative music isn't. (www.feelitrecordshop.com)

HEAVY MANTLE-Weights & Measures (Tor Johnson, LP)
12 songs pressed onto a clear single-sided 12" and--I hate to use the phrase--emotionally-charged punk and indy-style rock that sounds like a throwback to the 90s/early 00s. Not overwrought but there's definitely some soul-baring going on here. There's strong instrumental interplay and a warmth in the tone. The best songs here--"Sleep Escape Artist" and "Filming Cops"--have a gyrating, cascading hookiness. It's not quite enough, though, and the somewhat sludgy production doesn't help, either. (www.torjohnsonrecords.com)

HYÄNE-Demontage und Zerfall (Static Age Musik, LP)

MASK-World Gone Crazy (Slugsalt, tape)
People from Urochromes, The Guests and Stagger and it's a dark-hued punk excursion. Gothic guitar shimmer but it's more of a sonic accoutrement to the band's fury. Definitely a potent, haunting quality but, to be honest, I wish the sound was better because it mutes their power a bit. Maybe there's some vinyl in the offing? A re-release of their 2017 demo. (www.slugsaltrex.com)



RED DELICIOUS-Far From The Tree (Slugsalt, 7")
Buzz and burn from this Illinois Portugeuse-language band. They alternate tempos, from mid-speed Rudimentary Peni-inspired fodder to thrashier compositions. Nasty, raspy vocals, along with a trebly tandem of razorwire guitar, thick basslines and cymbal smashing drumming. Nothing nice here. (www.slugsaltrex.com)

RUBBLE-s/t (Distort Reality, LP)
UK82-inspired punk from PDX and the songs are loud 'n catchy with a thumping beat, burning guitar and dynamic bass playing, the latter of which really stands out. With Mare's high-pitched vocals, there's definitely a Vice Squad and Action Pact feel on a few songs, especially "B.P.A," Lyrical themes are timely/timeless--pollution, police brutality and the meaningless trope of "Thoughts & Prayers," which has become a buzz-phrase to offer meaningless platitudes instead of doing something about rampant gun violence. One of those bands with a winning scrappiness that makes this album very enjoyable. (distortreality.storenvy.com)

SCIENCE MAN-s/t (Swimming Faith, LP)
After a fine demo, here's Science Man's debut album. In case you missed the review, it's a one man project masterminded by John from Radiation Risks and, according to the letter he sent me, while some of it was recorded in a van traveling between cities, he also recorded it in random attics, basements and kitchens ("including my own"). And he's created something that sounds human and fleshed out--nervy, guitar-oriented punk, new wave and rock with a mechanized backbeat. Even with the bargain basement (literally) recording approach, there's a vibrant brashness that doesn't sound like it was recorded in those settings. Music that sears your nerve impulses and hits hard. (scienceman.bandcamp.com; swimmingfaithrecords@gmail.com)

THESE BASTARDS-Old and Pissed (self-released, 7")
At LAST, a band I can truly relate to at this point in my life. At LAST, a band with a song called "Get Off My Lawn" although it's about a larger lawn being spoiled--their Bay Area environs being taken over by the tech boom. Raw, fast, sometimes griniding thrashcore with metallic guitar licks and featuring miscreants from such bands as Conquest For Death and Venkman. While there's a whole lot of ranting going on, it's not mindless or completely negative. In fact, some of the lyrics have a fair amount of intellectual heft. Up the old punks! (thesebastards.bandcamp.com)

TROPICAL TRASH-Southern Indiana Drone Footage (National Waste Products, LP)

VAASKA-Inocentes Condenados (Beach Impediment, 7")
Continuing to bash out the relentless d-beatery with shit-hot guitar work. That's what separates Vaaska a bit from other bands playing this style--Victor's six string wizardry. "Atrapados" starts with the same sort of fanfare as Discharge's "Fight Back" and they proceed to fight their way through six tracks without any sign of losing their fired-up rage. (beachimpediment.bigcartel.com)

VILE-Vile Says Fuck Off (Radio Raheem, 7")
An unreleased song ("Overload") and a pair of alternate takes from their album--"Definitions" and perhaps their best known song, "5 to 10." I imagine many of you know the story with this band but in case you don't, Vile were from Mansfield, MA (near the Rhode Island border) and made a rather strong impression at their show opening for the Angelic Upstarts in 1982 (I was there). What I mean by that is they engaged in some pretty nasty crowd baiting--racist and homophobic taunts, a mike stand fired off the stage--and then thrown right back at the vocalist Bill Bile. They barely made it out of the club in one piece. This was followed by back and forth letters in Boston Rock magazine between someone who was offended by their act and the band pretty much saying they didn't give a shit. There was also an ad that's reproduced for this cover. Their drummer Joe O'Hare (who sent me "Overload" in 2012). told me they had kind of a tough time getting shows after that.

Anyway, they recorded an album and distributed it by leaving it on car windshields in the Channel parking lot and throwing the rest into the Fort Point Channel. Yeah, the lyrics are really nasty but it was a complete wind-up, aimed at pissing off the local hardcore scene. Some people dug it, though. I remember Choke from Negative FX and Slapshot saying that Vile was his favorite new band. I still have my copy. Anyway, that's the gist of the story. As for this record (oh yeah, this is a review), it's quite entertaining. Musically, they were damned good at what they did--fast and snotty hardcore punk, skillfully played, and that's what you get here. "Overload" doesn't sound like some crappy outtake and, since the album's again out of print after a 2004 reissue, this is the only Vile disc currently available. (deathwishinc.com/collections/radio-raheem)

Richard, on the other hand, was a studious, upper-middle class Jewish kid and a bit of a snot, to be honest. At that time, I was rockin’ out to Aerosmith, Bad Company, The Sweet, Blue Öyster Cult, and bands of that ilk. So the America record ends and Richard takes out another record and he said, in essence, we’re about to hear something completely ridiculous. I thought him playing America was ridiculous enough (although I’ll admit I liked “A Horse With No Name” when I was 11 or so). The record was Kick Out The Jams and, the minute the opening chords of “Ramblin’ Rose” burst through his stereo speakers, it was love at first listen. He thought this was silly, stupid music. 

I was flattered when the coordinator at the time, who I knew from his old band, asked me to come on board as a columnist in 2005. I think I’ve only missed a handful of them over the past 14 or so years and that was mainly due to family emergencies. I wanted to make sure I got at least something published every month, while I was slacking on my own zine/blog—which I still am, but that’s another story.

I know, I know, where the fuck 'ya been, Al? Story of my life. Onward! And it won't be as long until the next one.

ADRENALIN O.D.-Let's Barbeque (Beer City, 12")
Super-duper deluxe 12" reissue of AOD's debut EP from 1983 and also including the first vinyl appearance of "Scare Tactics" (previously on the 1995 Grand Theft Audio "Sittin' Pretty" compilation CD), plus five unreleased demo recordings from 1982. During the Reagan era hardcore, uh, era, AOD didn't engage in any sort of political diatribes. They were ranting about what was going on in their suburban environment--annoying well-to-do showoffs, annoying senior citizens (BINGO!) and then taking revenge on "Mischief Night" where they smash all that shit up. Something like that. This is fast, let 'er rip, revved-up buzzsaw hardcore punk, with the tongue dug deeply into the cheek.  BINGO! (PO Box 1759, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1759, www.beercity.com)

Spacey, abraso-punk and post-punk, accompanied by against-the-grain, nearly taunting vocals. Guitar tones that are heavy and snaky, with a lot of effects, including a synthy-sounding one on "Once Again With Feeling." Hints of 90s AmRep rock, Drive Like Jehu, Jesus Lizard, etc, where the six string slam is underpinned by solid rhythms. Furious, but also nuanced, as the songs don't crush under their own weight. (alphahopper.bandcamp.com)

BLOWBACK-Great Again (Collateral Damage Limited, 7")
In case the title isn't a giveaway, Blowback ain't too fond of the man in the Oval Office, in case you weren't paying attention to the lyrics of the title track or "Don't Need Advice." Nor is it possible to miss the anger expressed on "Out Of Control Bullshit," since the lyrics pretty much boil down to those words. Muscular hardcore but there's a little post-punk mixed into "Frog Trolling" and "A Brief History Of Genocide" The heart's definitely in the right place but it gets a bit overwrought at times. (blowback.org)

BONEFIRE-Fade and Decay (FTWNU2, LP)
Thrash/metal/hardcore from this Minneapolis band that includes a few former members of Misery. Overarching sentiment? That's stated on opening track "Conceived The Same"--"the world is fucked" and there's plenty of reasons for that. Racism, xenophobia, drugs, mass media control and so on, but there also seems to be a willingness and determination to fight back against all of that. Musically, there's an abundance of speed along with heaviness and a few melodic touches. These guys have been around the block a few times in various bands so the music is executed with a seasoned, lethal skill. The clicky, double-pedal drum sound is a tad distracting but made up for with the mighty riffage and harsh vocals. (PO Box 822, Hopkins, MN 55343, www.ftwnu2.com)


BRUISED-Rotten Codex (Chicago Research, LP)
Moody post-punk delivered with an energetic kick. The latter is particularly evident for "Psychic Strain" (with clinking percussion), "Satisfying Texture" and closer "Ceramic Dish," the latter of which attacks with a hardcore ferocity. "No Neutral Architecture," with a lumbering bass-drums signature, creates a burning and hypnotic effect. If bands like Institute, Rank/Xerox and Marbled Eye float your boat, Bruised will have a similar effect. (chicagoresearch.bandcamp.com) 

CEMENT SHOES-Too (Feel It, LP)
That's a sample of Dee Dee's "1-2-3-4" that starts the record, it crashes and then the real crush begins. Richmond band Cement Shoes kick out some jams, motherfucker, taking rock 'n rollitude and harnessing it to a hardcore punk engine. Or maybe it's the other way around. In any case, this is high energy stuff. I might be breaking punk omerta, since they use pseudonyms, but the guitarist is Brandon Gaffney from Brown Sugar and that band's muse definitely informs Cement Shoes. Grunted vocals that sound like the descendant of Mike Brown from United Mutation, reinforced by hot riffing, rubbery basslines and strong drumming. Also, any album that starts with a song called "Unite The Right In Hell" is alright with me. So is one that ends with someone cursing out a sample of Willy Wonka. They've got 'yer musical golden ticket right here. (www.feelitrecordshop.com)

CHRONIC SUBMISSION-Sick of Reality (Schizophrenic, LP)
Schizophrenic released this Toronto band's 1984 demo "Empty Heads Poison Darts" awhile back and now they're pressed Chronic Submission's '83 demo. Loud 'n fast hardcore punk with an abundance of youthful piss 'n vinegar. It's a rougher-sounding take than the other demo and the musicianship was also a bit more primitive but they rip their songs out with a snotty, malevolent glee. There's a four song "medley" songs that checks in at just under a minute. No doubt they were influenced by much of what was going on in the US at that point, especially midwest bands. Some of the songs veer into territory staked out by The Fix. Not bad for a bunch of teenage troublemakers. (schizophrenicrecords.bigcartel.com)



CONDOR-Singles 2017-2018 (Beach Impediment, 12")
Condor is a solo project by Maxime Smadja (Rixe) and the two recordings that comprise this 12" were actually cassette singles. Presented in glorious low-fidelity and the roughness is a huge attraction here. The hooks of the songs come ringing through, especially for "Que Jeuenesse Se Passe" and "Chacun Pour Soi." There's an Oi flavor but he also takes a UK-82 turn for "Condor." The disc includes one extra track, a punchy cover of 80s band DEM's "Vengeance." A rousing good time. (beachimpedimentrecords.bigcartel.com)

CRISIS MAN-The Myth of Moderation (Digital Regress, 7")
Ranty, snotty hardcore punk with Ross Farrar from Ceremony on vocals... this is real back-to-the-roots stuff for Ross, as Ceremony moved away (evolved or devolved?) from the punk ferocity of their masterwork "Rohnert Park." Ross punctuates his vocals with painful interjections, like someone's giving him a hotfoot. Gnashing, slashing guitar lines create a heady, twisted effect that goes straight for the skull. (digitalregress.com)

DERELICTS-Life of Strife (Digital Warfare, CD)
The Derelicts are back with their first new album in 30 years, although there were a few 7"s after that. Still, a long fuckin' time. Two originals return--vocalist Duane Bodenhemier and guitarist Neil Rogers and their new drummer is Donny Paycheck from Zeke. The 14 tracks include re-recordings of old stuff and a handful of new material. Their forte remains snotty, high-powered punk rock 'n roll. The Supersuckers certainly learned a lesson or two from this band... Zeke, too, for that matter.A no bullshit style with vocals that sound like a cross between Mark Arm and Stiv Bators. They can also be surprisingly melodic sometimes, as with "Boxed In" (which was one of my favorite Derelicts songs back in the day). Middle-aged punks with all the "get off my lawn" attitude they can muster. (www.digitalwarfarerecords.com)

DESPERATE TIMES-Peace At Last (tape)
Both their 2018 and newer "Peace At Last" demos on one handy tape and the newer recording benefits from better recording quality, as well as tightening up as a band. Rough, raw crusty hardcore with anarcho punk overtones. There are Møb and Flux covers and, while they don't slavishly mimic either band, Desperate Times (who are from Nova Scotia) lean towards the latter in terms of the harder edge. And they don't show a whole lot of patience towards crustfund" kids and privileged college students (although I do think secondary education can be a useful thing--unfortunately, it's out of reach for a lot of people). A lot of passion here. (desperatetimes.bandcamp.com)


DIRECT ACTION-Tomorrow Is Too Late--Complete 1984 Tape (Schizophrenic, LP)
Another vinyl pressing of an old demo from a Toronto band. Direct Action's song "Hate Generation" was a stand-out on the "Primitive Air-Raid" compilation LP, where they were the only non-Montreal band.  Some of these songs were on a Bitzcore release that combined them with songs from their "Trapped In A World" LP. I always liked this demo a lot more because of its rawness. Pure thrash-driven blitz with Bones-y metallic guitar squeals, threatening to run off the rails, taking you with it. They navigate those hairpin turns with instrumental mettle. Underneath the six string slam, there are sick bass runs and thumping drumming, accompanying Tim's over-the-top vocals. Pulverizing. (schizophrenicrecords.bigcartel.com)

DOTS-s/t (Dirt Cult, LP)
Two people from Bad Daddies (Camylle and Matt) are in this band and it's a strong debut. Dirty, fuzzy punk with echo on the vocals and spacey keyboard swooshes to go along with the gnarled guitar/bass/drums attack. Jabbing compositions that also sneak in the occasional hook. And the album keeps picking up steam throughout. Some real potent bashers, especially "Surfs Up" and "Spinal Tap," with the closing track "Judgement" taking a Chrome-ish turn. Not far removed from what their former band were doing--mixing driving punk with quirky elements. (dirtcultrecords.com)
DROIDS BLOOD-Be Free (Drunken Sailor, LP)/Bleaker Broadcasts (demo)
Droids Blood basically formed from the ashes of Broken Prayer in 2016 (taking their name from the latter's final album), with Scott Plant and Nick Donahue on board. Not far removed from that band, following a frenetic noisy-punk/synth-laden blueprint, although eschewing Broken Prayer's hardcore inclinations. Not that they've eased up on the intensity level, but there are also melodious moments. The title track, punctuated by funereal keyboards, has a brooding, numbing catchiness, as does "Sympathy." It's a head-messing clamor. "Bleaker Broadcasts" is a newer demo and deviates from the path a bit. It plays up an experimental side, veering into abrasive, industrialized realms. Only the pulsating bash of "Murder" sounds more-or-less conventional--we're talking matters of degree, of course. There's still plenty of other-worldly effects. An intriguing departure. (drunkensailorrecords.co.uk; droidsblood.bandcamp.com)

FLESHIES-Introducing The Fleshies (Dirt Cult, LP)
The first new Fleshies album in a decade and a band I've been listening to long enough that they were actually reviewed in the last few print issues of SV (the dark ages!). Embracing punk, thrashy hardcore and pop-inflected ravers, the Fleshies play everything full-tilt, storming right out of the gates with the 1-2-3 blitzkrieg of "Bruisee,""NOMaste" and "Comin' To Get Out Cousins." The melodic side shows up for "Hold Me Up" and "Stone Mason," without compromising the energy level. Buzz 'n burn... good to hear from them again. (dirtcultrecords.com)


FUNERAL CONE-Kill A Ghoulie For Julie (100% Breakfast, 7")
Jabbing, hyper garage punk/new wave and there's a Buzzcocksian guitar line for "ABBA C.A.B." (clever title). Flip it over and you get hit with three frenetic quickies and more title/lyrical cleverness, delivered with twisted presence of longtime punk vet Dan Wars. Recorded a few years ago and finally given a vinyl pressing. (funeralcone.bandcamp.com)

GAME-No One Wins (Beach Impediment, LP)
Debut vinyl (finally) from UK-based band Game, which includes Ola and Nicky from Arms Race and Jonah from Career Suicide and Fucked Up. Booming production creates an ugly sonic detonation that brings out the band's heaviness, which is a combination of 80s UK metallic thrash (Sacrilege, for one) and Japanese hardcore. They go the full doom metal route for closing track "Foundation & Empire." Ola's vocals (in both English and Polish) have a nasty, from-the-gut fervor and the band's sonic roar is relentless. (beachimpedimentrecords.bigcartel.com)

GLUE TRAPS-Future Shocks (To Live A Lie, 7")
I reviewed this Baltimore band's demo awhile back and now there's the full recording on a 7". 12 doses of power-packed hardcore, sometimes adding a catchy twist, as with "Bury Me" and "No Utopia." Songs for short attention spans. Why stretch things out? Hit hard and fast and move on. (2825 Van Dyke Ave., Raleigh, NC 27607, tolivealie.com)

GROSS POLLUTER-Cynical Scumbaggery (Rat Town, 7")
Most of the people from Smogtown playing similar high energy west coast punk rock 'n roll that their former band specialized in. Good 'n loud, somewhat catchy, although I wouldn't call it groundshaking. (rattowrecords.com)

HARAM-Where Were You On 9/11? (Toxic State, 7")
Haram's latest missive features the same provocative punk as on previous releases, starting with the cover art showing the Twin Towers drawn with Arabic letters. Lyrics are also in Arabic, although it's tough to miss the point with titles like "Bomb In The Sky" or the title track. Haram's vocalist Nader happened to be in school that day and his life immediately changed, as he was subjected to abuse and harassment. Galloping punk with a slight industrial/tribal undertow and razor-sharp riffing. (toxicstaterecords.com)

HASH REDACTOR-Drecksound (Goner, LP)
Charlotte and Meredith from Nots join Alec from Ex-Cult and one other individual to form Hash Redactor. This is closer to Ex-Cult's loud punk/post-punk mesh. The bouncy "Floral Pattern" and "Lotion Poet Laureate" owe a debt to The Fall, more from a musical point of view than Alec's vocal cadence. Some brooding properties are introduced for "In The Tank," with a bluesy guitar undertow. "In The Tank" goes straight for the throat with charging basslines and drum patterns and twisted guitar lines. A good balance of aggro and darker properties. (www.goner-records.com)


IDIOTA CIVILIZZATO-Civilta Idiota (Static Shock, 7")
Idiota Civilizzato are from Berlin but the members are from all over the world. Their vocalist is Italian and that's where they come from musically, in a decidedly Indigesti and CCM vein (there's the occasional yelp in the vocals), along with some 80s-era US hardcore influences. Loud, fast and a bit twisted-sounding. (staticshockrecords.limitedrun.com)

JACKETS-Queen of the Pill (Voodoo Rhythm, CD)
Pretty standard garage rock/pop. Well-played, with an abundance of fuzz, psych guitar, tambourine and an in-the-pocket rhythm section, topped off with Jackie Brutsche's soulful vocals. They maintain a consistent energy level throughout, tossing off one brash and catchy rocker after another. It comes across like a revival of a revival, as this has the cleaner sound of the '80s era garage renaissance and not really the rawness of the original article. It hits hard, though, and Jackie's guitar has plenty of bite to go along with her confident vocals. (www.voodoorhythm.com)

KALEIDOSCOPE-After The Futures (Toxic State, LP)
Kaleidoscope's angriest and hardest-edged release to date. Anarcho-meets-2010s NYC bashing punk viciousness with shuffling, tribal rhythms and nasty, nervy guitar flail to go along with Shiva's hoarse-sounding, spat-out vocals. The instrumental "Suicide" pushes the limits with some free-form wreckery, leading into the throbbing "Exhaustion.' As with their earlier 12""Volume Three," it's something of a cautionary tale or, perhaps more accurately, a fiery critique of global capitalism, surveillance and oppression. But maybe there's some light? Inside the booklet, there's a dedication to "all of those who are in despair and all of those who demonstrate the courage to fight for something better."Kaleidoscope have put together a pretty damned good collection of fight songs here. (toxicstaterecords.com)



MACK ENEMY-s/t (demo)
Thorny punk from Philly with a Rudimentary Peni bent mixed with thrash. Buzzing guitar and bass, along with demented vocals. This is Mack Enemy's second demo and they've stripped away the occasional synthy flourish on their debut into something a little punchier. A dark, twisted journey brimming with high-energy fervor. The first demo's worth checking out too. (mack-enemy.bandcamp.com)

M.A.Z.E.-s/t (Lumpy, 12")
A tad disappointing after their demos and split 7" although there's still a good amount of charm. The same merger of post-punk and trad Japanese music that sometimes gets a little cutesy, particularly on the wispy pop of "Eight Channels." The edginess is muted somewhat, but after awhile, the hooks find a way of sinking into the consciousness and, goddamn it, they've got you. (lumpyrecords.com)

MOCK EXECUTION-Reality Attack EP (Lengua Armada, 7" EP)
A relentless attack... there's plenty of noise but it's not a sheet of impenetrable sound. Howling vocals and a battering-ram approach as they flail away without let-up. A Finnish/Japanese cross-breeding and tipping their hand with a Kaaos cover. Intense, but still something I prefer experiencing in the live setting. (mockexecutionpunk@gmail.com)

NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS-Claw Marks (Dirt Cult, LP)
Rough, tough and catchy punk and it's the first time the Brats have been heard from in a bit. Sticking to a high energy approach, with big powerchords and stirring melodies. Jenny's vocals echo Kat from Legal Weapon's and there are a few sonic similarities, as well. There's a little country/rootsy tilt to a few songs, particularly "Searcher" and "Touching The Void," although it's not in terms of the instrumentation--you don't hear a pedal steel or slide guitar--but from the arrangements. "Down 3rd" is sweetly poppy ala the Fastbacks. Pure west coach punch. (dirtcultrecords.com)

NOTS-3 (Goner, LP)
The 3 has a dual meaning here--it's Nots third album and their first as a three-piece, with Natalie Hoffman handling all guitar and synthesizer/keyboards, complementing her detached-sounding vocals. Some songs eschew guitar completely, as the synth creates a heady sonic mesh--beeps, blips, washes sometimes generating a frenzy, as with "Floating Hand." The bass and drums lock in perfectly, moving things along at a frenetic pace. At its core, Nots remain a punk band and that's evident on hard-driving "Surveillance Veil" and "Woman Alone," both of which do feature guitar, as does the post-punk flavored "Persona." Paring down the lineup doesn't compromise Nots' sweeping sound one bit. (www.goner-records.com)

OBEDIENCE-MMXIX (Fair Warning, 12")
Relentless hardcore punk with a fuzzy rawness. Yeah, you've heard that a million times but, goddamn, this is the real deal. Not 80s US revival, not tough core, just a fast and furious sound. That's to expected when Dave from Tear It Up and members of the Austin Punk Rock Wrecking Machine are involved. One rager after another, with blowtorch guitar, rumbling bass and scampering drums. And as I sit here contemplating the latest news headlines (taking a break from them right now, though), "Snake Oil" perfectly captures the current situation--"we let a madman fabricate a reality of fear and hate/This will never go away when we listen to what you say." Dave could have yelled the same thing in the 80s--shit never changes that much, unfortunately. In the meantime, prepare to be obliterated. (fairwarningrecords.bandcamp.com)

OUT COLD-Living Is Killing Me (Sorry State, LP)
The final salvo from Out Cold and done in similar fashion as "A Heated Display." Mark Sheehan (R.I.P.) and John Evicci recorded basic guitar and drum tracks in late 2005. Then, between 2013 and 2017, the remainder was finished--vocals by original frontman Kevin Mertens, bass and lead guitar from Mikey and Deuce, who were in Out Cold's final lineup, plus guest guitar turns from Bill Close from the Freeze and Michah Smaldone from Pinkerton Thugs. Got all that? Anyway, the same loud, energetic meat and potatoes hardcore punk Out Cold always traded in. Bruising speed burners, along with mid-tempo bashers like "Resentment," featuring duel guitar leads from Close. Even with everything done piecemeal over a dozen years, it flows well. I really miss these guys. It's a fitting epitaph. (www.sorrystaterecords.com)

PANDEMIX-In Condemnation (Dirt Cult, LP)
There's an overarching seriousness in Pandemix's approach, a lot on the proverbial lyrical plate. This is music for the outsider, for those who feel marginalized by society and, to paraphrase the title of one of the songs, can't or won't assimilate. Sonically, Pandemix pump out loud, powerful melodic anarcho-style punk. There's even a reggae jab popping up for "Through The Night," although it's wed to the arrangement's surging fury. The disc comes with a booklet of drawings and collages to go along with the lyrics and a two-sided poster that also has striking visual images and quotes two lines from "Past Selves": "I've searched for light within the darkness, with no reprieve/I've searched for meaning in chaos--no clarity."Alienation remains a timeless theme and this album helps provide a coping mechanism. (dirtcultrecords.com)

PHYSIQUE-The Evolution of Combat (Distort Reality, 12")
"Silence is death, we make noise" is stamped on the record's label, as well as the back cover of the fold-out sleeve and it continues to be Physiques modus-operandi. A relentless sonic assault, blown-out as fuck. You want noise? How about an unholy acid-bath of blown-out guitar mangling, to go along with rumbling bass and battering-ram drumming that doesn't change speed, save for the thumping "No Better Way," which is the best song here. This style of punk is still better experienced live, where there's no escaping the merciless volume but, underneath the noise, everything is executed with a ruthless precision. (distortreality.storenvy.com)

PINK GUITARS-Hand (demo CD-R)
Straight-ahead hardcore punk mixing rat-a-tat thrash with different guitar textures--alien-like washes for both "On the Inside" and "Embrace The Freeze or the atonal, short "instrumental""Reading Books About Zen.." The offkey vocals throw things off a bit but there are some good musical ideas here and there. (pinkguitars.bandcamp.com)

PISSER-Breaking Chains (Schizophrenic, 12")
Thrash metallers from Ontario... six tracks on a one-sided 12" (with an etching on the flip) taken from two different sessions. A crossover blitzkrieg leaning on Bay Area thrash and darker strains. Exodus meets Possessed and vocalist Bonez, with her over-the-top growls could be Paul Baloff's younger sister. Maybe daughter. Hot 'n heavy. (schizophrenicrecords.bigcartel.com)

THE PROLETARIAT-Move (Radiobeat, CD)
The social conscience of Massachusetts punk has returned, even reactivating the old Radiobeat label. The first Proletariat album in over 30 years (preceded by a 7" last year) shows the band have no shortage of bones to pick, with both current and historical events. Critiques of the prison/industrial complex, the attempted smashing of unions with scab labor and looking back to the police bombing of the MOVE headquarters in Philadelphia in the mid-80s. That's just for starters and it shows that not enough has changed since their lengthy hiatus. 3/4 of the 80s-era lineup return, along with new guitar player Don Sanders. The music is just as driving as back then, albeit a slightly more rocked-out, cleaner-sounding take on their post-punk roots. Sputtering, sizzling guitar lines underpinned by the always-sturdy bass/drums tandem, topped off with Rick Brown's agitated vocals--he sounds even more pissed off than he did in the 80s. It's not "Soma Holiday" but The Proletariat are still a vital-sounding band. (www.proletariatband.com)

PROTRUDERS-Poison Future (Feel It, LP)
Skewed, sometimes meandering rock bringing together different strains--psychedelia and Clevo proto-noise for starters. The opening title track and "Hydrophytol" introduce some free-form elements. Squalling sax on both songs and widdly violin on the latter are subsumed into the aural mire, making for a heady racket. "Stabilizer" is a fiery sub two-minute rocker. Other songs, though, don't always have that spark, despite some outside-the-box musical ideas. The proverbial musical mixed bag. (www.feelitrecordshop.com)

RECKONING FORCE-s/t (Not For The Weak, 7")
Pretty by-the-numbers hardcore punk from this Virginia Beach crew, which includes people from Socialcide and other bands. The thumping drums lead the way into the crossover-tinged "In My Head" and they stick to a fast, steady speed throughout, except when slowing down a bit for "Slip Away." Competently-played but not really rising above the ordinary. (notfortheweakrecords.bandcamp.com)



SLANT-Vain Attempt EP (Iron Lung, 7")
South Korean band with one ex-pat in its ranks, namely MassHole Garrett Belair (Male Nurses, Zipperhead, Bloodkrow Butcher, etc) on drums. Straight-ahead hardcore punk, not off the mark from Garrett's old bands or Out Cold, particularly on "Dry Heave." Not reinventing the wheel but played with scalding rage, both musically and in Yeji's vocals. (ironlungrecords.bigcartel.com)

STACKED DECK-s/t (Same Side, CD)
Tough hardcore with some late 80s NYHC moshability. Mean, fast and pissed off and they're definitely sick of it all (pun intended). A couple of guys from used to be in Detroit bruisers Death In Custody about a decade ago and time hasn't softened the rage. (stackeddeckdetroit.bandcamp.com)

UROCHROMES-Trope House (Wharf Cat, LP)
Ten songs, three of 'em covers on the latest from Urochromes. Mechanized/electro punk that's always drawn a page from Chrome, particularly for "Spy In The House Of Love" and "Trapped On Planet," although there's the occasional poppier touch ("Rumshpringa"). Their version of Bikini Kill's "Resist Psychic Death" and Leather Nun's "Ensam I Natt" ("Answer Me Not") hew semi-closely to the original, while given a manic thrust, while their take on the Lemonheads'"Style" takes a hardcore turn. Lots of buzz for your buck and, to use a cringeworthy Sonic Youth reference, taking an expressway to your skull. (wharfcatrecords.com)


WITCHTRIAL-s/t (Beach Impediment, 12")
Another six song EP from the bowels of... well, Washington, DC to be exact. Scorching thrash metal, with more ominous passages. A definite early Celtic Frost feel on "Void of Form." and "Ripped To The Crypt.""Wait For The Reaper" has a Motorcharged fervor. Witchtrial press all the right buttons--meat-cleaver riffs, hammer-to-anvil drumming and vocals straight from the gut. (beachimpedimentrecords.bigcartel.com)

PETER LAUGHNER... MORE THAN A FOOTNOTE?

I’d imagine a fair number of you aren’t familiar with Peter Laughner but you’re probably familiar with some of his bands that he passed through—Rocket From The Tombs and Pere Ubu, for instance. He also logged time in The Original Wolverines, Fins, Cinderella Backstreet and Friction. His song “Ain’t It Fun” made it onto the second Dead Boys album, “We Have Come For Your Children” but the original was by Rocket and co-written by Gene O’Connor, better known as Cheetah Chrome. To give a short history lesson, Rocket basically split off into Pere Ubu and Frankenstein, who eventually changed their name to the Dead Boys. 

Smog Veil has released a five LP or CD box set of Peter Laughner's music, spanning from 1972 to 1977, although he started playing in the 1960s. It's accompanied by a book (my copy of it came in PDF format) that includes a biography, photos and other ephemera. The best part is the collection of Laughner's musical musings that appeared in local arts papers in Cleveland and, later on, CREEM magazine. Peter Laughner's life was short. He died from acute pancreatitis in 1977 at the age of 24. Given his copious alcohol and drug abuse, it wasn't all that surprising. Let's put it this way--if his level of self-abuse was too much for even rock scribe Lester Bangs (who also died very young, at 33), then it was probably beyond the pale. Bangs' tribute to Laughner, originally published in New York Rocker (and later reprinted in the "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung" collection of Bangs' writing) is included and says as much. 

Laughner's writing came from a self-referential muse, definitely Bangs' spiritual kin, and he called 'em as he saw 'em. He wasn't a Kiss fan--my notes say he referred to them as phony degenerates. Of course, his inspiration came from the real-life degenerates and hard-lifers, not cartoon characters. And his writing from back then has piqued my interest. I'm interested in checking out those Charlie Parker and John Cale records he's raved about. And his review of Lou Reed's contract-breaking double LP of experimental noise, "Metal Machine Music," from Exit magazine (see below) made me laugh out loud. All I can say is, if the internet had been up and running in 1975, the review would have won it that day. Maybe that year. And I can only imagine what sort of Twitter feed he might have had. 


Still, is anyone who some might regard as a musical footnote worthy of a five CD set? Made up mainly of practice tapes, home demos, radio broadcasts and live material?  It's not hard to figure out where he was coming from. Laughner was a music fan with a great depth of knowledge and he wore his influences on his sleeve--Dylan, the Velvets and Lou Reed, in particular. He embraced Television, for whom he auditioned when Richard Lloyd left the band for a bit. A lot of the earlier songs, mainly those done with the Original Wolverines, have a folk, blues and country approach and there are cover versions of Dylan, Jimmie Rodgers and the Lovin' Spoonful, among others.The late night recordings on "Nocturnal Digressions" (1977), done shortly before his untimely death are acoustic demos, once again including a number of cover versions, including a slashing version of Richard Hell's "Blank Generation."

Truth be told, there are only a handful of songs that would appeal to the diehard rockers (i.e. your loyal scribe) and that's mainly on the "Rock It Down" (1974-1977) and "One Of The Boys" (1973-1974) discs. There's only one Rocket From The Tombs' song (a live "Ain't It Fun") and nothing from Pere Ubu. "Rock It Down" includes the Rocket song, as well as The Fins and Friction (the latter of which is the best of the non-Rocket/Pere Ubu bands). 

There are fiery covers of the Velvets'"What Goes On," Television's "Prove It" and there's also a jam-out version of the Modern Lovers'"Pablo Picasso" on "Rock It Down.""One Of The Boys" has a crazy cover by Cinderella Backstreet of "White Light White Heat" that's pretty out there for 1973, disintegrating into a drone they title "Call The Ambulance." I wouldn't mind a collection of the heavier moments. And the book is a must and I'd love to see it as a free-standing item someday, although that might not be practical.

Laughner was always evolving and eventually found his own voice. There was talent and he tried to get the musical ball rolling in Cleveland, aspiring to create something running counter to the mainstream, with a DIY aesthetic. Bangs quotes Laughner's review of Lou Reed's "Coney Island Baby"--"... if you are going to get anything done on this planet, you better pick it up with both hands and DO IT YOURSELF." 

I should note this review was largely composed while on a serious caffeine jag. That's my drug of choice and, now that the inevitable crash has happened, my notes look like a few pages of jibberish that required some piecing together. Hopefully, it makes some sense. (www.smogveil.com)

... AND NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY...


Following Beer City's reissue of AOD's "Let's Barbecue" EP comes re-waxings of their first two LPs. By the time "Wacky Hijinks came out, the lineup had shuffled, with guitarist Jim Foster departing and Bruce Wingate coming on-board, while vocalist Paul Richard also picked up a guitar. Thrashin’ was AOD’s business and they were quite proficient at it. Raw throughout but introducing some sneaky rock ‘n roll touches with a thickened up two guitar attack. The production was cleaned-up a little for "Humungus etc" and there were poppier touches mixed into the fray but the modus operandi didn't change that much. You want speed? You want volume? You got it here, along with a wise-assed worldview that was always one of AOD’s winning characteristics. And what a wicked wit they had, right down to barbs at sports cars, cock rockers and other thorns in their collective side. 

It’s obvious AOD had an anti-norm (for want of a better term) attitude. Lyrics like “How are you? Who cares? Why even talk if you get nowhere/Idle talk for idle minds/I got better things to do than waste my time” on “Small Talk” could be on any modern-day hardcore record written by this generation of misfits. It’s a timeless sentiment, in other words. 

Is it possible to sound pissed off while having a great time? These speed mavens proved those qualities don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I mean, how serious can you be when writing songs like “Hijack the Senior Citizen’s Bus" or claiming you recorded a song in your underwear? Or doing a surf version of "Hava Nagila" for "Surfin' Jew"? AOD were the antithesis of tough-guy hardcore but still held their own in the aggro sweepstakes. And they even snuck in a message or two, as with the anti-authoritarian "Crowd Control." A frenzied joy ride. (PO Box 1759, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1759, www.beercity.com)


BOOTLICKER-Nuclear Family (Neon Taste, 7")
Sound the fucking battlecry--Bootlicker is back. Mean 'n ugly, thumping, d-beat laced punk providing the full air-raid effect. The crash 'n wallop of the drumming really pushes things along here accompanying Lewis' throat-ripping vocals and the six 'n four string assault. "Shellshock" mentions "the bang of hell's drum." Sounds like a perfect description. (neontasterecords.bandcamp.com)

BORIS THE SPRINKLER-Vespa To Venus (Beer City, LP)
First new album from these wiseacres in a couple of decades and it's just as silly and funny as ever. Rev. Nørb and his band of now middle-aged merrymakers are back and, if you think they've matured, think again. Granted, there's almost a bit of political protest for "[What Did The] Dog [Now?]"--"when you hear the news/don't it make you want to cry-yi-yi-i-yii." The orange turd isn't mentioned by name but it shows that Nørb has his hand on the pulse of current events. He probably has his hand elsewhere but I'll leave that one alone.  He introduces each song in his cartoonish voice. Musically, it's on the poppy side of the punk spectrum, as they've always been--those Rezillos recores are probably still in regular rotation on the 'ol hi-fi. Vocals are a tad more understated--sweeter, maybe? And this isn't going to blindside you with any raging power but if hearing him read a title like "My Cock's On Drugs" doesn't make you giggle like you were in the 7th grade, you need to lighten the fuck up, Francis. Or Dave. Or Amber... or whatever the hell your name is. (PO Box 1759, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1759, www.beercity.com)

BROTHER-s/t (Atomic Action, 7")
13 songs (all with single word titles) of crazed hardcore in under 10 minutes and it's not all done at blurry speed. Yes, they're capable of blasting away but it's not mindless grindcore or powerviolence. There are lots of tempo shifts in even the shortest songs. Closing track "Manifest" is heavy and ground-shaking, damn near an epic. George from Dropdead plays bass in this band and it's not far-removed from those guys or Infest. (atomicactionrecords.com)

CHAIN WHIP-14 Lashes (self-released, LP)
14 lashes? More like 14 blows to the skull. Completely ass-kicking hardcore punk infused with speed, venom and hints of melody. The venom comes from Josh's phlegm-emitting messages of disgust, delivered with all of the anti-social rage that he can muster. Different themes are explored, though, such as the false alarm about a nuclear attack in Hawaii for "Hawaii CBM." There's also the creepiness of "Crawl Space Boyfriend" and "Turner Street Ghost Motel." The music is appropriately bare-knuckled, infused with a tinge of brawling, bootboy attitude and darker musical shadings. Inspirational line: "I don't wanna live in a fucked up world." Yeah, that sums it up nicely although I think it could be wanting things to be better than just throwing in the towel. (chainwhip.bandcamp.com)

CLITERATI-Ugly Truths//Beautiful Lies (Tankcrimes, LP)
Tough as nails, both musically and attitude-wise. Hardcore that flirts with crossover but avoiding boring chuggishness. Big-ass riffs tied to fast 'n raging arrangements and with a strong message. Vocalist Ami is trans (they/them) and one of the standouts is "Trans Is Beautiful," an important message given that trans people are still subjected to violence and abuse. Ruminations on an increasingly toxic and divided populace (particularly for "Red Neck White & Blue" and "Tribal Politics") and there's a LOT to be pissed off about these days. Cliterati express that succinctly, while bowling you over with a furious blitz. (www.tankcrimes.com)

CUNTS-s/t (Ipecace, CD)
Hot 'n heavy hardcore/punk/noise. Guitarist Mike Crain slung the six strings for Retox, among other bands. Some of the tracks here follow that chaotic and fast muse, such as "Cholos On Acid,""You Should See My Dad,""Fail At Failure"), but a good chunk of it is crushing, a swirling block of bile aiming straight for the cranium. Pounding and intense, especially for "A Hero's Welcome" and "Cholos On PCP" (I guess different drugs have different effects on cholos). And let's just say they don't exactly fall into the "support our troops" mentality for "Fuck You For Your Service," with a "Semper Fi... die die die" refrain. Packing on the tension until submission is inevitable. (ipecac.com)

DAS DRIP-s/t (Sorry State, LP)
The insert for this record has the original ad looking for a vocalist--"Angry freak to front new mid-brow Raleigh hardcore punk band. For fans of nihilism, not using chorus pedals and the first Meat Puppets 7"." It sounds like they got what they wanted. Well, I'm not sure if their vocalist Rach is a freak or not--or what qualifies as mid-brow. There's a definite appreciation of that first Puppets' EP, though. Frenetic punk with busy instrumentation and feeling a bit off-kilter. I mean that in a positive sense. I'm not sure if it's complete nihilism but the musical proceedings are certainly chaotic. Only one song breaks the 90 second mark and the adrenaline never flags. (www.sorrystaterecords.com)

EYE WITNESS-Demo 2019 (demo)
Tortured Skull vocalist Ben Lynn also fronts this band and, instead of the more metallic style that band plies, this is straight-forward hardcore punk, delivered with all the subtlety of a boot to the groin. Fast 'n raw, expressing sentiments of dissolution and rage. Sometimes, you need that. (torturedskullma.bandcamp.com)

FRENZY-s/t (Distort Reality, LP)
Frenzy, indeed--that's what this PDX band create, a total musical frenzy. And while this could be loosely described as noise punk, there's a lot at work here. It's not just a wall of indecipherable rawness.The scampering drums that start "Oblivion" have a similar feel as Disorder's "More Than Fights" but, instead of a d-beat assault, the rhythm quickly becomes whirling and chaotic. Bouncy thump also pops up, as with "Zcum" and "Calculated Genocide." A fusillade of guitar effects and burn, working in phasers and smokin' leads. Vocals aren't larynx-shredding or gutteral, but barked in a rhythmic cadence. Frenzy have a strong pedigree--most of these people also logged time in Nerveskade and Bi-Marks, among many other bands, but it's a different approach. A loud one that will shake you up, of course, but still a bit off the well-trod path. And on bright yellow vinyl and a full-color cover with a spiked, studded and smiling creature. (distortreality.storenvy.com)

HAIRCUT-Senstation (Beach Impediment, 7")
The follow-up to their 2017 EP on Feel It and with all the hardcore buzz 'n burn you'd want. Juliiana raspily barks out the words in both English and Spanish, accompanied by a beefy, razor-sharp attack falling in between rawness and cleaner production i.e. something that's not slick-sounding. Four songs to get your blood pumping. (beachimpedimentrecords.blogspot.com)

HELL BENT-Apocalyptic Lamentations (Atomic Action/Armageddon, LP)
Three members of 2000s era Providence band Straight To Hell reconvened a few years ago as Hell Bent and here's the debut album, following a demo. Whereas STH followed the Scandinavian blueprint, Hell Bent play in a decidedly metallic vein, retaining some of the Swedish elements. When I say metal, I mean 80s thrash and death metal. The riffage for "Ichthyosis" has a Celtic Frost tinge. They even do a medley of 80s Chicago thrashers Znowhite's "Sledgehammer" and "Hell Bent." Aaron sounds as agitated as ever... age sure as hell hasn't mellowed him one bit... and the band operate with ruthless, meat-cleaver efficiency. (atomicactionrecords.com)

IRREAL-Fi Del Mon (La Vida Es Un Mus, LP)
Spanish punk with a cleaner-sounding take on what Destino Final and Invasión did before that... that means reverb on the vocals and a loud/fast, sometimes mid-tempo blueprint. The latter creates some floor rattling intensity, as with the title track and "Ens Venen A Salvar." Slashing guitar with extra-terrestrial effects. Hitting all the right buttons, a powerful surge of sound. (lavidaesunmus.com)

LARMA-s/t (Beach Impediment, LP)
People from Skitkids, Heratys, Institution and more. Needless to say, this is straight up classic Swedish mangel hardcore drawing from past endeavors. It's not blown-out or over-the-top and largely eschews any sort of rock 'n roll influences that Skitkids plied. Larma don't really push the envelope, opting for standard hardcore operating procedure but that's enough. Just play it loudly enough. (beachimpedimentrecords.blogspot.com)

LAST RIGHT BRIGADE-Hoy Por La Libertad (Kick Rock, 7")
Scampering hardcore from Mito, Japan with lyrics in Japanese, English and Spanish (well, one line for the title track). No matter the language, they stick to a hard 'n fast blueprint, occasionally veering into hyperspace, as on "What's Freedom?" It definitely has that classic Japanese attack--high energy, throughout. (kickrock.org)

LAST SONS OF KRYPTON/FOAMERS?-Split (Plant Music, LP)
Two Wisconsin bands operating in a not-too-serious garage punk vein. Last Sons of Krypton have been kicking around (off and on?) for a few decades. Fast-paced three-chord swill played with instrumental looseness and a wise-assed attitude and it'll keep your toes tappin.' The first track on the two man band Foamers? (that's how they spell it) side, "I Drew A Dumbass," is a trashy joy with squiggly guitar trills. After that, the fidelity drops to transistor radio quality and it's a drive through punk, blues, garage and old-time rock 'n roll. It sounds like an exhumed recording that was recorded in a shack. And it somehow holds together. Spirited sounds from both parties. (pmrc.xyz)



LEATHER LICKERS-EP (Cool Death, 7")
A pummeling attack of hardcore punk out of Melbourne, from this band of pissed-off miscreants culled from the likes of Gutter Gods and Geld. Old school ravage with the throat-ripping vocals subsumed into a blown-out, nearly impenetrable cocoon. A more-recent 7", "Eye Of The Scared," provides more of the same. (leatherlickers.bandcamp.com)

LOOSE NUKES-Behind The Screen (Beach Impediment, 7")
Boiling over rage. You want hardcore? This is the real shit. A gathering of Pittsburgh luminaries from a number of killer bands (Direct Control, Blood Pressure, Machine Gun, Sickoids, etc...) and having one of the best drummers in the game, Vince Klopfenstein, doesn't hurt. An outburst of pure, raw fury that reminds me of Out Cold at times, although it's dirtier sounding. Attitude? As they say, "call it cliche... I don't give a fuck." Amen. (beachimpedimentrecords.blogspot.com)

PCP AND THE KNIVES-LSD for Breakfast (demo)
New band from Salem, MA (home of the witch trials and way too many tourists in October) with a few people from Similar Items. Rough 'n tumble rage with snotty vocals conveying a bad fuckin' attitude. They don't have much use for cops, for one thing, rather pointedly stated on "Paid Vacation." A good mix of thrash and bile-filled punk and the trashy, 4 track production gives it a nasty edge. (pcpandtheknives.bandcamp.com)

PERSISTENT AGGRESSOR-s/t (Deathcrawl, LP)
Persistent Aggressor include a couple of guys who played in early 2000s hardcore band Don Austin. This is a meaner, more vicious-sounding beast (not that Don Austin were exactly pop music)--Persistent Aggressor infuse their dark and intense thrash attack with metallic fury. The closing song, "Old, Grey, Feral," crawls through a damaged-sounding, twisted morass. Aging not so gracefully, with a ferocious statement. (persistentaggressor.bandcamp.com)

POPULATION CONTROL-Death Toll (Beer City, LP)
Pure thrash 'n death metal outta Milwaukee. The unholy offspring of Slayer, Bathory and Obituary--at least those are the bands that came to mind when listening. Evil-sounding vocals, meat-cleaver riffing, some furious bass runs and drumming that varies from a straight 4/4 beat to death blasts. All of it is well-executed and it's heavy as fuck, tending to work best at standard thrash velocity. The fact that it still mainly comes from a traditional metallic approach, instead of tuneless, grunted death stylings makes this a more listenable excursion. (PO Box 1759, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1759, www.beercity.com)

POWER-The Fool/Give It All To Me (Feel It, 7")
Two new tracks from Melbourne's Power. A pair of revved-up metallo/boogie rockers. "The Fool" has a Motörcharged feel, while "Give It All To Me" sounds like a sprightlier Saint Vitus. The latter is my pick to click. Deadly even at low volume. (feelitrecordshop.com)

SCHOOL DRUGS-Modern Medicine (Indecision, LP)
The first 12" by this New Jersey band mixes driving west-coast influenced hardcore punk with melodic flourishes--kind of like Night Birds without the surfy twang. The double guitar attack creates full-on aggression, accompanied by a walloping rhythm and at-times howling 'n growling vocals. Lyrics that look inward and reveal tortured thoughts and emotions that are expressed passionately. Forceful production, although not too slick-sounding and that gives it a winning edginess. A scream from the soul. (www.indecisionrecords.com)

THE SHAME-Friendly (Crowd Control Media, LP)
Rowdy singalong oi/punk from this Tulsa firm, who have been doing this thing for close to a decade. Or vocalist/guitarist Chad Malone (who you may remember from Brother Inferior many years ago) has, along with some new recruits. Nice and beefy, with a boisterous twin guitar attack and songs centered around beer, football (soccer, not the gridiron kind) and some pointed political/sociological commentary to go along with it. Hooligans, but thoughtful ones. I'll bet they even say thank you when the next round is served. (theshame-shop.com)

SLUMP-Flashbacks From Black Dust Country (Feel It, LP)
I don't get high but Slump's new album might be a good one to listen to if I did. Expansive psych/space/stoner emanations which tend to push things a bit--only two songs under four minutes--but when they rock, they do it hard. "(Do The) Sonic Sprawl" has an abundance of head-messing fury. "Tension Trance" has a deliberate power, with all sorts of otherworldly effects, although it sort of floats off into the ether. "Sensory Cocoon" is the opposite--a slow build-up to swirling cacophony. I tend to prefer this sort of thing in short, sharp doses and/or with an explosive nature and that's only true part of the time. (feelitrecordshop.com)

SOGA-s/t (Iron Lung, 12")
Vinyl pressing of this Mexico City three piece's demo and, while they're not the most polished-sounding band, who needs it when the energy level is so high? Scrappy, energetic songs with buzz, wheedle and sting in the guitar lines and raspy, ranting vocals to go along with it. Some anarcho punk shadings, as with the Peni-esque "Resistir." They can be near-catchy at times, as well ("Medianoche"). People from Cremalleras and Ratas Del Vaticano, leaning towards the latter stylistically. (ironlungrecords.bigcartel.com)



TOUCH HEADS-Nostalgia Is Poison (demo)/Try To Get Some Sleep (demo)
Two demos in rapid succession from this Boston band. Rockin' punk with a sturdy, straight-forward flow. Big-ass bass lines, snaky, sometimes surfy guitar lines, rock-solid drumming and super-gruff vocals. Even a "woo-hoo-hoo" for "Simulcara," on the "Nostalgia" tape. And they're not a nostalgic lot. "Bought A Memory," reading between the lines, is about musical nostalgia being commodified, i.e bands on the classic rock or punk or whatever circuit. And, truth be told, while I'll sometimes see the old-timers, I'd rather see bands like this playing in a more intimate environment, where it doesn't feel like it's just something for sale. (touchheads.bandcamp.com)



THE VOIDS-s/t (self-released, 12")
First time I've heard from this band in over a decade, but they're back with a reshuffled lineup. Fast, melodic punk ala Vice Squad, along with older west coast influences. The former is an easy comparison since Adri's vocals are akin to Beki's. It's well-played and produced and hits the right buttons. Nothing life or game-changing but it goes down easy, as they say. An energetic blast. (thevoids.bigcartel.com)

WET SPECIMENS-Haunted Flesh (Brain Slash, 7")
Haunted, indeed--from the caverns of horrorific misery. Bruising, bare-knuckled hardcore with reverb-laden hoarse vocals and plumbing the dark side of the psyche. There's the occasional gothy guitar shimmer to the bloodcurdling attack on "In Secretion Room" and "Tongue & Teeth." Burning with a cold-blooded intensity. (wetspecimens.bandcamp.com)

WOUND MAN/REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER-Split (Atomic Action, 7")
Two bands grindin' it out here (pun intended). Wound Man sound like a more metallic Infest, going between lurching tempos and pure speed.  I prefer RGC since their music doesn't spiral out of control and provides a bashin' good time. Speed and heavier breakdowns but it's more damaged-sounding than chuggy, (atomicactionrecords.com)

Damn, where does the time go? The end of the year, the end of the decade. Another batch of pretty good to great records. I'm done making resolutions to publish these installments on a more regular basis. Best laid plans, etc... although I've been working on the regular blog simultaneously to this one so they're being published at the same time. Happy holidays, New Year, etc... 

1. ISS-“Alles 3rd Gut” LP (Sorry State) 
ISS (which I've found out stands for In-School Suspension) are the punk rock masters of found sound permutations. I'm not sure how much is live instrumentation and how much comes from samples but it coalesces into something that doesn't come across as cold experimentation. And there are tunes--sublime melodies popping up on "Workshopping and "Fake V Flake," the former sampling Julie Cafritz's FUCK YOU from Pussy Galore’s "Cunt Tease." The spot-the-sample game is always fun. I smiled when hearing the animal noises from Flux's "Neu Smell" and the drumbeat from SS Decontrol's "How Much Art" merging for "Aromatherapy." There are other nods to hardcore, as with "Mac N Me" and "DDYSWHP" (Daddy's Whip) and the back cover is taken from the Beastie Boys'"Pollywog Stew.""White Man In Hammer Pants" rides a dubby PIL bass line. ISS's lyrics are clever and make a strong point without relying on slogans. A common thread is, my god, being an adult can really turn into a suburban soul-sucking existence, can't it? Save your sanity--play this loud and avoid such misery. 

 
2. UBIK-Next Phase (Iron Lung, 12" EP)
Another power-packed outing on Ubik's first 12", following a demo, 7" and a split with fellow Aussies Cold Meat. They're successful at cross-blending various punk shadings, including goth, anarcho, tuneful US west coast and even full-on thrash for the closing song "You Make Me Sick." An sense of urgency and anger come out in Ash's vocals. The lyrical emphasis is worldwide, whether at home ("Peter Dutton Is A Terrorist") or worldwide ("John Wayne Is A Cowboy (And Is On Twitter")).The urgency comes out in Ubik's music, as well.



3. KØHTI TUHØA-Ihmisen Kasvot (La Vida Es Un Mus, LP) 
Ravaging hardcore by this Finnish unit and their third album ups the ante with powerhouse playing and production. A statement against a world that "breed psychopaths, cold-hearted monsters who will never regret a thing," according to the English translation of the title track, which translates to "The Face Of Man." And that rage is served up in short, succinct doses. The stomping "Pinnah Alla" has a damaged, head-messing guitar line and that flows seamlessly into the full-blitz attack of "Mulkkujen Maailma," Doing it the right way, with concise, methodical aggression



4. SAP-2 (demo)
SAP are a scrappy, high-energy punk band who mix different strains together--incorporating post-punk, hardcore, garage and melodic touches into their sound, accompanied by Alex's hyper, expressive vocals. Well-played--the bass playing, in particular, is stellar throughout. Some impressive runs on "Carrot and Stick" and providing a solid counterpoint to the stinging guitar on "Short Stick.”

Ranty, snotty hardcore punk with Ross Farrar from Ceremony on vocals... this is real back-to-the-roots stuff for Ross, as Ceremony moved away (evolved or devolved?) from the punk ferocity of their masterwork "Rohnert Park." Ross punctuates his vocals with painful interjections, like someone's giving him a hotfoot. Gnashing, slashing guitar lines create a heady, twisted effect that goes straight for the skull.



6. THE VICTIMS-s/t (In The Red, LP)
Yes, a reissue of sorts. This is an archival godsend of early Aussie punk. I'm sure that anyone with even a passing knowledge of KBD fodder has heard this band's "Television Addict." Details are scant (no liner notes, even with a gatefold jacket) but, essentially, this is a reissue of a Japanese collection from 2011 called "Sleeping Dogs Lie" and side one features all of their recordings from '77-78, plus an unreleased song, "Perth Is A Culture Shock." Side two consists of previously-unreleased demos, just about all of 'em rough, fast and scorching. You could almost call many of these songs proto-hardcore  and the demo material sounds akin to UK-82 era bands like the Partisans five years early. A poppier side emerges for "I Understand" and there's a Kinks-ish vibe on "High School Girls." The tour-de-force is the nearly six minute, cacophonic mania of "Disco Junkies." Essential shit.



7. HASH REDACTOR-Drecksound (Goner LP)
Charlotte and Meredith from Nots join Alec from Ex-Cult and one other individual to form this unit. It’s closer to Ex-Cult’s loud punk/post-punk mesh. The bouncy "Floral Pattern" and "Lotion Poet Laureate" owe a debt to The Fall, more from a musical point of view than Alec's vocal cadence, although it's not completely absent. Some brooding properties are introduced for "In The Tank," with a bluesy guitar undertow. "Down The Tubes" goes straight for the throat with jabbing basslines and drum patterns and twisted guitar lines. A good balance of aggro and darker properties.


8. NOTS-3 (Goner, LP)


10. SKIZOPHRENIA-Undead Melodies EP (Kick Rock, 7")
Skizophrenia were one of the more-entertaining bands I've saw in 2019 and this 7" gives you a hint of their trigger-finger power. Classic Japanese pillage ala Systematic Death and these guys can playyyyy.... One of my local musical compatriots mentioned that they reminded him of Laukaus, too, and I'd concur. They've been around for over a decade and these four songs show they're not letting up one bit. Four loud and fast ragers. Out on different labels around the world, including Distort Reality in the US.




15 MORE RELEASES I LIKED THIS YEAR (in alphabetical order)



CHAIN WHIP-14 Lashes (self-released, LP)
BOOTLICKER (Ram Ranch, 10/18/19)

In case you missed it, I've retired from Maximum Rocknroll. I posted my final print column for them last year. I hung in there for awhile, doing on-line columns but it definitely wasn't the same. And then I hit a bad stretch of writer's block, plus it's been a tumultuous year with coronavirus. So my work has been suffering since the beginning of the year and I thought time time was right to step away from MRR and refocus my energies on getting SV back on track. Starting with the next blog, I'm going to (probably) follow the format of my column... a roundup of various releases, instead of individual reviews, plus additional content. Musings, ruminations, maybe an interview here and there, done in the video or audio format. I don't have the ambition to transcribe any more. I actually have a bunch of interviews from the 2000s that I never transcribed. Maybe I could digitize some of them.

On with the show...

ABSOLUT-Demonstration 2019 (Schizophrenic, 7")
This Toronto band have been around for awhile and they're back with four new tracks. A raw tandem of Motorcharged mania, along with some NWOBHM guitar licks that sounds like it's emanating from an abattoir. You can almost feel the studs and smell the eau-de-crust aroma. (schizophrenicrecords.bigcartel.com)

 

"IT SWALLOWED A GOAT ONCE..."

I first met Chris Corkum--or "Corky," as a lot of people called him (he'd always add a "y" onto the end of names, like calling Bones from Dischage "Bonesy")--standing in line at a Psychedelic Furs show in 1981. We talked about different bands and he mentioned a band called SOA... "DOA?""No SOA." I saw the record in a store some months after that and picked it up, after remembering his recommendation.