APERS, THE - The Buzz Electric CD Let's get one thing straight. The Apers aren't "fashionable" but they don't give a fuck. And neither do I. First track "Here To Stay" smashes into your skull, attacking as it does money-grabbing, band-wagon jumpers: "Well I think you're nothing but an asshole, Only into punk rock for yourself. You stupid fuck". Sure the influences are there, Screeching Weasel, the Ramones, the Queers... the vocals are pure snot, the guitars are LOUD, yet they inject their own identity into the mix. Every song is so damn catchy ... and they hate emo into the bargain. To quote "Too Many Backpacks At The Show": "If Jimmy really ate the world Man, I would really crack his fuckin' skull". This is the sound of a band at the top of their game, and comfortable with it. (DC) 86'd - Don't Fuck With the Punx 7" Great cartoon sleeve about beating up the music mainstream. This mostly female band from USA kinda sound like a punkier Distillers but with a really heavy guitar and drums sound. Side one has the more flowing songs which I preferred. Good. (JK)
AFTER BLAST - Rectal Desaster Tape Man the production on this is pretty bad. Beneath the fuzz, somewhere far away there's a band playing. If you like your crust generic and raw then you'll love it. Pretty horrific artwork, kind of septic really. (COC)
AGITATORS/ THE HEARTACHES - split 7" 2 bands from Belgium playing the new streetpunk sound. Agitators kick this off with the great sing-a-long "Franky The Hermit" - that's the killer track on this record. Heartaches were OK but fairly forgettable. Decent. (JK) AK-46 - Remember the Fallen tape Is rehearsal tape grind with vocals like a dog barking through a distortion box your thing? If so send for this, but please don't play it if I'm ever in the room, thanks. (Set)
AMANDA WOODWARD - Pleine de Grace CD Musically I like this a lot, it kind of reminded me of the sort of guitar driven thing bands like BOB TILTON were doing, although perhaps a little more straightforward and melodic than that, the names JUNO and SHINER spring to mind in some of the mellower moments. Good stuff and worth seeking out. (SH)
AMONG THE MISSING - 6 Track CDR A relatively new band from North London. This is good, sounds like Dystopia mixed with early Eyehategod. Pissed, dense, heavy, down tuned music with dual screamed vocals. Pretty well produced too. No lyrics, but with song titles like 'Poisoning the root of an emotional connection', you can kinda get the idea. I look forward to hearing more from them. (Russ)
ANGSTZUSTAND - Malen Nach Zahlen LP An interesting mix of down tuned thrashiness, double bass drums, screamed vocals and surprisingly a lot of melody. I'm sure this always comes up in my reviews somewhere but banshee like screaming isn't always the most appropriate singing in hardcore. It kind of ruins almost every record and unfortunately this is no exception. Sorry if that's a bit harsh but there you go, there's nothing wrong with emotional singing as long as it is singing. OK so I'm in the minority I know but come on folks let's get over it. (SH)
ANNALISE/GUNMOLL - Split 7" EP A nice four track split here. Annalise do their usual pop punk / mod crossover. "Superhero" is a good song but it's "16 Bottles Empty" that takes the plaudits with its catchy chorus and great descending riff. Gunmoll raise the stakes even higher with their two songs. Although different in sound, they have that early Jawbreaker rough charm and confidence, along with the ability to write a top tune. "Fantasy" is just one great song from start to finish. Really cool split only ruined by the over-the-top hippy artwork. (DC)
ANNIHILATION TIME - s/t CD Looks like Black Flag record, smells like a Black Flag record, even tastes like a Black Flag record. So you won't be surprised what it sounds like. Somewhere between Slip It In & Loose Nut with a sprig of Bl'ast for a fuller flavour, this is a total winner. Complete with Pettibon artwork. Available on LP on Deadalive if you care. (JK)
ARMY OF PONCH - vs the curse CDEP This three song CD from Gainesville stalwarts ARMY OF PONCH, is shouty punk rock in a TRUE NORTH or TWELVE HOUR TURN way. Knowing how incestuous Gainesville is, I'm sure one of them was in one of those bands, or at least shares a house them. I'm really into the first song "Where's my miyagi?" and the other two are ok, but if you're going to buy something by them, I'd probably just get the album on No Idea. (LC)
ASSCHAPEL - Fire and Destruction CD YES! This fucking rocks, doomy metal with rock as fuck breakdowns. Massively downtuned riffs, a passionate hardcore approach. Screamed/growled vocals. This sounds like a bunch of mulletted redneck metalheads who have been trapped in the valleys for too long letting rip. Usually heavy heavy metal kinda of passes me by, usually because they get too caught up in the technicalities of the music that the aggression and passion gets lost in the translation. Fortunately ASSCHAPEL play like a hardcore punk band. This band are coming over this November ( I think the Leeds gig is the 11/09/03, so look out for dates around then ) so you should get out and go see them cos they will destroy. (RPS)
B-ABUSE - (tens)65 Cassette This is a 5 song tape recorded in 1998. The style is a kind of heavy dynamic hardcore with screamy emo vocals. Some bits are a lot slower with intricate guitar and bass bits then it all builds up to some more screamy bits. There are a lot of samples from films or wherever running through the songs which I liked. I'm not sure how it would work out live but it really adds atmosphere to the songs and sounds dead good. The production really impresses me considering it's a tape. I expected it to be rubbish but the bass is really loud which I like (although maybe it's the settings on my stereo??). This is pretty different to most things I listen to but I really enjoyed this. (CB)
BAIT - Every Lie I've Ever Lived CD Magnificent 4 track ep. How could it not be? They're a 3 piece (always a good thing), the guitar had a total Prong vein (utter fucking brilliance)and they've got a bastard heavy bass (bass). I saw these not so long back and was totally blown away and this recording has really done them justice. Excellent, full on, pinch harmonic wielding, and dirty. Totally smart artwork and lyrics, to boot. Play it loud. (COC)
BAREFOOT - Only souvenirs CD Pretty cool release from the BT people here. Barefoot have their feet firmly planted in Samian-land, but with perhaps a more accessible approach. Some songs sound like something of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or an American 'teen-comedy', and others confirm the bands roots in emo-punk. If you like things like the Get Up Kids, Samian, other bands of that ilk, then I strongly recommend that you get this. (JW)
BASTARDS TRAINED BY BASTARDS - CD BTBB are a fairly new band out of Stoke in the U.K. who have done a few gigs and are really developing quickly. This is a free CD of only their second gig with a couple of rehearsal tracks thrown in at the end. Musically, they take their influences from anarcho/political bands such as AUS ROTTEN/BEHIND ENEMY LINES and lyrically they make their political position perfectly clear with songs about animal welfare, consumer society, Mark Barnsley's case, war and the arms race. Some of the topics may be old hat but BTBB put things over really well in a new light that is impressive. Well worth sending off for and hope to hear more from this lot soon. (SHY)
BEECHER - Breaking the Fourth Wall CD Ok - I've always enjoyed BEECHER live and the stuff they've done so far, but they've just stepped it up a level and has surpassed my hopes for this band. 11 tracks of raging hardcore metal - a mix of CONVERGE, GRADE, BLACK SABBATH, with electronica and incredible melodies running throughout - some of the interludes are worthy of SABBATH. And it delivered with such energy and aggression that it makes you dance around your room, trip over the TV wire and knock an (unfortunately full) ashtray into your record box. It's been recorded in Boston by Kurt Ballou of CONVERGE, it's on Martin Ives' (LABRAT) record label: Calculated Risk Products. 'Breaking the Fourth Wall' is varied and original enough to put BEECHER well above the rest of the crowd in the melodic metallic hardcore genre. I think this band could be on the verge of exploding - this kicks ass. One of the finest things I've had to review this issue. (RPS)
BEN GRIM - Retro CD A discography of this Wisconsin band from 1997-98. Being influenced by All, Big Drill Car etc, it's no surprise this should be on Boss Tuneage. I quite liked their "In The Air" single when it came out a while ago but find a whole album hard to sit through, as the songs don't stand out as anything special and the whiny vocals begin to grate after a while. Welcome relief comes in the guise of the last song "Civilisations Dying", a killer Zero Boys cover with Rev Norb on guest vocals. (DC)
BLITZKRIEG - Back To No Future CD Starting out with a 5 track demo, probably on a 4-track, some live stuff, some re-recordings of older songs this is one of those records you'd have to say is for completists of the band. Some of the newer versions revamp the old songs (ie they can all play a bit these days) but don't have the same charm. If you want to get into this old band try finding old 7"s or pick up the split with The Insane on Capt. Oi! (JK)
BLOODLINE, THE - Razorstrike CD Musically this took me 4 or 5 listens but now I'm well into this. Lyrically its pretty bleak, songs about going into battle, fighting, being tough, being football hooligans - all done in a kind of ye olde way kinda like the Templars but nowhere near as clever. These guys could be dodgy for all I know but I'm gonna give them the benefit of blissful ignorance. Musically its kinda Templars influenced too, mid paced and singalong but with more machismo. If you like your street punk/ Oi! well over the top and tough you'd be advised to check it out. (JK)
BOMBSCARE - Incite CD This is pretty good snotty punk with a hardcore feel. They'd like to sound 77 but come off sounding more modern and there's a definite Stiff Little Fingers and maybe Partisans feel to some of it (and Alternative Ulster as a cover). It works better on the first few songs which are heavier than some of the later tracks which are a bit poppy, but it's a good release overall. (JK)
BORN DEAD ICONS - Ruins LP I saw a review of this in MMR where the reviewer was basically saying he was upset that this didn't sound more like From Ashes Rise/ Tragedy - well boo hoo it sounds like BDI. I wasn't really a fan of the band on vinyl until I heard this and the 7" on Heartfirst. "Salvation" LP bored me but this time I'm anything but, they still sound like a cross between early Motorhead and Amebix but this time there's a hint of Leatherface's melody in there. This rocks from start to finish and you should buy this for definite. (JK)
BORN DEAD ICONS - Unlearn 7" Seriously fast, heavy Hardcore punk with vocals that sound like Lemmy out of MOTORHEAD!! 4 tracks of heavy riffs with elements of metal thrown in, B.D.I. come across as bleakness itself. A heavy wall of intense sound. The layout of the sleeve is simple with just the lyrics and contact addresses. Punishing. (SHY)
BORN/DEAD - Our Darkest Fears Now Haunt Us CD Politically charged hardcore in the vein of ECONOCHRIST, CHRIST ON PARADE and TALK IS POISON. Dual vocals fight it out over a relentlessly pounding drumbeat driven along with some dark riffage. This is classic stuff. Highly recommended. (SH)
BOXED IN - Progression 7" Finally a hardcore record the UK can be proud of. Instead of the usual shitty sound/ production here's a top notch recording so you can hear the talents (?) of those involved. Right from the start it jumps off the turntable to batter your head but leaves you feeling rared up and energetic. Great songs, great sound, definitely recommended. (JK)
BUKA - Debilana Sessions CD This is a side project of PATARINI members. Fuck this CD has 99 songs listed on it + one of them is a medley of 12 songs strung together, that's a big danger sign for me. The bad sound quality then surpases that as you realise you're in the fucking nightmare of practise tape grind! Throw in some terrible, randomly timed vocals + song titles such as "Your pussy is hot", "Drink - Stink", "Fucking your dog" + "Cunt hunter" to complete the set. WHY??????? (Set)
CAPITALIST CASUALTIES - Disassembly Line CD Released originally back in 1992 on Slap-a-Ham Records, this LP has become something of a classic and hard to get as far as I know. Now onm CD with some extra tracks too, you can once again hear CAPITALIST CASUALTIES obliterating sound. It's pretty pulverising stuff. Great lyrics, really political, personal and to the point, there's no messing here. (SHY)
CAPITOL SCUM - Freak Show EP I remember this band from 1987, one of the better Belgian HC bands with stuff out on Hageland records. These guys are back, looking tough as fuck on the back cover with 8 tracks of muscular medium to fast HC punk. I think fans of bands like Blood for Blood will dig this. These guys still have some fire in their guts. Definitely worth a listen. (Russ)
CAPTAIN EVERYTHING - It's not Rocket Science CD ...and it certainly fucking isn't. In fact it's terrible, terrible poppunk - cutesy as fuck, little skate breaks, and then the fucking bouncy fucking ska fucking starts. Pseudo-American accents, utterly vacuous lyrics, this sounds like a crappy sixth form band gone too far (ie the fucking Ataris) Fuck right off and stay the fuck away. What the fuck happened to Household Name Records? They used to be fucking amazing - IMBALANCE: Spouting Rhetoric, CANVAS, HHH: Making Changes, HARD TO SWALLOW. And now the majority of what they put out is commercially viable skacore and sickening pop punk. Come on dudes let's see you do some more classic hardcore albums, please? (RPS)
CAREER SUICIDE 7" Wow. This is probably the record that I have reviewed this issue that has blown me away the most. Kangaroo have released a lot of great records form a lot of great bands in the past but this is a real gem. I may be slightly at a bias though. I am a pretty big fan of the Circle Jerks, and this band take elements of CJ and give them a shot in the arm with a dose of Black Flag (or maybe something a bit faster), and the prognosis is very good. I want to hear a lot more!!!!! (JW)
CAST FROM EDEN - The Deafened Art of Bleeding Secrets Automated on Deadlines CD So this is VERY metal. CAST FROM EDEN play metal, not hardcore, not screamo, metal! Glad we got that out of the way. Anyway 8 competently played tracks that bring to mind CANDIRIA or HIMSA, but with a very dark Scandinavian black metal edge, taking influences from the likes of DIMMU BORGIR. The electronic and keyboard parts seem slightly out of place, and I don't like them. The artwork is pretty fucked up, lots of blood, razorblades and crimson-stained bibles (odd as it was designed by a Christian). It's listenable but not something I'd go out of my way to pick up, but if it sounds like your thing, by all means go ahead. (WW)
CHAINSAW - CD From Japan, CHAINSAW begin this 6 track CD with a track that totally disguise what is to come as by track 2 you are taken into a punk rock world of rock'n'roll that is full-on and shows no signs in letting up. Guitar leads aplenty and the odd sing-a-long chorus. Full-on colour cover with graphics of the band in geeky poses, cauliflowers (!) and good old photo montages!! Not bad. (SHY)
CHAINSAW - No Stance 1991 CD 11 tracks of very good Japanese HC here, I’m not sure if this is an old release or what, as these guys have been around for a while. For your Yen you get tough vocals reminiscent of the guy from Bastard, over powerful, tight HC with plenty of shout along choruses, great stuff! No lyrics were included, but they do an Anti nowhere league cover which is either a plus if you’re Kilvo or a minus if you’re me. This band have put a ton of shit out ... me, I want more! (Russ)
CIRCLE - Vaudeville CD I've heard a few good things about Circle, and this album doesn't disappoint. Comparisons to Refused seem to have been commonplace, and it's fairly easy to see why. Circle shave the metal edge from the aforementioned band and add their own rock 'n' roll stylings. It's pretty enjoyable, and reminds me a bit of the grossly under-rated Swedish band Carnated. I would imagine they are half decent live as well??? (JW)
CLANN ZU - Rua CD Quite unusual 10 track cd from these Australian/ Irish fellas. Imagine if Pearl Jam were a new age Irish folk band and you might be on the right track and then they go trip hop on you and confuse you all over again and then you think the Psychedelic Furs are doing New Model Army covers. The violin is what totally makes this CD, it's enchanting and beautiful without being overbearing, in the vein of Dirty Three and God Speed, but Clann Zu are nothing like either band. The percussion and bohran are deadly, but sadly, I wasn't mad keen on the vocals (I'm funny when it comes to vocals though). However, they're vivid, sincere and bilingual (Irish/English), which is always a treat, delivering heartfelt tales of famine, teargas and the soul all set out in a little booklet. (COC)
CLAQUE - CD 9 tracks of Witchknot/ Dog Faced Hermans/ Red Monkey style dischordant quirkiness with a very angry lady at the helm. Lovely packaging and lyric booklet. I love disjointed craziness and this had me throwing shapes all over the place. (COC)
COJOBA - Sin Excusas CD Female fronted melodic punk with good political lyrics + extra explanations in Spanish. This reminds me of someone but I can't think who. The vocals are a little flat at times which is a shame as that would really push them over the edge to something like LA FRACTION on their faster songs. Still, pretty decent stuff, from Puerto Rico. (Set)
COMPLEX GSL - All The Wrong People And Too Many Of Them MCD The first track is promising. Catchy, fast-paced pop punk with lots of "whoa-whoas", unfortunately the ska punk thing with fake American and Jamaican accents creeps into the second and third songs and I'm turned off. Just another British band trying to be American... Their stated aim is to "share a limbo with Barry White and a few of his many lady friends" (yawn). To quote the promo blurb: "Complex GSL have nothing more to say except - Where there are three bits of bread in the basket, DON'T eat the cheese." Well shut the fuck up then. (DC)
CONFRONTO - a Insurreiçào CD Curse my feeble brain for not being able to read Portuguese. This tidy booklet is full is crammed full of words, with only the odd paragraph here and there being in English, But it sounds like they know what they're on about, every song as an essay to go with it (in Portuguese of course). Best hardcore CONFRONTO are one of South Americas' best hardcore bands. They sing about the injustices of the world, the straight edge and taking their world back, they play fast loud thrash tinged hardcore with a real intensity. This band was one of the definite highlights of Ieper '03 for me, and I think surprised a lot of people. This is a solid release on all fronts and I highly recommend it. (WW)
CONGA FURY - Chaotic Noise CD Wow this is a relentless barrage of noise from these crazed Japanese kids. Female vocals - not that you can really tell - which like everything else is totally over the top. For those times in your life when you need to blast away the cobwebs or annoy your neighbours. This is also the final piece in the Slap A Ham jigsaw, so worth it for that alone. Fucked up mess (a good thing). (JK)
CONSUME/RESOLVE - Split EP Consume from Seattle play nasty ass d - beat punk. This is actually pretty good stuff - Real aggressive vocals over mid to fast past ‘Scandi’ punk. Intelligent lyrics too. Resolve from Minneapolis feature Saira who sung in Detestation [actually both bands feature members of various well known US crusty bands]. Resolve dish up harsh female fronted punk with political lyrics. The big let down is the absolutely shit production. I’m afraid this ain’t as good as Detestation but the punks will probably still dig this. My money’s on Consume, who definitely stand out from the pack. (Russ)
CONTAINER CRUSTIES FROM HELL - A Benefit for Food Not Bombs Philippines LP So much effort has gone into this LP its amazing. Musically, CONTAINER CRUSTIES destroy with metal crust attack that is short, sharp and pulverising but they also mix it a bit with the odd acoustic track and samples that keeps this interesting. The booklet reflects how their tour of Asia was brought about and the great DIY political punk scene that exists there and there are some in-depth texts describing the political situation there now, the history and people's involvement, including the punks! Really inspirational and worthy of your support, especially if you're into the brutal end of HC punk!! (SHY)
CRACKED PAVEMENT CURSE - Is This a Future 3"CD Cuteness doesn't even touch this CD. Acoustic guitar with heartfelt songs of love. It's twee, Low Fi, emo as fuck, and as DIY as it can get, recorded by Jon himself in his bedroom. Totally cute packaging and a 3" Cd what more can I say, apart from that he loves you whoever you are. (COC)
CRAVING - Fans Will Shit Their Pants CD OK after you get over the stupid album title you will be pleasantly surprised. Germany's CRAVING cook up a blend of Chicagoesque punk rock reminding me of THE JESUS LIZARD, SHELLAC and some sleazy rock ala NEW WET KOJAK. Heavy on the rolling bass riffs, sleazy in the vocals, nice. (SH)
CRESTFALLEN ­ s/t CD Hmmm a metal band playing hardcore punk hmmmm a hardcore punk band playing metal. I sit here with the computer on giving this CD a final listen - when I initially heard it I thought it was pretty average. But I’m listening to it again now and hmmmm you know that feeling you get when you hear a record and you don’t immediately like it, but you hear something that you can’t really define but it makes you listen to the rest of the record and by the end of it you’re tapping your toes a bit, playing the odd song again, got a bit of subdued lighting going on in your room, and starting to dig it a bit. Fast forward a month later and its all you play on your stereo. That’s the feeling I get with CRESTFALLEN. And yeah it’s pretty rocking. A more punk SWARM if you will, with bits of DEAD KENNEDY’S off kilter grooves coming in and outbursts of just pure metal and elaborate breakdowns, but then they’ll just launch right back into a youth crew style gangup part. 6 tracks on this little beast and ‘secret tracks’ of covers at the end of the CD ­ the only one I recognise is the self titled MINOR THREAT song with what sounds like a shitload of people singing along and a different line per person ­ which is cool. Then there’s some country stuff/rocknroll ­ it’s all good. And the packaging is absolutely awesome ­ great photography and a pull out poster of this weird angel thing. Good stuff. (RPS)
CRIATURA - Gente Sin Fabricas LP Enraged, passionate female vocals totally dominate the melodic hardcore with tales of animal cruelty, police with guns and oppression in Spanish, with accompanying lyric sheets in Spanish and English. Cool sleeve artwork and amazing inserts. (COC)
CRUDE - CD How do the Japanese manage it? No one else knows how to write songs like this, full frottle, in your face, mid paced and over the top production that always sounds fresh. If you like Japanese hardcore you need this as it's a total stormer from start to finish. Limited on CD so you may have to pick it up on vinyl. (JK)
D.S.B. - Battle Into Invisible Zone 7" 3 tracks of punky hardcore from Japan. I tried to like this but it left me feeling cold. Definitely nothing special. So if that's your cup of green tea.... (JK)
D.S.B. - Pure Cultivation 7" D.S.B. play ferocious high speed energetic HC punk that is truly amazing!! They're recent LP 'Wings Continue to Strive with Unchanged Mind' is a masterpiece and this 3 track 7" continues along those lines with super intensity. Play loud!! (SHY)
DA SKYWALKERS - The End of a Chapter... Start of a New CD These guys from Sweden are part of the Rancid inspired newer streetpunk movement and the vocalist/singing has a bit of Dropkicks (minus the fake Irish/ Scottish bits) in there. The tunes are pretty good and they use their imagination to not sound too deriative so if you like that sound check them out. Good. (JK)
DAITRO - 7" WOW! Orange vinyl and a felt sleeve made me instantly covet this record. These French folk totally rock. Kind of reminding me of a hardcore version of Mazey Fade crossed with a bastard heavy fucked up Juno. I love it, love it, it. (COC)
DAMAGEDEPOSIT - Do Damage 7" Ok - first impressions - cool as fuck black.white artwork with liberal helpings of blood red splattered on the sledgehammers of the army of punks attacking the Whitehouse. The vinyl is a lovely thick slab of transparent red wax. I would have been devastated if this mini-lp had been shit - fortunately its abrasive, fast hardcore punk of the finest calibre. I can hear the influence of NEGATIVE APPROACH/POISON IDEA/YOUTH OF TODAY. Oh yeah and the breakdown to 'That's Not Core Dude' bears a striking resemblance to the breakdown at the end of 'Positive Youth' by WHN?. All in all really fucking good tunes with thoughtful commentaries on the HC punk scene - 'Ninjas to the back' is about tough guys at shows 'Video Games and the Simpsons are killing hardcore' - is well ..about kids wasting their time in front of a TV, instead of positive action. Cool stuff as usual from HAVOC. Get it. (RPS)
DESKARGA ETILIKA - Apunkalipse Now CD Nice tight quick HC with a few moshy bits. Dual vocals and solid production give this a slight Japanese HC feel. I like the title + label name. Yeah this is good. (Set)
DEVILS, THE - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Forget the Bomb CD It's difficult to describe this. Let me start by saying 3 of the last Stalingrad line-up is on this and that's a good starting point but the songs have a more repetitive groove kinda crusty stoner but with the duel screaming vocals of Rich and Pete, mixed with really good use of samples make this a definite winner. Live they terrorize, sometimes it's kinda cabaret but when they're on form they'll kick your arse so hard. (JK)
DIOS HASTIO - Cervix Inferno CD Shouted, hoarse Spanish lyrics over mid paced d-beat HC that sometimes speeds up with machine gun drumming. There's a bit of guitar wanking + some blast beats. There's too many bands doing this style which makes it difficult to stand out from the crowd, these are no better or worse than the rest. This Peruvian bands stuff is taken from 1993 - 2002 from split releases + some unreleased material. (Set)
DIOS HASTIO - Morfologia del Desastre 7"Raging brutal political punk from Peru's DIOS HASTIO. Musically fast, sharp HC punk with great tunes, frantic drumming, ear-piercing guitar and shouted-screamed Latino vocals raging against political injustices. DIOS HASTIO are an awesome band and totally worth your time in checking out. Limited to 500 copies with 150 pressed on red vinyl..so you'd better be quick! (SHY)
DOUGHBOYS CD Canadian classic HC. Boss Tuneage have released 3 tracks of the DOUGHBOYS recordings dating back to 1987 and remastered for your ears too! Never heard before apart from outside of the band the DOUGHBOYS deliver really great tuneful, emotive HC punk. These tracks emerged on the 'Whatever' LP in '87. Great CD!! (SHY)
DUDMAN/TERRIBLE HEADACHE - Split CD (Show Your True Colours Vol 2) Dudman deliver up 8 tracks of blistering, noisy as fuck thrash that only Japan seems to be able to produce. Totally OTT! - The drummer is insane, the music so fast it almost falls apart. This is a lot harsher than other stuff I’ve heard by this lot and the productions a wee bit tinny but this makes WHN? sound like Grief! Terrible headache come at you with a bit more of a straight up fast thrash sound - barked vocals over buzz saw guitars and mob choruses. Lyrics are in Japanese so go learn, me I’m off down the bookies to put a fiver on Dudman. Great stuff! (Russ)
EARTH TODAY/POSITIVE BASTARDS split 7" Total crust devastation and destruction from EARTH TODAY!! The ultimate obliteration! Crushing. Four tracks of insanity as speed, heaviness, crazed vocals versus gruff venom battle it out to spew forth two songs in their native Finnish and one in English about 'Hunting the Hunters', and an AMEN cover. Utterly brutal. POSITIVE BASTARDS have one of the worst productions I've ever heard! Really lo-fi with gravel throated distorted vocals. Recorded and mastered in 6 hours it's a brutal wall of grind that is basic utter devastation and it is consequently great!. Awesome riffs followed by total annihilation 9 tracks. Split release between 5 labels; Northern NC Massacre, The Mess, Hostile Regression, Hasselhoff, and United Shoebrothers who sent this in. (SHY)
ELECTROCUTION VAGINADENTATA - A Trip to the Depths of the Unknown mini-CD A tiny little 6 track mini-CD of raw garage rock that oozes sleaze, energy, rock and roll. The raw recording of the songs gives the band a bit of their own sound, while taking pointers from fairly established stalwarts like Turbonegro and the Hives. A really neat little package and 'If you pay more than 5 Euros for this' then 'you're a jerk'. Buy now. (JW)
EMPATHY - Burning From the Inside CD Hmmmm -the polished 'serious hardcore pose' black/white photo on the inlay and the metallic splattered orange graphics immediately make me think 'no-brain chugga metal hardcore'. And a pale imitation of SHAI HULUD is what you get. It's well played and everything - I've just heard sooo much stuff that sounds exactly the same as this. Fans of metallic HC will be interested to know that the press release from Genet mentions 'H8000' no less than four times and that EMPATHY has ex-LIAR Matthias Halsberghe and CONGRESS's Tim Jult in their ranks. Hey if you like LIAR and CONGRESS then pick it up, but this just washes by me. (RPS)
ENABLERS, THE - Sweet Fuck All CDEP The cover of this CD just screams of SOCIAL DISTORTION, and put a smug smirk on my face when the first listen proved me right. But hey, sounding like SOCD isn't a bad thing, especially with a LEATHERFACE influence thrown in. In fact this is quality, gravelly, country tinged, rock n' roll, well up there with their peers. The first track "Tomorrow" had me reaching for the repeat button, and by the time I got to the FAY WRAY cover, "High and Outside" I was dancing around the room, singing into my invisible mic. THE ENABLERS definitely have that So cal feel, but with the influences of ex- members of DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL and FAY WRAY on board, they're much more than a SOCD covers band. At £5.50 pp, I'd say this is pretty essential. (LC)
ENDMONSTER - Level 1/ Level 2 LP I wasn't mad keen on this when I first heard it, but it totally grew on me. It's slightly quirky and unsettling. Kind of a Songs of Zarathustra thing going on, but with an industrial, electrodisco sort of edge. Imagine the Metal Mickey theme being done by the Locust when they've been sedated and accompanied by the music from Manic Miner and you won't really be anywhere near. Splendid little lyric insert as well. (COC)
ESTEL - A Guide in Time of Great Danger CD Estel are from Ireland and have an unusual eerie sort of sound with a Krautrock thing going on. This CD reminded me of the harsh upbeat soundtracks to high speed chases on The Professionals, veering into oriental keyboards, synth pop and always a repetitive drone as a firm backbone. Music to make feel a bit uneasy, yet strangely solid. Kind of God Speed having a crack at Twin Peaks with Can's light sabres whilst cybermen are heckling. (COC)
EVIL - CD This Polish grindcore band do the business. Totally generic, but who cares, I liked it anyway. Lyrics are in Polish and English and maybe lose a bit in the translation, but the overall message is well meant. I still can't decide whether the insert picture of the band is for real, but with a name like EVIL I guess it is, tashes, tight pants, waist coats, bare chests and gloves. Gosh. (COC)
FEAR IS THE PATH TO THE DARKSIDE - Only the Dead See the End of War LP Holy shit! I always thought that kids who bleat on about Star Wars should be shot...but no, this is one exception to the rule. Heavy German metallic HC that takes no prisoners. Not one horrible guitar harmony or solo in sight, just pure slabs of riffage topped by screamed larynx ripping vocals. Lyrics are in German but they ain't gonna be happy chappies are they? Chuck away your Absidia records, stop listening to Metallica and get this! Essential. (Russ)
FEAR MY THOUGHTS/FEAR IS THE PATH TO THE DARK SIDE - Split CD Chaotic heavy fast metal hardcore from both bands here. 4 songs from each on this Scorched Earth Policy. FMT take the faster more flowing route, with nice dischordant breaks, double kick drum, and building riffs - the odd bit of tech metal. FITPTTDS play a similar kind of aggressive metal hardcore - but there's a definite crust influence (similar to CATHARSIS in the breakdowns) and a deep rumbling bass sound reminiscent of BONGZILLA driving through it all. Both bands offer up some good rocking stuff on this cd. I have to say that it's the FITPTTDS stuff that makes the record for me - excellent doom-laden heavy crust hardcore. Good bands, cool label - support them. (RPS)
FIELD OF HATE - Blood and Steel MCD Nice little package this. Pretty rockin' metal influenced hardcore from over Finland way. I can see MADBALL and the odd THROWDOWN part being thrown down in here. The chugga chugga bits can suck, but the smart tempo changes keep things interesting. It's a pretty good release, but its only 4 tracks, so I'd personally wait for something a bit more substantial. (WW)
FIFTH HOUR HERO - Scattered Sentences CD This band keep getting compared to Discount. I don't see it myself. This lacks the pop genius spark of the aforementioned band and ends up being competent but ultimately plodding. The personal / political lyrics and the usual great No Idea packaging rescue this slightly. (DC)
FIG. 4.0/STAND - Tarts and Vicars - Songs About Sexism and Religion split 7" This fat slab of pink wax sees two young but fairly experienced bands based in the north of England totally on top of their respective games. The Stand tracks are the best I've ever heard them play, sounding like the early, heavy stuff that Cave In released (yes, THAT technically good) and with questioning lyrics to boot. Fig 4.0 have never put a foot wrong. By the time they write song that is not brimming with energy, passion and melody I should be in an old folks home. At least I would hope so because they're still a long way off it by the sounds of it. Having coined their epileptic thrash meets Dillinger 4-esque melody, they're surely set to release record after record of greats. (JW)
FOOLOCRACY - Sebekradez tape Unfortunately, once again, I have to plead ignorance and say I have no idea what a band is on about, purely because they don't sing in 'the Queen's English'. Which is a great shame because I quite enjoyed this Foolocracy tape. Musically they've got one foot in MDC/Dead Kennedys territory, don't ask me where the other one is, my head is a bit fried from 5 days of solid record reviewing, let me just say that this is good. (JW)
FOR THE DAY - Sofa So Good CD 11 tracks of JAWBREAKER, HOT WATER MUSIC, LEATHERFACE inspired melodic hardcore. Not the most original record you'll ever hear but nonetheless this is well played, competent, straightforward music. (SH)
FREAKS UNION/SWELLBELLYS - Split 7" The Freaks Union are the best punk band in the UK. Young, fast, melodic, passionate punk rock with huge choruses and an energetic live show. I hate to use this comparison but here goes - they sound like a young ANTIFLAG crossed with RANCID - but totally with their own sound. The tracks on this EP continue at the same high standard as the 'The Beginning Of The End' CD full lengther (soon to be released on Peter Bower Records on vinyl) Great political well written punk tunes. So I flip over the thick, clear vinyl and whack on the SWELLBELLYS, and all I can think is ..."shit - I'm sure they used to be a hell of a lot faster than this - this sounds like SSD.." Then I realise that this side is a different speed to the other. Duh. So yeah - the SWELLBELLYS sound like SSD on speed - fastasfuck ripping old school hardcore played with heart. And the best instrumental ever - absolute genius. If you like your punk in your hardcore then pick this up. (RPS)
FROM ASHES RISE/VICTIMS - split LP From Ashes rise are possibly one of the best HC punk bands in the last 10 years. Period! This US band are top exponents of brooding, heavy hardcore punk with tune age, I'm not going to go into comparisons - basically if you don't get this then I can't help you!.....this is an awesome prelude to their forthcoming LP on Jade tree, [I think I just pee'd my pants]. Sweden's Victims are back with us after a brief hiatus....they drag Swedish D beat punk kicking and screaming into 2003 and inject it with a more hardcore edge, fast and uncompromising and no long hair in sight! Not as good as their previous stuff but it still smokes! Oh yeah, Pushead did the cover artwork, but Laura Pleasants' photos on the inner sleeve are nice too. (Russ)
FUCKED UP - Baiting/ The Public 7" Fucked Up play great rockin' hardcore with gruff vocals. If you're not aware of this band its time to sit up and listen cos shortly they may just rule the planet. I dunno how limited Deranged is gonna keep this or if they intend to keep it in press but I'd get this while you can. Fuck yeah. (JK)
FUCKED UP - Police 7" This is one of those records that in years to come younger people or people not as clever as you are gonna be looking through your collection and be pissed off when they see you have this. You have been warned. Kids will be talking about this song in years to come, bands will be covering it left, right and centre. No question this is the fuckin shit and you should hunt it down with a massive Bowie knife. Fucking great rockin hardcore, "Police" is just a classic. (JK)
FUKTIFINO - The Fast Effective Release CD The first song is fucking awesome - ripping fast streetpunkcore similar to CRUCIFIX/CRIMINALS. A few nice singalongs bits in the second song, but the songs seem to get more random different styles as the album progresses. Fucking trumpets and pop punk then show their ugly faces, and then emopop drags it's weedy form onto the scene. The first song is really fucking good, but the rest of the album is just too varied and soundalike to enjoy. Drop the pop and the emo and write more tunes like tracks 1 & 5. there's the potential for a fine band here, they just seem to have not found their groove yet. You need to practice for another six months twice a week and jam together and find your sound. The lyrics are pretty cool, they refer to George Bush as..."Crazy dyslexic farmboy accident, a tourist into the world of politics" Nice one boys. (RPS)
GANTZ - s/t CD Very French emo here, similar to their piers AMANDA WOODWARD, FUGUE - long drifting epics with breaks that turn to raging screaming crescendos. The thing is I think they do the quiet minimal melodic bits so well, that there's no need for any of the heavy typical emo screamy bits, that seem to typify this breed of post-hardcore. But GANTZ manage to pull it off, and the result is a polished, well written powerful posthc album. If they come over I'd definitely go and see them cos I reckon they could be pretty cool live. (RPS)
GIANT SPIDER - EP 1 CD Low Fi emo pop with totally cute packaging featuring Jon from Cracked Pavement Curse. It's DIY. (COC)
GIVE UP THE GHOST - Love American CDEP So, American Nightmare have changed their name, but fear not you dyed black floppy haired pseudo Goths, they still sound the same. I must admit this short single is better than the previous record I was given, but they still smell of insincerity in your humble narrator's opinion. Apparently if we can't hear the sounds of "Archers of Loaf, Joy Division, GSYBE, Morrisey, My Bloody Valentine" then they are actually in there. Bollocks, if I was to put this on and say to anyone with a taste for such bands and say, "Hey, doesn't this make you think of the Smiths?" they would most likely say, "No, you are an idiot and a fool, get out of my sight."The best band they have taken influence from is Pulp, remember them???? Can you picture Choke from Slapshot talking about his penchant for Jarvis Cocker? Most influential hardcore band this decade my arse. (JW)
GODNOSE - Desolation Within Bleached Confinement CD Screamed vocals over that plodding doomy punk that people say is SABBATH influenced but actually sounds nothing like them really (that's not a bad thing). There's a bit of variety with some faster stuff, a Fleetwood Mac (so I'm told) cover + what the fuck, track 6 is reggae, like "reggae metal" , that's a catchy new term, but since reggae sucks I hope this genre is stillborn. This is done well enough, but didn't really excite - this style rarely does for me, their is some nice IRON MAIDEN type guitar 'tho. Sponsored / endorsed instruments isn't very punk tho. (Set)
GRITOS DE ALERTA / HERESIA split 7" Two pretty evenly matched crusty HC bands from Brasil. I wasn't 100% on the speed, I think it sounds better on 45rpm (a lot of things do), but 33 seems more plausible. Heresia are the slightly better of the two, tho Gritos de Alerta win on the art from, nice full colour glossy drawing for their side as opposed to the more trad black + white of Heresia. This is pretty decent stuff. (Set)
GUYANA PUNCH LINE - Direkt Aktion CD Ex-members of ANTISCHISM, IN/HUMANITY, and INITIAL STATE kick up a storm in their most explosive release to date. Sounding like a cross between that mid-90s San Diego sound ala HEROIN and SECOND STORY WINDOW coupled with the thrashiness of BORN AGAINST and the more contemporary thrash sounds of ARTIMUS PYLE or FROM ASHES RISE mixed with the eccentric electronica of THE LOCUST. Politically charged lyrics addressing the themes of breaking the law as a means of social change make for some interesting reading. This is the shit! Essential. (SH)
H8-TARGET - s/t CD This is heavy metal/hardcore to the point that we're taking a wander into Earth Crisis/Pantera territory. It's tight and well produced which is often quite important with such releases, and they seem to have a respectable anti-war stance. Could float a lot of peoples boats. (JW) HAYMAKER - Fuck America 7" Brutal as fuck thrash attack with a massive helping of D-beat in the way that VICTIMS or SKITSYSTEM do things. This is an absolute classic. Fast and furious punk rock at it's very best. (SH)
HIMSA - Courting Tragedy and Disaster CD Metally Rock Hardcore - lots of Iron Maiden lead runs, sound a bit like CHILDREN OF BODOM in parts, SHAI HULUD in the breakdowns but dammit - it just doesn't rock, it sounds like a band of very good musicians going through the motions. I know this band has been over recently and the shows have been reported as being pretty good, so maybe I should reserve judgement on this band until I've seen them live. But on the basis of this record it's by the numbers clichéd generic metallic hardcore. It just doesn't have the edge that'd necessary to stand above the rest, give me 30 SECONDS TILL ARMAGEDDON back in the day - now there was a fucking good band. (RPS)
HITECHJET - If You Take Anything CDEP Wow.. the press release thingie says this band is influenced by a ton of ace bands like the Wildhearts, Senseless Things, Therapy? and early Manics. But then a review at the bottom of said press release says they sound like Kids Near Water and Hundred Reasons so, now what I am meant to think? How can a band influenced by the Senseless Things sound as crap as those bands, I wonder?? Anyway, enough with the musical semantics. Maybe you love Kids Near Water and best of luck with that but that's not the point here. This is definitely the best pop punky rock sort of thing I've heard in ages. There is a bit of an emo rock sort of feel to it (back to semantics again.) The songs are really catchy with some ace hooks and cool vocal melodies. There's nothing particularly new or original about it but still I really like it cos it's pretty rocking and the tunes are ace. (CB)
HK/ PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE - CD I liked this CD a lot. Smart artwork with individual lyric sheets rather than a booklet in French/English. HK are totally ace, dischordant, gripping guitars in an Orchid sort of vein whereas Pledge Allegiance are heavier, faster, crustier, having more of an edge of Tragedy. Pretty fucking good. (COC)
HOLIER THAN THOU? - The Riviera Sessions CD The music is damn fucking rocking - kinda Minor Threat fast parts with Slayeresque breaks. I am really into the tunes - but the singing on the first track is absolutely atrocious - deliberately over the top cock-rock vocals - ( I think it must have been a joke cos he starts singing properly on the rest of it ) The rest of the album is ace. Lots of aggression, fast old school HC, great drumming - with the odd stadium rock moment. If you get this cd - just skip the first track, cos the rest fucking rocks. (RPS)
HOMO CONSUMENS/SEE YOU IN HELL - Split Cassette Cool little package from the Czech Republic - with a great foldout colour inlay and an album each from the two bands. Unfortunately I can't understand any of the lyrics as they are all in Czech - but English translations can be got from the bands or the label Ultima Ratio. HOMO CONSUMENS play fast stripped down old school HC punk - sounding a bit like CRUCIFIX - cool stuff. SEE YOU IN HELL are the better of the two bands here for me - rocking frantic crusty hardcore - similar to TRAGEDY but more doom-laden. Cassettes rule. (RPS)
I EXCUSE - Burn the Empty to the Ash CD Their split with Manifesto Jukebox showed much promise, and this full length does not fail to disappoint. Early Snuff, Leatherface, maybe a touch of mid 80's DC as well, and not only that but it's done with a tremendous amount of energy, talent and tunefulness (if there is such a word). There is so much going on in the guitar work and so much of it is so melodic and great it makes you want to listen to the record over and over again. Our friends in the Far-East have come up with another gem, musical tastes of most persuasions will be impressed by this, don't delay. An Articles of Faith cover capped off a great record for me. (JW)
ILLEGAL ILLUSION - Day Counting Night Counting CD This is the 5th release from this well-seasoned Czech 3 piece and I really wanted to like it. Some parts are ace, but overall it didn't quite do it for me. At times it's rocking hardcore, it's solid and it's heavy, but it's interspersed with a bit too much weak indie for my liking and although being quite varied, there was something really predictable about it. Other parts are totally fucking smart, there are one or two Jimmy Page/ Shellac/Kitchens of Distinction (why do they look weird together?) moments and a bit of weirdness, which is always a good thing. It was the vocals (I'm a funny one with vocals) that put me off most I think, they're fine when they're doing a kind of Young Gods/ Treponem Pal type thing, but at times they are really fragile and whenever I hear ooing and bah bap bahing, I'm afraid my heart sinks. Nice lyric book, heartfelt and slick production though, and although overall not really my cup of tea, I think that some people would really love it. (COC)
IMPERIAL LEATHER - Excuses For Future Fuck-ups 7" Street punk from Sweden. Their twin vocalled approach - one male, one female didn't really get me too excited. Maybe would work better either male or female but not both. They play up tempo stuff but my fav was the stupidly titled "daggers are cool" which is a mid tempo sing-a-long. Decent but not essential. (JK)
IMPURE WILHELMINA - I Can't Believe I was Born In July CD After getting over the initial creaming my pants that occurred when I saw the packaging and artwork, I was really hoping that I wasn't going to be disappointed and I wasn't. This is a totally smart heavy, intricate rocking, dirty bastard bass driven cd with a darkness in the vein of Neurosis, but with more upbeat twists and turns that are slow but not dirgy. The lyrics are somewhat disturbing, brutally honest and soul-destroyingly self-destructive. (COC)
INFEZIONE - Oppressione Quotidiana LP I believe this was only available as a demo before and the sound quality sounds as if it was mastered off a cassette. There's a booklet and an inner sheet but it's all in Italian so I'm guessing from the only date on here that this was recorded in 1986. Songwise they're playing in the classic style of Negazione or Indegesti (but not as classic) ie frantic hardcore. If you love old Italian stuff this is worth a place in your collection. (JK) INTENSITY/ANTICHRIST split 7" Seems like this 7" took a while to see the light of day with the recordings here being 2-3 years old. However it's been worth the wait. INTENSITY blow you away with four songs of intense, fast and furious Scandinavian Hardcore. No frills, just fast, furious, well structured HC with great riffs. Decent lyrics sung in both Swedish and English. ANTICHRIST (now SILENCE) from Poland, tear it apart with three tracks of broody, fast, intense punk. Screamed, agonised vocals. They're lyrics deal with questioning the world around you and forming your own opinions about matters. (SHY)
JAPANISCHE KAMPFHORSPIELE - Fertigmensch CD Good ultra fast HC with blast beats and a fair ammount of death metal touches. Some nice fast riffs going on. The info sheet they sent says they've done 8 CD's but this is the first I've heard of them. I'd like to hear the Death, A-Ha, Exploited, Slayer + Slime covers they've done as this mini CD has wetted my appetite for more. (Set)
JETS VS SHARKS - From Your First Cigarette to Your Last Dying Day CD Pretty fine effort from down south. They're certainly coining their own sound of melodic hardcore punk, with enough variation in the rhythm and sound throughout the record to keep you interested. One could complain that the songs can sound a bit disjointed at times, but it's probably more through the bands ambition to keep the tempo up than anything else. Other bands who have made early records as good as this have often gone on to greater things, so who knows.? (JW)
JUNE'S TRAGIC DRIVE - 7" 4 track 7". Raw and energetic crust, it's the production that kind of let's this down a bit, but it's not bad all the same. It's heavy and fucking rocking with brilliant packaging. (COC)
JUNIOR ASTHMA CLUB - CDEP This is a 3 track demo from a 6-piece London band. This has a disturbing nu metal feel about it. They call it melodic hardcore but I'm not so sure. The production is so hideously terrible it's hard to give a fair evaluation of the music itself. Basically it's bad metallic hardcore juxtaposed with some weird vocal amalgamation of hardcore grunts, nu metal wailings and pop punk harmonies. It's just horrible generally. I don't really know what else to say. (CB)
KAFKA/DEFDUMP - Split 7" A split release aimed at promoting the DIY network - there's 8 record labels on board for this EP. Good idea, cool packaging, good music, cool as fuck white vinyl. KAFKA offer up their usual platter of Italian tech-mosh metal with four of the usual - KAFKA are always good. DEFDUMP - a band new to me - lean towards the more obvious mosh-metal side of things - there's a little bit of nu-metallesque harmonies creeping in there though, which grates on me. But hey - nevermind that shit - it's KAFKA and its on white vinyl. Go. (RPS)
KENT BROCKMAN/EDORA split LP EDORA's side totally rules!! Singapore HC punk. Great female vocals with th occasional male back-ups, this is fast and frantic whilst still being tuneful. Lyrics about abolishing the caste system and other socio/political observations, this is no frill, heads down HC with politically aware lyrics. KENT BROCKMAN meanwhile go for a more dual vocal mayhem type approach with lots of breakdowns and mosh parts mixed in with blastbeats and frantic HC with a metal edge. (SHY)
KICK JONESES - Tales of Discontent CD Sick of listening to the same old stuff that easily fits into a slick category? Sick of no decent tunes? Then maybe this is for you. Kinda power pop, very upbeat with a 60's influence and keyboards, but still sounding punk/ good new wave. If you don't tap your feet to this you have no soul. Former members of Spermbirds & Walter Elf. Nice. (JK)
KNIFED/LIMPWRIST split 7" Two bands that put Negative Approach's greatness into a modern day, speeded up context, both of them in the Premier League of such music. Limpwrist, as previously mentioned in this zine, are potentially one of the most influential bands around. They have very direct lyrics and their records are always exciting, their LP was certainly one of the best records of last year. Although they only have one new song on this 7" it's a good and timely one, on the subject of a certain dumbass cowboy who happens to be the CEO of the USA. Knifed are a similar entity and I'm really excited about seeing them when they come to our humble shores soon. A great record, but you already knew that, right? (JW)
L'AMICO DI MARTUCCI - 7"EP Fast as fuck hardcore from Italy. The label make it sound like they're going for the 80's Italian sound ,if so, it's a pretty damn good attempt at bringing that sound up to date. If not, it works in its own right anyhow. Good production (drums too loud in places) and dripping with energy and vitality. They win. (JK)
LANDSCAPE - La Croisière De L'Amour CDEP Some records are a pure joy from the moment you realise you see the nicely printed artwork to the moment the last chord of the last song is struck. This is one. Their first album was great, this is a short burst of mouth-wateringly good melodic hardcore.And with Landscape you get the complete package: great music that brings to mind Lifetime and Dag Nasty, and lyrics and sleeve notes that remind us of the Orwellian world we live in today, whilst shining a glimmer of hope and adventure in revolution. Aaaahhhhh, so very, very good. (JW)
LAST CHANCE, THE - s/t CD Ok - I'm gonna ignore the press release cos I think its full of shit and just focus on the music. 6 tracks of melodic fast youth crew style HC from Manchester/Sheffield/Leeds featuring ex-members of Symbiosis (Matt Ward guitar genius), TSUA, IN THE CLEAR ( Ian the singer guy ). Firstly Ian's vocals have vastly improved from the ITC days - a lot more passionate and just..well - better. I like the tunes too - pretty cool rocking stuff similar to TURNING POINT. I think what's holding them back on this record is that they seem to have tried to sound too much like a 'sxe hardcore band' rather than breaking it up a little and trying to develop their own sound. Bear in mind that this is their first recording so this is more finding their feet I think, than carving their own way. I do like this record, it's pretty cool stuff, I just think that they're capable of a lot more. A band to watch definitely, I think their future's bright - hey - CHECK IT OUT! (RPS)
LAST UNDER THE SUN - Windfall CD I saw this band at the Cardigan Arms recently and they were fucking ace ( the singer looks like the young son of Welly 4LW Live they reminded me of MANIFESTO JUKEBOX in terms of intensity - with a bit of LEATHERFACE and FOUR LETTER WORD thrown in. This cd is really really fucking good - and on this they sound great - and like their own band ie not a clone of another band. Excellent coarse singing - great hooks and a furious sense of energy driving the whole thing. This is one of the best punk rock records I've heard recently from Britain (Birmingham). Go buy this now... (RPS)
LEADTHEWAY - It's a Democracy When I Fucking Say It Is CD Excellent debut(?) from Wakefield way, relatively local to the zine HQ of Leeds. It's played with so much emotion and passion, the lyrics are pretty political and quite admirable. There are so many great points about this record, it's really accomplished. I suppose I could compare them to 'classic' bands like Bad Religion, but the song writing is much more progressive than said band. A record they can be really proud of. (JW)
LET IT BURN - Hello Good Friend 7" EP Two originals and a Bowie cover from this NJ band. I prefer the originals. Snotty punk rock with a more garage-like Spent Idols feel to it, maybe because of the half-spoken, half-sneered vocal style. Nice pink vinyl and an insert. (DC)
LIFE DETECTING COFFINS - Catatonic Begat Napoleonic CD This is a jazzy post-hardcore sort of thing. And it's bloody ace! Life Detecting Coffins combine intricate and melodic pop with some really inventive jazzy discordant rock. There are even some totally metal riffs in here! The thing I like most about this is how original it is: the songs don't all sound the same which is a rare thing these days or so it seems. This is the best thing I've heard in ages. (CB)
LLYNCH/ THE MINOR TIMES - Split LP Totally fucking ace. Intricate, heavy as fuck, moving. Beautiful artwork and lyrics quite detached from the vocal styles..It isn't the most original record I've ever heard, but both bands are quite excellent. Llynch are German and give off an odour of Kiss it Goodbye, whereas The Minor Times are from the US and deliver a subtle stench of a tamed Botch. "If Marylin Monroe was alive right now what would she be doing? Clawing at the lid of her coffin". Gosh. (COC)
LUCA BRASI - Fuck Your World MCD This is pretty cool. LUCA BRASI, hailing from Germany, are like the jellybean of the hardcore world, Loads of flavours all mixed up. Combining almost VOORHEES-esque hardcore, with UNBROKEN influences too and then the late 80's early 90's revelation sound AND THEN some metal too! But perhaps most surprisingly, it all fits and this CD works really well. Ex-members of CLEANSWEEP and EYE-BALL if that means anything to you. Sweet movie samples between songs and a nice production job make this CD a winner, shame it's only 4 songs. (WW)
MALEFACTION - Where There Is Power There Is Always Resistance CD I was a bit disappointed with this, probably because I was expecting too much. It's on G7 Welcoming Committee, and has good, non cliche political lyrics dealing with the world situation since the World Trade Centre attacks + the follow ups wars, + the press release (yuk!) compares them to NASUM + BRUTAL TRUTH. Unfortunately while in that direction, it's not nearly as good as those - it's decent, but it didn't quite grab me. The last track a DEATH SENTENCE cover was the best, more of a straight ahead blast of a HC song, would be good if they go in that direction on future releases. (Set)
MAN WITHOUT PLAN - Futility Metaphors CD Hook laden melodic punk rock 2-piece from Mahopac, NY. I am really into this kind of 'Chicago-punk' sound stuff like THE BROADWAYS and THE LAWRENCE ARMS and MWP have definitely taken influence from those two bands, but they also have this crazy quirky element about them. You know that bit on 'Chemical Warfare by the DEAD KENNEDY'S where it just stops and goes into that crazy ditty - there's the odd little bit of that on here. But as a whole record this is really good melodic as hell driving punk rock, with loads of catchy rhythms. Reminds me of JAWBREAKER too. Cool. (RPS)
MANIFESTO JUKEBOX - S/T MCD This collects their debut 7" EP and the split 7" EP on Japan's Snuffy Smile, both remastered and appearing for the first time on CD, as a "stop-gap" between albums. The songs are fast and intense, loud and pissed off, yet the Jukebox (as we lovingly refer to them) always maintain a neat tune and a sense of individuality. Sort of hardcore meets Husker Du meets Moving Targets. The debut 7" is the pick of the releases here. "Still Got The Fire" rules! (DC)
MASSICK - CD YES! This Slovakian band mix every style of punk rock known to man to create the ultra hybrid. At any given moment they can be playing anything from poppy stuff to garage through to grind (and I've just heard some ska). Everything is done amazingly well and it all works perfectly. The songs just flow from one thing to the next without it sounding strained. They even mix in keyboards & trumpets. This is fuckin so fuckin cool, you'd expect these to be Japanese. Kinda like if Melt Banana came from Eastern Europe but not. Been playing this a lot cos it rules. Do not miss this one!!! (JK)
MDC - Chicken Squawk 7" A re-release of MDC's 1984 classic Chicken Squawk. Now the first MDC LP is still up there in my top 10 hardcore LPs of all time. Their brand of politically charged punk always included a hefty helping of humour and Chicken Squawk is a great example. The single comes wrapped in a reproduction of the original poster backed with a wealth of information which typifies MDC's releases. This is a great opportunity to grab a copy of some brilliant US punk history (SH)
MDC - Multi-Death Corporations 7" Re-release of the is classic MDC 7" that came out on CRASS RECORDS around 1983 time. The whole fold-out cover has been reproduced that features info about the horrors that occurred in El Salvador and the effect that multi-nationals had/have on countries such as these. Musically, this is MDC in their prime. Fast, angry, hard and to the point with great songs and great lyrics. MDC are one of the pioneers of U.S. punk rock and the fact that this was released 20 years ago and is still timeless today suggests that it has passed the test of time well-even though the sate of the world politically hasn't….(SHY)
MEANWHILE - The Show Must Go On 7" MEANWHILE-once known as DISCHANGE-hail from Sweden and rock! Total Discharged mayhem that as they state is "recorded but not very produced"!! This is raw. Raw energy and brutality. They follow the Dis-line with shouted verses and one line choruses, distorted guitar breaks over heavy d-beat tunes and vocals that shout it out. Nothing new maybe but not many bands do this better. You better listen too as this will be over before you know it!! (SHY)
MICO - Outside the Unbearable Grows CD Good lordy this comes with a 'press kit': poster, 2 slightly different press releases and a kind of mini promo zine. Suffice to say I didn't bother to read half of this ridiculous commercial propaganda. I thought this was meant to be punk rock??!? Anway.. the cd itself is only 35 minutes long. I guess it took longer to produce the 'press kit' than it did the album. I don't think Mico need any further self-promotion through this review so I'll keep it short; Cheesy lyrics ("you can drive in your car and leave these prison walls behind"), derivative melodic soft rock, they probably dream about being on MTV2. It's actually not a bad album but all this promo has made me feel a bit dirty. I like to be able to make up my own opinion, ta. Apparently the G7 Welcoming Committee is going to "be in touch about this cd, bugging you to listen to it." I'm 23 years old mister, and capable of organising my own reviewing schedule. (CB)
MILWAUKEES - Sunset And Sunrise CD A reissue of the debut album from 1998 and available for the first time in Europe. Doubtless, if you're a Milwaukees fan (and I know a couple), you'll have this already, but I'm afraid it does nothing for me. Containing eleven songs about (finished) relationships, it all tries its hardest to be emotional, but ends up sounding like a fifth rate Buffalo Tom. You see, when Bill Janovitz sang "Taillights Fade", you got the feeling that here was a guy pouring his heart out to you personally, a guy that had truly hit the depths of despair. When I play this, I just want to turn it off and play Buffalo Tom instead. (DC)
MIXELPRICKS - Complete The Grin CD The comparison to the late-great Connie Dungs just doesn't ring true. A blindingly uninspired and insipid pop punk album with weak vocals, little energy and awful artwork. How the fuck do bands like this get on three different labels? The basement recording does this no favours, and the whole thing comes across as a bad demo. (DC)
MORDA - Eighty Six CD Hee Hee - they've given themselves hardcore nicknames on the credits list 'Vocals: Vegan Piety, Drums: Judge Vegan'. Shit like this makes me laugh - 'ooh you're so hardcore' and on the thanks list it says and I quote 'Major Hail to the Morda Militia for making this shit work'. The music is, as I expected, by the numbers yank-wannabe metallic hardcore. Exactly the same as a thousand other bands . I tell you what though - the photo on the cover of the record is the same photo that I found on my girlfriend's old PC - and I used it for a flyer. Strange. Another donation for the RTB raffle I think. (RPS)
MUNICIPAL WASTE - Waste 'Em All CD Didn't know shit about this band. The cover and the photos all suggest metal all the way (the bass player looks hilarious - like an evil little metal troll) However the stereo is put into operation and out blasts fastasfuck thrashy, heavy hardcore. Old school punk vocals ala CRUCIFIX/ NEGATIVE APPROACH. Actually it reminds me of FIG 4.0 in parts too - but with more metal. I love this record - its got a real sense of urgency about it, big gangups and the best goddamn old school breakdowns that I've heard in a while. Lots of circle pits, picking up change - their gigs must be amazing. The lyrics are all based around toxic waste, mutants, and just generally - fuck you punk. Check out the lyrics to 'Drunk as Shit': "People will say I will regret it when I get my hangover, I'd regret it even more if I spent the night sober. At war with Earth. Nothing I fear - Weed, Speed Metal, Liquor and Beer! - Drunk as shit, repeat with all your friends". Music to fuck shit up to. Buy this record. (RPS)
MURDER DISCO X - The Feeding of the Five Hundred 7" Oh yeah - where have I been? I missed the other 7" and this one fuckin rules. The guitars have great tunes, each song is memorable and works really well and they're not trying to break any speed records but they certainly ain't slow. Good sarcastic hardcore but don't call them crusties as apparently they occasionally wear non black shirts (but they would appeal to crusties I'm sure) and like a laugh. (JK)
MY OWN LIES - Sounds Like An Accident 7" On the positive side you simply can't help being blown away by this German powerhouse but on the negative side - where are the songs? Bits of songs joined together to form songs with very little to distinguish them apart. I guess I just don't get it. Thought provoking lyrics mainly about frustration (I can relate to that) and you get the feeling that they're all very clever but I didn't get into it despite repeated listens. If you love German hardcore you'll disagree. Nice cool blue vinyl though. (JK)
NATHANIEL GREEN - Same Time Tomorrow CD This is Nathaniel Green's debut full-length album. I think it is mainly 2 guys playing acoustic guitar and keyboard. It totally makes me think of Sunday afternoons at home falling asleep on the sofa with a nice cup of tea (maybe not in that order.) The best thing about this for me is the dual vocals all the way through. It sounds great cos they are both top singers and the harmonies work really well with the music. It's all really laid-back and uplifting and there are some outstanding songs here (my fave is The Bristol Light). The only bad thing is that some of the keyboard/hand clap combinations remind me a bit of my year 9 music project at school (the horror, the horror) but with slightly less disturbingly bad lyrics (only slightly.) I was aware of my weaknesses however and swiftly dropped music at the end of that year to focus on my astounding (ahem) art skills. These guys, on the other hand - no excuse. Personally, I didn't really think much of them when I saw them play live, but it totally works better on record (actually cd.) I'm not really looking for chilled and peaceful when I go out to the pub on a Friday night. Plus, all the in-joke banter flying around at said gig made me feel like I'd inadvertently stumbled into a private party that I wasn't invited to. (CB)
NEVER FACE DEFEAT - Remember Your Heartbeat CD It's big, it's butch, it has beatdowns, it has corny 'hardcore family' lyrics, it's well produced, it has throaty vocals, catch my drift.?? I'll leave you with this dedication of a song from NFD: 'This song is dedicated to all the fakes and betrayers who have crossed my path. It is written with never-ending love for my REAL friends.' It's all just too much emotion for your humble narrator, sniff. (JW)
NO SUBSTANCE - Live CD New 3 piece out of that hotbed of excellence Southampton, England. 12 tracks of straight-forward shouty punk rock recorded live at a local gig. Musically they reminded me one of those No Idea bands, kind of like TRUE NORTH or someone. The recording is really tight and together for a live set, compliments to the band. Great to see some good, young up-and-coming bands coming through in the UK. (SH)
NOW DENIAL/HIGHSCORE - Hope vs. Disillusionment split 7" This is the 2nd instalment of the Now Denial's "Hope vs. Disillusionment" after their split with Seein' Red. This is a benefit for those criminalized by the Gothenburg protests, a worthy cause, and also has good essays on the EU and the concept of the record. I can't really describe appropriately how ND sound, only to say that there is a Tragedy influence in there somewhere, and they're bloody good. Highscore have been doing their New York '88 meets DC '81 thing for a while now and they're not about to let up on the quality. I've recommended many releases this issue. If you can't decide, maybe you should go for the one that is going to raise money for a good cause! (JW)
OFF MINOR - The Heat Death Of The Universe LP If you enjoy your emo on the brash side then you will not be disappointed with OFF MINOR. OK so the sound isn't new and there have been many, too many, bands playing this stuff but these guys just seem to have a little something extra. If I had to make comparisons I'm sure bands like MOHINDER, ANGEL HAIR, even perhaps a touch of ASSFACTOR 4, would probably be on the list. Certainly worth checking out. (SH)
OI POLLOI - Alive & Kicking CD OK This is basically a live Greatest Hits by these Scottish legends. OK All the hits are on here - "kill the bill", "free the henge", "hunt the rich", "george bush fuck you", "punx picnic" etc. OK Good live sound and a spirited performance but what makes it exciting is the singer's Del Boy style French in between the songs OK - fantastic OK. Comedy & politics all round OK. Obviously they make lots of good valid points and they even mention RTB in the liner notes - so everyone's a winner OK. Better than OK (JK)
OI POLLOI - Outraged by the Atomic Menace CD Re-issue of classic early tracks from the mighty OI POLLOI. I'm sure this came out on Words of Warning in the late 80s/early 90s but anyway, now it is available once again in CD format with extensive notes to accompany the political nature of the lyrics to such classics as 'Resist the Atomic Menace', No Filthy Nuclear Power', Outrage and more. 12 tracks in all. Eco-political punk. Simple but effective and very inspiring!! (SHY)
OIL - Electric Tongue CDEP Maybe it's there old age, have now become somewhat stalwarts of the European Scene, but Oil seem to be taking the phase 'slowing it down a bit' extremely literally. Their early old school sound is now all but gone as they opt for a 'Cliff Richard playing the MC5' approach. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but the slowed down approach has really drained the life out of some of the songs, I would just hope that when they play live they pummel the living shit out of their instruments because there is definitely life in these tunes, but they are not done justice on this release. Try 'Definition Delta' for a bit better attempt. (JW)
OUR WAR - Traditions Demo Sounding like an early SICK OF IT ALL this 7" slaps you upside the head and will throw you around until you hit eject. Shit Deranged records can do no wrong. There's not a lot to say here apart from go get. (SH)
OUTBREAK - Information Overload CD This is a great CD, as soon as I slipped it in the tray it just grabbed me which is kind of weird as it's not the normal sort thing I listen to. It's difficult for me to compare it to anyone but it's like a cross between the UK's sleazy rockers THE SEX MANIACS and someone a bit more straight up like GOOD RIDDANCE. A mixture of great tunes and some rocking hardcore. Shit I know this isn't the review that these guys deserve so I suggest you go check 'em out and make your own mind up. (SH)
OVERMARS/FUGUE - Split CD First of all - the packaging is absolutely stunning - a five panel fold out card case and a printed A3 poster all in silver and black. This is a split release from two French labels from Lyon (Waiting for an Angel Records, Cetacean Records) OVERMARS have long intricate atmospherical interludes similar to early MOGWAI/GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR. In fact the general sound of OVERMARS reminds me of another French band AMANDA WOODWARD, except where AW would work around hypnotic postHC lines, OVERMARS go for the dark pummelling metal breakdowns with screamed vocals. FUGUE play in a similar vein but they sound decidedly more PostHC in their louders parts and more sublime in general. The production is warm and capture all the atmosphere of the interludes awash with samples and effects (similar to Appleseed Cast's Low Level Owl Volume I). To some degree its headphone music - but I like that. Great record - not an instant hit, but a grower for sure (RPS)
PAINT THE TOWN RED - Last Gang in Town CDEP If I told you this record was mastered by Ken Olden, you may be thinking Battery-esque old school stuff with that classic guitar sound. But just remember ol' Ken used to vary it a bit, Damnation AD par example. This is a medium paced heavy hardcore album, taking in elements of more 'moshy' bands, maybe like Hatebreed?? They are pretty tight and this is definitely one that the kids in the pit would love to throw some shapes too. (JW) PANIC - When Monsters Move CD PANIC are a band who've playing their rounds for fucking ages, and I've seen 'em a couple of times, and not been overly impressed with. This is pretty well done MR T EXPERIENCE meets later RAMONES style punk rock. It's not frighteningly original and there are no stand-out parts, but I still like this record. It's good, but not great. (WW)
PAPERBACKS, THE - An Episode of Sparrows CD I was so excited to get this to review when I realized it featured THE BONADUCES and PAINTED THIN front man, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I'm sure there must be something in the water in Winnipeg, this is another amazing pop album that sits nicely alongside fellow Winnipegians PAINTED THIN and THE WEAKERTHANS. It would be lazy to simply compare them to these bands however, as many of the tracks on this record are more akin to KOUFAX or "Something to Write Home About" era GET UP KIDS, and sometimes even remind me of our own PYLON. That's not to say that WEAKERTHANS fans should be put off; there are still some less sugary moments, all piano and beautiful boy/girl vocals. The opening track "Suffer this like a dream" is a perfect melancholy pop ballad, compared to some of the more up beat plinky pop songs that will have you throwing yourself around the room like a spooner. If you like your indie-pop like a shiny new button, then this is for you. (LC)
PATARENI - Never Healed CD Patareni from Yugoslavia were one of the pioneers of the early grind scene. This 81 track CD is apparently part 3 of 10 discographies - that would make over 800 tracks!! The mind boggles! The quality as well as the playing is all over the shop - making it sound like a compilation of sveral bands - as the tracks come in randomly from different line ups + sessions from '89,'90,'93, + 2002. Some of it is tight + some is scappy + sloppy sounding, only the vocals (which I don't like) + the piddly guitar wanking (which I'm not keen on either) remains constant as these 2 are the long standing members. There's a GG ALLIN cover + an E.N.T. cover in there + you don't get that often on one disc! No lyrics or information which is surprising for a discography - I thought they were meant to let you know about the band you've been missing out on? Some of the tracks are on more than once, including the same samples which gives you that feeling your on some sort of Groundhog Day. The cover artwork looks cool tho. (Set)
PATARENI - Obrade CD 54 tracks!! Part 1 of 10 of the PATARENI discography releases. This is a tribute CD with a multitude of bands playing PATARENI tracks of furious grindcore/noise from this band out of Croatia who have been together now for 19 years. Some background history of the band on the CD cover but this is for diehards only I would imagine! (SHY)
PATH OF DESTRUCTION - 1.00am EP We put this Minneapolis band on at the 1in12 a while back, real nice guys, and they certainly ripped it up with their heavy 'crust vs Poison Idea' sound. This 5 track EP carries on in the same tradition. Lots of pics of 'Da punx' in the pub and lyrics extolling their 'hard drinking hard rocking' lifestyle, I like! (Russ)
PEACE OF MIND - Values Between 0 and 1 CD Good strong emo-pop-punk, with echoes of THE SMITHS and DISCOUNT. The fe/male vocals are delivered with a breathless intensity that reminds me quite a bit of THE BROADWAYS. Excellent introspect lyrics about thoughts on life and the complexity of humanity and society. Great packaging, very cleverly laid out, and the lyrics are easy to read which is cool because they're really good. This is melodic angular pop one minute to raw driving punk ala Leatherface. I like this a lot. Highly recommended. (RPS)
PETER POOLE - Pleasant Features - CD 6 tales, some long some short, told by Peter Poole with a few twists in the tail. Pleasant Features is the main story and was my favourite on the CD. It's a horror in which some children happen across an elderly gentleman with a demonic mask and I have to say I liked the twist at the end. Pleasant Features and Sunstroke kind of reminded me of the "Murder, Mystery, Suspense" series on TV in the 80's, which I loved, but these days I'm not a massive thriller/suspense fan. However, the stories are well written and well told, and would appeal to those who like their fiction. (COC)
PHASE TERMINALE - L'Enfer Des Apparences CD I wish I could understand the French language better as this looks totally awesome. Full colour cover with loads of political and punk addresses/contacts with background graphics that seem to relate to the songs topics. Musically this is pretty quirky, reminding me in places of TROMATISM, especially some of the drumming, but has a good full sound and some heavier elements to it too. Songs about anti-war, anti-state and the illusory nature of living in a capitalist society. (SHY)
PHOENIX FOUNDATION - s/t CD Living out in the sticks has its good and bad points. On the plus side is the close vicinity of nearby woods, friendly people and clean air. On the down side are the bigoted toothless simpletons and the fact that I'd have had to travel a near 300 mile round trip to see the Phoenix Foundation/Stakeout tour whilst finishing my exams. I'm sure the RTB lot took pity on me though and have sent me through a copy of this PF full length, which includes the 7" on Zandor which was also excellent. Yes, they are a lot like their fellow Finn's Manifesto Jukebox, but fuck it, why look a gift horse in the mouth? If that country keeps producing bands this damn good then I'll listen to them, and you should too. (JW)
PIREXIA - Cronicas Urgentes Latinamericanas CD Okay, another Pirexia CD, this has some of the same tracks as the above, but is generally a bit more polished. This has mainly melodic HC with less of the mellow + slower songs than the other CD. The vocals sometimes remind me of the Italian band Eversor. It's always good to see melodic bands with political lyrics instead of it being just left to the crusty bands. (Set)
PIREXIA - Por Los Que Vendran CD A good mix of mainly melodic HC + rougher, more raging stuff from Uruguay. They're not afraid to do some quieter more mellow parts, in the same way that FUN PEOPLE do, tho' not quite as good. I think this is a best of, for U.S. release as 3 other CD's are pictured in the insert. Worth checking out. (Set)
PLACIDSTORM - Astraphobia! CD I can't pin this down at all. Is this horror punk? Does it matter? Alternating between melancholy and sneer, the singer has a completely unique vocal style. The raw guitar driven songs have overtones of old eighties band the Screaming Dead in places. It's patchy, but at least they're trying to do something original. "Vodka Stiff" in particular is a great song, with some serious punk sneer riffage, tempered with quieter parts. (DC)
POSSIBLE SUSPECT - So Sick of Your Dependency CDEP Much like the De Boer brothers, these guys are from Holland and do a fairly solid, sturdy job on this record. The vocals and, to a small extent, the music remind me of a band that many moons ago used to excite me more than any other band at the time, namely SNFU. PS also take a bit of influence from the early releases of Fat Wreck, with the production not as slick as said label tends to be nowadays, and the drumming goes into Back Flag mode at times (e.g. the records opening track. 'Gimme, gimme, gimme' mark 2!). They are pretty strong and uncompromising lyrically too. (JW)
PROJECT 43 - Let Me Taste Your Freedom CD Chug chug shout shout fast fast, whoopee! Maybe that's a bit harsh but sorry there's not a lot here to keep me interested. (SH)
PUNKORA - Nadie a Los Llamados Cassette Tape of this Mexican (?) band. Tuneful punk that hops along nicely but doesn't really stand out from the crowd that much. Seems political in lyrical content but done in a 'fun'/'cartoon' way. Fast sing-a-long harmonies. (SHY)
RAEIN - Il N'y A Pas D'Orchestre CD The 'emo' culture that swamped the DIY scene in recent years seems to be having a flirtation with the mainstream at the minute, leaving a trail of bloody awful bands in it's wake, but also a few good ones. Raein are fortunately one of the later. My initial reaction was similar to that when I first heard Mend This Tear. Yelping vocals over guitars that are layered over the top of each other really well, and plenty enough variation between songs to keep any listener interested. This lot are plenty tight enough to bring these songs together and make them sound cool, highly recommended. (JW)
RAMESES III - Folk Hymns CD Acoustic guitars, subtle keyboards and melancholic vocals in the vein of Will Oldham and Nick Drake played simply and purely. Beautiful, heartfelt songs with stylish artwork. Songs for Sunday mornings, the early and the late hours. (COC)
RAW POWER - Still Screaming CD I remember hearing 'Fuck authority' on the MRR 'Welcome to 1984' comp and nearly shitting myself! You call yourselves 'Screamo'? ha ha! These Italian HC veterans are back! Whilst this CD ain't 'Screams from the gutter' [their best effort from 1986] it certainly ain't bad. I saw these guys a while back in the States and they can still dish it out! Good fast paced HC with a strong anti authoritarian/left wing feel. If you haven't heard them get this, then get their earlier stuff! Tragically their bassist died of a heart attack recently so I'm not sure if they are carrying on. I hope so. (Russ)
RAZOR CRUSADE - Are You Wired? CD The press release kinda plugged the fact that there's two ex-members of REACHING FORWARD in them. Personally if I was running a label, that's a fact I'd try to quickly sweep under the proverbial PR rug, so to speak. i.e REACHING FORWARD fucking sucked shit. Fortunately RAZOR CRUSADE are nothing like RF or what I expected. Instead we get driving melodic screaming HC not a million miles from GRADE/COURSE OF ACTION tied together with a strong rock influence. It's really excellent. The alternated vocals are great, and the riffs are huge. I can totally see this band rocking out the Packhorse - get your Dutch asses over and bring some vinyl, dammit! (RPS)
RED REACTION - 7" It's a testament to the nice people that send us records that every 7" I've reviewed so far this issue has been great, and RR is no exception. Whilst giving a nod to the classic like NA, RR have the modern hardcore power of bands like Ruination. They have their own style of nihilistic lyrics, and I would imagine they're fine to watch live as well. Also available as an 8 track CD. (JW)
RENO DIVORCE - You're Only Making It Worse CD I liked the debut but thought it a little too Social Distortion like. While they're never going to get away from the comparison because of the similar vocals, this follow-up shows them evolving into a sound of their own. Siren guitars, choruses to die for, punk-pop as it should be. Of course, none of this would be any good without the ingredients vital to all good pop music ... energy and soul. Well Reno Divorce have it in spades and this is a great release. (DC)
REVILLOS - Jungle of Eyes CD Although I'm a big fan of the ReZillos I've never heard much by the Revillos (Motorbike Beat) but I was always under the impression that they were more of the same, but this is third rate mid 80s pop (no punk) kinda like Eurovision stuff or bad Human League - just yuck. Apparently the third "lost" album - it should have remained unleased. Recorded in 83 when everyone else was listening to Black Flag. One to avoid. (JK)
RIFU - Dead End Street LP Firmly anti-capitalist, anti work-ethic, anti-consumerism in their lyrics and writing, Rifu don't do it musically for me I'm afraid. It's a little bit too "screamo" in places for these pop ears. Even so, a lot of effort has gone into the insert and lyrics, although the article on the ethics of music and doing it for yourself comes across as preachy. Great underground DIY bands just get on and do it and don't need to be told "how" to do it. (DC)
RIISTETYT - Orjat Ja Kurjat 10" Get in! Fucking brutal stuff from Finland's finest. 7 new tracks of frantic Scandinavian D-beat at its best. Forget the imitations, along with TOTALITAR these guys have been bashing out tunes like this for years and let's hope they can keep it going for many more. Once again another essential record coming out of Finland. (SH)
ROTTEN BASTARDS - Void CD 8 Tracks of fast, basic 80’s style German punk, with added breakdowns and metallic touches. I’m not really into this, it’s a bit too basic for me, and the metal bits sound out of place somehow, but fans of ‘Deutsch’/street punk might dig this. No Lyrics or info included either. (Russ)
SCHIFOSI - 4 track EP This Australian band has a female singer, but I wouldn’t have guessed it! Real growled out vocals over dark, down tuned, heavy music. Personally I think the slower stuff on here is better -. Instrumentally they could be compared to late 90’s bands like Union of Uranus or His hero is gone, especially in the guitar parts. Lyrically this band address issues such as wage slavery, patriarchy and the general fucked up ness of our world and are written from an intelligent perspective. A lot of work has gone into this, and whilst I haven’t been blown away by this, I’d certainly recommend checking them out. (Russ)
SCHMERZ - Totes Metall CD This record is fucking cool - the band have put it out themselves, the packaging is great dark crusty looking stuff, a great booklet. The production is brilliant - really solid rough around the edges rumbling sound that captures the out and out metal that Schmerz are cranking out. There's little bits that remind me of GOATSNAKE, STAND, JOHN HOLMES, KHANG, KAFKA but it's a lot darker and chaotic than those bands. I just hope that they've got the resources to get this record everywhere, or a label picks them up....good stuff (RPS)
SEVEN FEET FOUR - Departure/Arrival CD Excellent! That's the first word that springs to mind. Imagine a post 'Jupiter' CAVE IN playing songs written by DRIVE LIKE JEHU, add a touch of SUPERCHUNK, SONIC YOUTH and a little AT THE DRIVE IN and you might be somewhere close. Beautifully crafted songs lurch from intricate guitar breaks to frantic upbeat melodies, accentuated by some excellent production. This record really caught me by surprise. Essential. (SH)
SEVERANCE - Let's Talk About Us CD Severance are five pretty boys from Belgium playing their own version of AS FRIENDS RUST and GOOD RIDDANCE. It's nothing really new, but it's got that cute European feel to it and some decent gravelly and screamy vocals that make it worth checking out. (LC)
SHALLNOTKILL - s/t 7" 1st release from 213 records (France) Great packaging, all the songs are sung in their own tongue - which is damn good to see. No translations though, but the nice letter sent from Julien 213 says that the lyrics are about 'distortion of communication between individuals, by the media, religions etc' I can hear elements of JR EWING, KAFKA, COURSE OF ACTION, REFUSED amongst the French emo sound. Lots of metallic licks and dischordant breaks with spoken word vocals, and then rushing FROM ASHES RISE style thrashy bits with screamed/growled vocals. However track 1 is rocking but the other two just aren't up to scratch. This isn't a bad record by any means - it's well played/recorded, but SHALLNOTKILL just aren't doing anything different enough to make this exciting listen. If they were coming over to play I'd definitely check them out, but on the strength if this record, I wouldn't be expecting anything groundbreaking. (RPS)
SHEMPS/ TO HELL AND BACK - split 7" The Shemps play fast rock n' roll very similar to the Hives but still pretty original. Their last track sounded familiar but there's no info with this record so I dunno if it's a cover or not. To Hell And Back are rock n'roll with the emphasis on the rock and yes they do rock. Heavy guitar with distorted vocals, a good combo. Good fot tapping stuff. (JK)
SHLEBIE - CD Fantastic 8 track instrumental cd with quirky dischordant meanderings in the vein of Dawson with a bit of Primus, Polaris, and Dianogah thrown in. Fucking tremendous uneasy listening and with Jer from Dawson in them how could you expect any less. (COC)
SHORT TERM DIARY - CD 5 track Cd of acoustic guitar and heartfelt vocals. Couldn't decide whether this was sunny or rainy day music, but it's kind of melancholy so maybe it's for muggy days. I never like the term project, cos that conjures up images of work to me, but inspiringly, he has done every element of it from the performance, to the recording, mixing and artwork and I'm in utter admiration of anyone who has the commitment to do so. (COC)
SHORTCUT TO NEWARK - Heads in Hands. Hearts in Half CDEP/7" Cool they sent me both the CD AND the 7". I feel bad now that my record player broke so I can only play the CD. I promise to buy a new record player so I can use it. Thick blue vinyl too. So, Shortcut to Newark. I'm guessing they mean Newark, England rather than Newark, New Jersey but, how can I find out? Why is the delete button next to the space bar on my laptop? Anyway, apparently they formed out of Shooter McGavin. I don't know this band but I figure any band named after a character from an Adam Sandler film has to be an excellent band indeed. Enough ponderings from me. This EP reminds me a lot of Beezewax: really top quality indie rock. It has quite a relaxed, summery feel to it. I really recommend this. It's only £3 and well worth it. I'm looking forward to hearing more of their stuff. (CB)
SICK 56 - Recipe For Disaster CD UK82 style punk from Blackpool UK. Its well played & they've got some decent tunes but its nothing new. All the usual topics covered, hating the government, the rich, etc. In places they go for some nice singalongs and mix things up to good effect. If you're into the current bunch of UK proper punk bands like Poundaflesh or Varukers you'll most likely be well into this. Decent (JK)
SICK TERROR - Aborto Legal 7" EP This is one of the most intense ep's that I have heard for ages! 9 tracks in total from Brasil's SICK TERROR finishing off with a cover of NO FOR AN ANSWER's 'You Laugh' track. Full colour cover with lyrics in both Portuguese and translated into English, SICK TERROR scream their hatred and anger out about a variety of subjects from making abortion legal and free NOW through to their questioning of religion. SICK TERROR are not afraid to question or push boundaries with their lyrics which is great to see. Musically this is seriously heavy and brutal. Full-on raging tunes with impassioned screamed vocals. Do not pass this by. (SHY)
SICK TERROR/ WORLD BURNS TO DEATH - split 7" Sick Terror, from Brazil, certainly live up to their name. Sounds like they've added some drills or chainsaws to the mix to chilling effect. In places the singing sounded like Indegesti - so its all good - great hardcore thrash. WB2D continue to impress, too. Their first song contains a haunting Texan guitar ditty big enough to blow holes in the Alamo. This is a great record from 2 fantastic bands. (JK)
SILENCE - Hypnosis 7" Heavy as fuck guitars banging out some brutal tunes from members of Poland's ANTICHRIST. Not as full-on as the later but comparisons to the likes of TRAGEDY and HIS HERO IS GONE will give you a better picture. Yeah I like it (SH)
SILENT DRIVE - Rock H Design CD I was quite excited when I saw the drummer from BANE was in this band, but my hopes were swiftly dashed to the gutter when I heard the music. Cringeworthy MTV2 Finch/Thrice like shite. There's no other way to describe it. (RPS)
SIMFELA - 7" Fast-paced hardcore treading a fine line between screamo and more straight forward thrash. Plenty of fast-chug-fast bits to keep the finger pointers happy. (SH)
SKEWWHIFF - Tuedi um Vitae LP This is great!! Ex-HIATUS folk deliver an awesome LP of crusty, metallic HC with some really great lyrics too. 9 tracks in total. This recording has a totally 'classic' feel to it. Just inspiring!!! Lyrics are in English and Polish. If you're into powerful HC punk then you will need to check this out. Awesome!! (SHY)
SLINGSHOT AROUND THE MOON - What you Remember More 7" Beautiful artwork, packaging and lovely blue vinyl is what struck me most with this record. Slingshot around the Moon play sincere, atmospheric emo in the vein of Elliot/Juno. (COC)
SMALL BROWN BIKE - Nail Yourself to the Ground CDEP/12" This is 5 new songs on No Idea. I hate trying to write about a band from hearing so few songs so I apologise if this review is total crap. Basically, although the songs are pretty good: dynamic, rocking emo type thing, they remind me of a lot of other bands that I like MORE: Braid, the Promise Ring, Jets to Brazil, Fairweather, etc. I'm not saying that they sound exactly the same as those bands, cos they don't, but each song reminded me of something else I have heard before and didn't inspire me at all. I didn't dislike it though and will try to reserve my final judgement until I hear some more of their stuff. (CB)
SOMMERSET - More Songs From Last Century CD A 22 track discography of this pop/melodic hardcore band from New Zealand, containing their album and three EPs. It reminds me in places of Joe Ninety, especially parts of their final and best 7". Not something I would play again, but I can imagine a few people being into this, containing as it does lots of pictures of intense gigs. (DC)
SPACE TO BEING - Mosh It Up CD R Stange name, don't know if this is for sale or what, tracks from upcoming splits + comps. There's actually quite a few more tracks than listed + the later ones sound a bit different so could even be another band and is actually a bit better, very confusing. Powerviolence with moshy bits. Covers of INFEST + CHARLES BRONSON, so you know where they're coming from. The music is nice + tight, tho the vocals sometimes seem to clash with everything else + make it sound a bit more clumsy than it actually is. Pretty good grind, tho that's not my fave style. (Set)
SPIDER CREW - A Menace Ta Society CD Every now and again a record comes along which changes your life! . . . . . . . And this isn't one of them. In fact I'm going to invent a new style of music for this Austrian band, its called "Bore-Core". The chant-along parts in EVERY song get old really quickly, and some of the "tuff guy" lyrics are just plain awful. Anyway on a plus side the music has its moments, and the mosh parts aint that bad. If you like un-original, chest beating hardcore with a slight OI twist; then buy it, if not stay well clear. (WW)
STAINS - John Wayne Was a Nazi 7" First off, if I said I was really disappointed by this you'd think I was a fool - right? Well I am. I don't have the original of this record so I got all excited thinking this is a re-issue but its not. Instead of the original recordings this is the superior versions off the first MDC LP, which I already have. If you don't know early MDC (The Stains was MDC before they were called MDC) then get the first LP as its one of the best hardcore or punk records ever and that's a fact. Still great stuff after all these years. (JK)
STOP IT! - Self Made Maps CD Frantic, discordant guitars interchanging with stoned-out melodies, beautiful harmonies and pulsating rhythms all come together here to produce an excellent debut LP. This is the kind of thing that wouldn't look out of place on Dischord's roster; in fact in places this is very reminiscent of the first Hoover LP. It comes wrapped in a nice cut and paste style cardboard case as well. This is one of those rare records that'll stay near the top of my play list for a long time. I look forward to hearing more. (SH)
STRUNG UP - 7" Sounding like an early version of POISON IDEA this 7" rips through 6 tracks of fist in your face punk rock. There's been quite a bit of this sort of thing doing the rounds recently but STRUNG UP certainly stand out from the crowd. Go get this (SH)
SUBMERGE/KARASS - Split 7" Two bands playing some brutal thrash. SUBMERGE remind me of KREATOR in places, which is no bad thing. If you like your hardcore fast with a tinge of metal check this out (SH)
SUGARBOMBS - Tear Their World Down, Build Up Their Own CD Tough melodic fast-paced punk with lots of vocal harmonies and a fair smattering of mid-period NOFX tuneage. The intelligent lyrics rail against stupid people and attitudes in general. Best song and song title goes to the out-and-out pop punk of "(Locked Himself Inside A) Bubble". Overall though, nothing earth-shattering here. (DC)
SUNFACTOR - Original Motion Picture CD If this was Kerrang, I'd probably be raving about UK's "emo-kings" Sunfactor's "long awaited" debut album, and marveling over the shiny packaging. But it's not, so I won't. Personally I've never been that impressed by this band when I've seen them play, and I wasn't expecting to be blown away by this. I hate to admit it though, but this is actually really good. The album is laden with catchy pop hooks that set them apart from the many generic emo bands around. I suppose they probably fit somewhere between JIMMY EAT WORLDs' earlier offerings and CROSS MY HEARTs' quieter moments, and a bit of someone else I can't quite put my finger on. Stand out tracks like "Invincible" and "Nine to Five" prove that Sunfactor have their own style to add to this over-hyped genre. If you're not too cool for emo, I'd recommend you give this a go. (LC)
SWELLBELLYS - Taking Care of Business CD When Pedro left the SWELLBELLLYS they recruited another bass player - the only two conditions of joining being that a) you had to be prepared to quit your job to play a gig / tour and b) you had to be prepared to get naked at gigs (now that's something I'd never ever want to see). This is the hardest working hardcore band in Britain, travel anywhere to play a gig and always put 100 % into it. The music is fast eighties old school hardcore from Dalkeith. Pretty good rocking stuff with nice mid-paced old school breakdowns, (Freedom Of Choice is a fucking great song) punk as fuck. Also available on orange 10" on Peter Bower Records. (RPS)
TAKARU/A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC - Split LP San Francisco's TAKARU weigh in with some brutal URANUS inspired hardcore. Whilst A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC feature members of YAPHET KOTTO and SUICIDE NATION and there sound is similar to both. There's a great free zine in with this produced by the TAKARU people outlining what the lyrics are about interjected with some interesting information and philosophising. (SH)
TERMINUS - Graveyard of Dreams CD So someone's done the honest thing & released a CD compiling Terminus' 7" output, which is more than fine by me. Hailing from Scunthorpe, near to Hull on the East Coast, they were (are?) one of those overlooked and underrated that every country can claim to have. Terminus never fitted into any scene, always doing their own thing. Mid paced stuff with a real rock feel to it, which has always reminded me of early New Model Army (but don't let that put you off), clever lyrics, great musicianship and brilliant songwriting. Now we just need Mr Tuneage to remaster their album (it had a really poor sound) and re-release that too. Fucking great. (JK)
THE BLACKTOP CADENCE - Chemistry for Changing Times CD Out of print for 5 years, but recently remastered, featuring Chris Wollard and George Robello of Hot Water Music, this 10 track Cd of gentle lulling emo isn't half bad. Solid, soothing and sincere. I prefer Hot Water Music, Blacktop Cadence are much mellower and more straightforward, but I was surprised at how much I liked the CD, cos I have to be really in the mood for this sort of stuff and I'm not feeling particularly cathartic at the moment, but I've just twatted myself on my bike and I suppose it's a good enough reason for an auricular hug, or maybe it's the viola. Totally cool photos and lyrics too. (COC)
THE PUBLIC/SEE YOU IN HELL - Split EP A joint Czech/ Slovak effort here; See you in hell from Brno, pull of some gnarly HC thrash with plenty of double kick action over thick guitars and throat ripping vocals. Get in! Flip the disc and we get The Public from Slovakia who offer up two tracks of chaotic thrash/grind interspersed with quieter ‘melodic’ bits. Both bands have intelligent, pissed off personal/political lyrics with explanations in English and German. We got this on weird ‘kaolin and morphine’ coloured vinyl! Get this if you can. (Russ)
THE TRAILERS - Painted by Numbers Demo CD To quote the blurb sent with the CD... "We recorded the CD without any outside help so it can be raw in places..." The Trailers state their influences as The Ataris, No Use For A Name, MxPx, Elvis Costello and the Beatles. I don't know whether they're aiming for the US-driven radio friendly market (and they don't sound anything like the last two even though they're cool influences), but their real strength is that they have a bit of bite in these songs. "Imaginary Girl" and "Forget The Pain" are both mid-paced, guitar driven songs almost in the style of a British early Green Day and all the better for it. Early days yet, but let's hope they up the rawness and keep their Britishness. (DC)
THE WIRELESS STORES - Historic Site Of Scenic Beauty CD After a long hiatus BIVOUAC's Paul Yeadon hits us with his new offering THE WIRELESS STORES. BIVOUAC were one of those much underrated bands doing the rounds in the early 90s, sorely overlooked by hardcore kids because they were deemed as too 'indie' and sorely overlooked by the indie scene for being a bit too brash. Well maybe this time round things might be different. Musically this isn't a million miles from the sound BIVOUAC had; imagine perhaps a more melodic, interesting version of JAWBREAKER or SEAWEED mix in a little country rock add a keyboard and you might be somewhere close. I can't recommend this enough, and I can't wait to hear more. Spot on. (SH)
THIRD DEGREE - Six Years of 666/ Discography CD Total fucking excellence. 42 tracks of brutal grinding hardcore from 1998-2002, occasionally giving off an air of Godflesh, and "VRPI" being very reminiscent of Napalm Death's "You Suffer", but more often fucking blowing you away with speeding assaults with a lyric booklet to help you scream along (you can be big dog and I'll be little dog). (COC)
THUMBS UP! - Building an Army 7" Great, fast, skate-influenced hardcore punk, with a slight hint of Born Against thrown in for good measure. I've definitely got a fondness for records like these, if you have too then you won't be disappointed. (JW)
TIME X - Good Moves Not Good Players 7" I have a lot of time for this band (if you'll excuse the pun). Indeed, the music, style and lyrics are not exactly cutting edge and we have all seen it before, but when it's done well it can be awesome. TX remind me of that Ten Yard Fight era of straightedge bands, and they play very tight stuff with a great deal of energy, and very well. You know what to expect, uncompromising straight-forward hardcore, with a DYS cover. (JW)
TO HELL AND BACK - Messed Up 7" Yeah more rock in hardcore. This is quality stuff; imagine THIN LIZZY playing punk rock! Shame there are only two tracks. Rock on brothers and sisters (SH)
TRAPDOOR FUCKING EXIT - CDEP Great to see these guys back, it's been a while since the LP and I thought they may have called it a day but thankfully not. 4 tracks of pissed off Swedish hardcore that has a strong nod towards the sort of thing bands like DRIVE LIKE JEHU were doing a few years back. Discordant guitars, phlegm fuelled vocals, strange timings but overall shit hot tunes make this a record that you'll be playing over and over again. Alrighty then (SH)
TURUN TAUTI - self titled LP Very '80's Finnish sounding' punk stuff here - think Terveet Kadet or Melakka. This is mainly mid to fast paced heavy punk stuff with upfront vocals and a pretty pessimistic lyrical stance. They try a dub/ska/ punk track here which as a Dub/ska fan [bet you didn't know that eh? I'm a dark horse me!] I don't think really works. They also do a cover of 'No Doves Fly here' by 80's Anarcho miserablists The MOB...in Finnish.... Weird, but not really my cup of herbal tea. (Russ)
ULCERRHOEA - Line and Row CD First thought was "oh no a 53 track grind cd with an unreadable logo to review", but I was in for a real pleasant surprise, this is actually very good, maybe the best thing I got given to review this issue. Good screamed / shouted vocals over tight as fuck ultra fast grind with great powerful production. I was thinking "surely a split with AGATHOCLES is due" + then checked the insert to find they'd already done a split tape release + Jan AGx collaborates with them on some later tracks. The first 24 tracks are new + by far the best, I'll track that down when it comes out on vinyl. The Cd has extra tracks from earlier split ep's, which didn't have as good a sound, + the vocals weren't as good (different vocalist maybe?), so the new stuff is certainly the way to go. Definately recommended to grind / powerviolence fans. (Set)
VEXT - A Childs Fascination with Ugliness CDR The word 'crap' is often over-used in today's society, but this IS crap. 12 songs (I think) of off kilter punk, without any real structure. The melodies don't really work and the singers 'United States of Southern England' is almost as annoying as some of the guitar work. In fact the only part I liked was the riff at the start of the third song which sounded like the intro to 'waiting room' by FUGAZI played at 78' rpm. Bottom line - avoid it. (WW)
VOETSEK - Tinea cruris EP New US band featuring Athena from the Dread/Six weeks records. 11 tracks of spastic thrash, with intelligent lyrics written from a mainly female perspective. However this is let down by the awful production which I hope they didn't pay for! I think this band will do better...I certainly hope so. I think this might be fairly limited too. (Russ)
WARSAWPACK - Stocks & Bombs CD Hmmmm....Political Hip Hop Jazz on G7 Welcoming Committee records. It reminds me a bit of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE in parts ( which I like ) the guitars are kinda swingy funk style, the bass lines are pure jazz and there's a brass section picking it all up. If JAMES BROWN had a sampler and was singing about the corruption of the World's Governing Bodies/Corporations while he was at his goddamn funkiest stage then he'd sound like WARSAWPACK. The singing and the whole record reminds me a bit of the amazing DISPOSABLE HEROES OF HYPOCRISY but it's more funk/jazz than the dark flowing hip hop of the former. (if you like your hip hop check D.H.O.H. out - they rule) Stocks & Bombs is a pretty fine record. Definitely worth checking out if you like funk/jazz - I prefer my hip-hop a lot more aggressive and bouncy - but yeah it's sound. Good to see people trying something new. (RPS)
WARSPITE - Gallery of the Macabre - Studies of Death and Darkness CD Man, what a fucking title with cover artwork to put the fear of God in your mum. Grinding German death metal that's seems to be slightly challenged by the drums on the odd occasion and interspersed with some entertaining slapstick chase music. More bpm on the bass drum than is humanly possible, heavy as fuck, bowel wrenching vocals and well deserving of the sign of Old Nick held proudly aloft. Catechombic! (COC)
WARUM JOE - Au Milieu de Ta Forme LP Apparently a French band from 79 who've never split up - this is their 8th LP and pretty damn fine it is too. They play late 70's new wave with keyboards and have their own original style. They cover Sonic Reducer and change all the words and call it Cob Killer. A definite throwback they are a band worth checking out if you're a fan of the era. Cool (JK)
WASTED - Suppress and Restrain CD So this gem of an album is repressed with the Boss Tunage giving a helping hand. Wasted are great because when you go to buy one of their records that passing thought of 'will it be as good as the rest?' is not needed at all. All their records are great and all sound fairly similar. Wasted are the band that you can recommend to the young skateboarding kid who likes Rancid. When you're talking to a 40-year-old bloke in the pub who used to love Sham 69, tell him about Wasted. They are the street punk band with a sincere stance and 'up yours' attitude, they are solid, snotty and pissed off. (JW)
WEDEKIND - The End of My Heartbeat CD This has to be one of the best releases Defiance has in it's catalogue. If you told a band like Interpol or Joy Division; 'Hey guys, don't worry, there is light at the end of the tunnel, everything will be ok in the end, just relax and try to enjoy yourselves' then they might end up sounding a bit like this. At times it's dark and atmospheric, with keyboards eerily creeping through the songs, then all of a sudden it's quite uplifting. Reminds me of a less quirky and more guitar based Milemarker. Well done Wedekind, well done Defiance, jolly good show. (JW)
WINTER IN JUNE/STEEL RULES DIE split CDEP I have to admit that my preconceptions often show me up to be pretty ignorant, and WIJ once again reminded me of this personality flaw. I never imagined that I would have any interest in this band, but I actually really enjoyed their songs on this EP, principally because over the top of their metal shenanigans were vocal that were forceful and quite powerful, as opposed to the sound of a cat being grabbed by the balls. Impressive. SRD are a difficult band to review because there is nothing to be said that hasn't already been said. They're tight, sound like HWM/Lifetime, and do it pretty well. OK?!?!? If they can get the changes of pace in their songs to bring out the power a bit more they could really start blowing people away. (JW)
WORLD BURNS TO DEATH - 7" More head pummelling crusty hardcore from Texas' WB2D. Their sound is relentless and they never let up with their assault. The lyrics are as bleak as they come. Musically I didn't find it quite up to the standards of the LP or Sick Terror split but its still guaranteed to crush you to bits. (JK)
YACOPSAE / SANITY DAWN - split LP Yacopsae are one of, if not, the fastest bands in the world but quite a lot of the stuff here is a tad slower and more grind. I say that because they have a sound of their own and they should stick to it in my opinion. But this is still great stuff - fast as fuck and with their trademark short gaps in the songs to catch you out. Sanity's Dawn play a mix of hardcore and power violence with 2 singers. They crush you into oblivion. At times they remind me of Spazz and I probably enjoyed their side slightly more. (JK) YE WILES - Smoothing Away The Horrors of Indigestion CD This band are from Tunbridge Wells and are quite a crazy bunch to describe. They are lind of Ska Punk, kind of folk, kind of quirky, and kind of unpredictable. Imagine the Cardiacs playing scrabble with King of the Slums whilst Citizen Fish are playing Twister and you have a tiny wee inkling. Lovely, lovely lyric booklet and mighty fine lyrics they are too. (COC)
V/A - GODSPUNK VOLUME ONE CD This CD is really varied from electronic to ambient to experimental to garage, featuring LDB, Litterbug, Hebetation, Stream Angel, The Taurus Board, UNIT and Howl in the Typewriter. LDB really grew on me and I'm really surprised. They kind of sound like The Streets in a mellow laid back rapping style over mellow ambient electronic and indie music, which isn't normally my sort of thing, but the lyrics are really captivating. I hadn't heard or seen Howl in the Typewriter for years and it was ace to get to find out what they are up to, although I don't remember them singing about Jesus and the revolution before. UNIT play a kind of mix of garage, punk and funk with spoken word attacking the national disease of the Chinese and racism and homophobia within DIY punk zines and scenes. Hebetation's live performance was my particular favourite on this CD, some totally ace layers of abstract noise mixed with party blowers and tone twirlers. Totally up there in the world of DIY. (COC)
V/A - MORE WORLD, LESS BANK Compilation 7" Heavy, brutal noise attack. 8 track comp. with 8 raging bands. CROSSING CHAOS, CLUSTER BOMB UNIT, UNCLE CHARLES, MURGER DISCO X, HUMAN WASTE, COMA, LIM, and SKITSYSTEM. The title and the artwork on the front cover link in nicely but apart from the political nature of the bands songs, this is where the politics seems to end- which is a shame. Some more information would have made this release a lot more potent. Instead this comp. nothing much more to differentiate it from many others. HUMAN WASTE, C.B.U. destroy on this. Unfortunately COMA and LIM's tracks seem under-produced. Both tracks roar along but just lack that cutting intensity. Still a really good compilation. Could have done with more politics though. (SHY) zV/A - Show Your True Colours CD Not necessarily a compilation CD but instead a mini LP comprising of three Japanese bands ripping through 9 tracks of mayhem. First up are URGE who play a hundred mile an hour thrash not unlike fellow countrymen GAUZE or NK6 but a little less full on with a welcome dose of quirkiness. Next up are ACME who are more on the melodic side and feature plenty of guitar driven melodies that reminded me of some of the mellower SIN DIOS stuff or even a harsher PETROGRAD. Finally TERRIBLE HEADACHE round off a fabulous CD with a hefty dose of Scandinavian style D-beat. Check this CD out it's a blast. (SH)
V/A - SIX WEEKS OMNIBUS vol 2 CD A 6 Japanese hardcore band comp. This kicks off with SOUL CRAFT (3 tracks), who by now should be well known but don't seem to have any readily available releases of their own. They play rockin' Jap stuff a la Paintbox or Crude - really great. Then we get GOUKA (5 songs) who play more straightforward hardcore. Next is CIVIL RIGHTS who didn't really get me too excited. Then FLAME, who play pretty rockin stuff. EXHALE play fast interesting stuff with Miret style vocals. S.C.U.M. finish us off with their mince crust. I certainly wasn't blown away by anyone apart from Soul Craft, but maybe if you love all things Japanese you'll think this is the biz. (JK)
V/A - STRENGTH THRU Oi! CD OK this is easy to review. In my opinion the best Oi! comp, best line up with lots of exclusive songs and every song is a winner interspersed with Oi! street poetry and lots of attitude. At the time this caused a stink with the mainsteam music & National media in the wake of the Southall riot & mistake of using a right-wing model (complete with dodgy tattoos) on the front cover. But all that overshadowed the fact that this record rules. 2 tracks each by Cock Sparrer, Infa Riot, Toy Dolls, The Strike, Criminal Class, Last Resort, 4-Skins & Splodge. Now we just need the good Captain to re-issue "Oi! Oi! that's yer lot" on CD with Black Flag on it. (JK)
V/A - This is Our Time CD As Rolf Harris would say: "Can you guess what it is yet?" Yes indeed, this is a compilation of 6 bands, Youth Crew in attitude, Old School HC in sound, presumably straightedge as well??? The bands are Pointing Finger, Cinder, Reconcile, Day of the Dead, On-X-Alert and Odyssey. All are bloody good at what they are doing, some in particular (e.g. Reconcile) are particularly tight and are very impressive. Such compilations can have a tendancy to be a tad repetitive, this does not and is pretty damn good. (JW)
V/A - TUTTI PAZZI Vol.3 Comp.CD Features PARATENI live in Sarajevo in 1990, demos of GIUSEPPE CARABINO from '86 and demos of U.B.R. ('85), 3 KATEGRIJA ('85), ODPADKI CIVILACIJE, DISTRESS and STRES DRZANEGA APAATA. There's not much other info to obtain from this CD except that this has been digitally re-mastered from the original tapes and the sound quality is really good. U.B.R. are an old Yugoslavian band that play stripped down HC that is great basic raw with angry vocals; DISTRESS are pretty similar. A lot of the bands here are/were totally unknown to me and some more info would have been great but if you're into checking out some old 80s Eastern European quality HC then this is well worth you checking out! (SHY)
V/A - WORLD WIDE NOISE ATTACK CD Starting with the unlisted cover of Turbonegro's "good head" and then Red Flag 77 cover "football crazy", (which I have a great version of by Rolf Harris.) I'm already won over. 29 tracks in total from the likes of Blitzkrieg, Insane, English Dogs, Adolf & The Piss Artists, The Wretched Ones (from Sweden!!!), Varukers, it's a punk rock attack rather than a noise attack and maybe a good place to check out some newer bands (most of the stuff on here is non UK stuff). (JK)

A COMPENDIUM OF THOUGHT - 5th Issue I loved this little comic. Moving cartoons that make you smile and make you sad. This is the final issue, which is a total tragedy, but I hear there is talk of compiling all 5 issues into a book and a new bigger and better comic from its ashes. Truly fantastic. (COC)
ARTCORE #19 A4 One of the field leaders I'd say. As usual it looks great. Interviews with End On End, The Epoxies, Steel Rules Die, Shatterhand & The Freaks Union, an article on Banksy's art plus all the usual stuff. But it's the "vaultage" section which is the real gem - in depth, well researched articles on Avengers, Subhumans, Offenders, Th'Inbred and X-Claim records. Need I say any more. (JK)
BARBIES DEAD No.10 A4 50p & SAE Punk Politics and Passion! Good thick issue with interviews with Devon's own BUS STATION LOONIES and ABUSIVE YOUTH, loads of reviews of records, zines, films, football, opinions, gig reviews and the obligatory UK SUBS piece. Done with humour and enthusuiasm, BARBIES DEAD has a chaotic feel to it but is a good read. Check it out! (SHY)
BULLET MAGAZINE #3/#4#5 European Tech/mosh/emo - METAL zine here. Very Goodlife/Genet style stuff - all very professionally put together - colour covers. There's an excellent news roundup column at the start - similar to Kilvo's column at the start of RTB. Yeah I quite like this zine but it's not really for me. If you love LIAR, Goodlife Records, COURSE OF ACTION, EMPATHY, are a fan of E-blood 'hardcore clothing', and your entire life revolves around the next trip to Ieper then you'd love this zine - in fact you've probably already got it. (RPS)
CODEYE #12 A5 Rob is back with the amusing world of Codeye. Interviews with 4 Past Midnight and 17 Stitches. Plenty of gig reviews, record reviews and football to boot. If you really need to read an in depth report on Middlesboro beating Newcastle its here. It's very cut and paste but easy to read, plus its good to see him sticking to guns musicwise; old punk and Oi! - nowt wrong with that. (JK)
DRIFTER'S DIARY and other stories Drifter's Diary is a collection of short stories rather than a typical zine and mighty fine they are too. Well written, funny and captivating, I was considerably surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The stories are mainly describing a personal view of Columbia, however my personal favourite is 'No-one Writes Anything Anymore', a futuristic account of the division of labour within story writing. Excellent stuff. (COC)
EVERYTHING FALLS APART #2 - 28 Pages - A5 50p & SAE gets you a fine looking zine, quite arty in fact, with interviews with MANIFESTO JUKEBOX/DEEPFRY BONANZA and genuinely different and interesting articles - IRA, Saturday jobs, a well researched article on the affect of humans on our natural environment. A great individual well written fanzine. I like it a lot. (RPS)
GAGGED & BLINDFOLDED #2 ­ 32 pages ­ A5 Mint as fuck fanzine here. I had never seen this fanzine before as it’s fairly new (I have got pretty slack with sending off for zines) but I like it a lot. It reminds me a lot of Mad Monks fanzine, which is good. They cover bands that I actually like! JOE NINETY and the incredible FREAK’S UNION. Good gig reports too, that start from the beginning of the trip to the gig (idiot train conductors, trips t’cinema ) and go right though to the end. They remind me of the gig reviews Nogs used to do for GEEK ESSAY that would cover the whole night too and the scrapes/drunken idiocy that took place. Also good columns, personal reflections of life in general. A strong promotion of the DIY ethic and high quality promises a good future for this zine. (RPS)
GRIME AND NOURISHMENT - A VEGAN COOKBOOK & a Benefit for 56A Infoshop Vegan food, punk rock and anarchism. What more can you ask for!!? This is a HUGE cookbook, very reminiscent of the 'bible' of vegan cookbooks, SOY, NOT OI!. I here you'll find all your recipe requirements from bread, pizza, and pastry making through to loads of dinner ideas, puddings, salads, soups, stews, sauces and dressings right through to making your own spreads, drink, both alcoholic and non, to obtaining food for free and even preparing food for 100 or more for Food Not Bombs or gigs. Loads of cut'n'paste style graphics with drawings and pics to lighten the pages. Comes with intros and information about what 56A is all about and the history of how the squat originated and came about to be what it is today (see last issue of RTB for more info). I can't recommend this highly enough! Send them £3 plus 56p ppdd/6 Euros/Dollars and get cooking! (SHY)
IN IT ON IT No.15 A5 50p & SAE Interviews with Sweden's BLISTERHEAD, ASSERT (UK) and OXYMORON from the USA which they might as well not have bothered doing. This zine has got plenty to read and Paul (the editor) opinions are always well worth reading. A few reviews and some short articles and there you have it. Some good artwork too on the cover by Jess Spice. (SHY)
LOST SOULS #4. 24pp. (I hope) Free This has to be the worst zine I have ever seen in my life. Although there are 24 pages, only 12 actually have anything printed on them. Either this dude can't figure out how to do double-sided photocopies or he's just trying to pad out a ludicrously insubstantial amount of content. What a waste of the world's resources. Anyway, about the zine... this is essentially an AFI fanzine featuring a couple of live reviews, one album review, short and uninspiring interviews with Davey Havok and Adam Carson (one of which I think has been borrowed from another zine) and a couple of lines about crap pop punk band Appease. Shit. (CB)
PERSONALITY LIBERATION FRONT No.4 A5 The last issue of this zine was awesome and considering it originates from Australia, the distribution it received was great too. This issue is equally as impressive and at 96 pages is a pretty hefty read too. Comes with a free CD of 30 different Australian Hardcore Punk bands which is really good to see and there's a free patch enclosed too! Contents-wise, there are interviews with CATHARSIS (USA), Laura SYNTHESIS (UK), and Australia's own CONATION. Loads of great articles and columns, some of the reviews are a little old, but we'll let Kylie off with that (!). Totally awesome zine. Great to see this back. May seem expensive on the outset but this is a monster package and well worth your time in seeking out and supporting!!! (SHY)
PICARESQUE #4 I was totally chuffed to see I'd got another issue of PICARESQUE to review. I really like Brendan's style of writing, totally descriptive and sincere depicting everything from lying to his mates about losing his virginity, to intertown rivalry, to getting spat at and thinking of all the things you can say in retrospect and Ross Kettle being full of shit. Maggie Roche, however, doesn't get much coverage this issue. The zine is basically excerpts from his memoirs, although he's only 23, therefore most of it is stories from his childhood. I really like the presentation. The accounts are numbered chronologically, but then presented in a random order that suits my inability to concentrate on anything for longer than 30 seconds. (COC)
POOR AND FORGOTTON - Issue 12 I really liked this zine. Written by a young felon from Massachusetts it's raw and sincere with poetry, a punk rock word search, a short story about accidentally killing yourself whilst shagging, reviews and an interview with Rusty Haight of Broken Glass Barbed Wire Street Fight zine. Morbid cunt that I am, I even found the deaths column pretty interesting (always fascinated me in the Manchester Evening News as a kid). (COC)
PROFANE EXISTANCE No 42 SPRING/SUMMER 2003. A long running pillar of the US political/crusty [I hate that word!]/soap and spikes punk scene. This issue has an interesting interview with Dick Lucas [Subhumans], Provoked and scene reports from the Baltic states and the Ukraine. Plenty of reviews and columns to inform the punks and plenty of anti war coverage, which can only be commended. Anti authoritarian, uncompromising and essential as usual. My only quibble is the too strong emphasis on 'Crust/punk anarcho' bands, PE has a message that deserves to be heard outside of that limited scene, and then again I suppose PE wouldn't be PE without a good dosage of spikes and studs! Oh and you get a nice big anti war poster to piss off your mum. (Russ)
PROPAGANDA - #1 - 28 pages - A5 Great looking first issue for the Punk/Skate zine. Interviews include Guy Picciotto, Mike Park, Derek Grant and skater Dave Hackett. Well written and laid out. They're all about 15 too which is pretty cool. I wish I was as switched on to music when I was fifteen - instead it was NIRVANA and GREEN DAY or nothing. The print quality is really good too - all the photos and layouts look terrific. Keep it up fellas.
PROVOKED? A5 1977 styled punk zine containing 1977 style punk - does exactly what it says on the tin. Cut and paste which in places lets itself down as there are some confusing layouts. They seem to have their finger on the 77 pulse and there are interviews with The Zips, Nina Antonia, Street Sounds, Cheesemakers, Red Eyes, Goldblade, Kowalskis and The Boys. A lot of it is fairly retrospective and the newer bands aren't ones I know about but it's a good first issue if 77 is your bag of tricks. (JK)
QUEEREWIND This zine is a compilation of personal perspectives of the positive and negative aspects of Queeruption IV in London, the history behind Queeruption, the local area where the event was held and a useful guide to the organisation that was required. There are also some really interesting features on gender perspectives and women only spaces, composting and an interview with the International Union of Sex Workers, not to mention cartoons and much more. Interesting, inspiring and a very good read. (COC)
RANCID NEWS #2,#3 Slick as fuck paper version of the Webzine. Full colour printed cover - bands featured include BEECHER, MU330, CAPTAIN EVERYTHING, LESS THAN JAKE and quite a few more. Quite similar to FRACTURE in style. Well written articles concerning Animal Vivisection. It's pretty good as a read - but there's a little too much Kerrap! Rock in this - AMEN for an example. That prick Casey Chaos is so full of fucking shit that it makes me sick. Like he totally claims to be a hardcore DIY punk rock kid in this interview - and like 'oh yeah I grew up going to HC shows' what a load of shit - the closest he's probably been to a punk rock show is posing outside of one for a photoshoot with a security team surrounding him with walkie-talkies and stun guns in case anyone comes near him. And then he has the fucking arrogance to start preaching about punk rock. In response to RANCID NEWS asking him if he was bothered that 'AMEN have been completely ostracised from the punk scene?'. Casey replies 'I don't care what those people think anyway, because they're just a bunch of faggots...they have total, total no clue about punk rock is or about what the philosophies of music are'. Apart from the homophobic bonehead rock stars trying to steal some punk rock credibility by leeching onto independent fanzines, it's a good read. Keep it up, and don't let people take advantage of you, that are thinking in terms of shifting sales units rather than punk rock.(RPS)
READERS DIGRESS! No.2 & No.3 The header of this 'freesheet' is "An Irregular Freesheet for the Irregular Mind". What you see is what you get. READERS DIGRESS! Is an A4 double sided zine that seems to incorporate the weirder/funnier side of life. Short ramblings and stories that are not really punk related but curious and funny. It's free so if you want something a little bit different send a stamped SAE to.(SHY)
ROCK N ROLL CREATION #1 - 32 Pages - A5 Great first issue by a group of kids from the Bristol Area. It's got that feel of real youthful enthusiasm. In fact it made me feel very old as I reminisced over some of their articles. There's one about when a couple of their parents had gone away on holiday so they had a party with loads of bands playing and general debauchery. I remember one week my mum and dad had gone away and Nogs pretty much moved in for the week. I made a bong out of my mum's teapot (using the top of an orange squash bottle as a mouth piece and two clipper flame guards and a gauze duct taped to the spout as a bowl. It fucking killed Pete and we drew all over him with marker pens and then he started dancing like a robot. Odd boy. Yeah great little zine - make sure you keep it going - we need as many zines like this as we can get. Rock the fuck on. They really need to print the address and price info on the 1st page of the zine - cos I can't find the letter with the details on it. Email them for details...and make sure you do....hangabout - just found the address details. PS - loved the Duct-tape wallet article. (RPS)
SEMTEX Issue 6 A5 This zine has been out a while now (I think it was printed last year) and it's becoming a long-standing European 'zine. The layout and design wok is pretty nice, with an interesting little 'diary project' attached to the outside. It's got columns, reviews of bands including some from the 'bigger' labels, and interviews which as some fairly original questions. Nice to hear some stuff from Highscore. (JW)
SPIT AND INK I really liked this zine. Spit and Ink discuss the invasion of privacy and intimidation imposed by capitalistic society a la CCTV, bank card monitoring, racism, slavery and their roots, and environmental issues. There is also poetry, an interview with Food Not Bombs and amazing illustrations. The articles are fantastic. They are succinct and clear in respect of the contemporary relevance of the issues covered yet describe in detail fundamental aspects and history of the matter allowing a much deeper understanding. Very interesting, well referenced and a pleasure to read. (COC)
STONEHENGE CAMPAIGN NEWSLETTER A4 sized newsletter that campaigns to raise awareness about the reinstatement of the Stonehenge Peoples Free Festival and religious access to Stonehenge itself and to protect the site and landscape itself. This newsletter features the latest news in its campaign and is a good source of info re: dates and info of gatherings at Stonehenge and events too of a more political nature. Worth reading especially to keep updated on the British Dept. of Transport's plans to widen the A303 road into a four lane dual motorway and would cut right through the heart of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. Get involved-Save the Stones!! (SHY)
SUBURBAN VOICE No.46 20th Anniversary Issue $5 Surface/$8 Air Total respect goes out to Al Quint. 20 years of S.V. and this is one of the best zines around for sure. If you've never read S.V. before it is the total quintessential HC zine! Al packs so much enthusiasm into both the look and the layout of his zine through to the extensive interviews he provides. In this issue there are interviews with Denmark's AMDE PETERSEN'S ARME, VITAMIN X (Holland), BALANCEOF TERROR, CUT THE SHIT, HOLDING ON, RAMBO, MARTIN SORRENDEGUY (CRUDOS/LIMP WRIST) and one with the briefly reformed THE PIST. The columns are a decent read and the reviews section extensive and knowledgeable. Throw in some great photos and you have a zine that you'll be reading for a while! (SHY)
THE NEW SCHEME #8. 56pp. Free This zine really impressed me. It looks cool and the layout makes it easy to read and it just looks really good basically. There are interviews with Milemarker, The Influents, JR Ewing, Denali, Light the Fuse and Run, photographer Matt Rubin and writer/publisher Adam Voith. The interviews are pretty in-depth and interesting with loads of photos. There is even an excerpt from one of Adam Voith's books so you can check his stuff out. I like how varied it is and how it's not just about bands. As well as interviews, there are column-style articles about US government and politics in general and tons of record, book and DVD reviews. (CB)

MISSING REVIEWS as well as the interviews and reviews in 'Arial' font coming out all weird and hard to read, there were some reviews that didnt make it in - apologies to all concerned, shit happens.

MUSIC
BLAME GAME/ZANN Split LP BLAME GAME kick this one off. These guys play jazzy, quirky, discordant hardcore somewhere between CLIKITAT IKITOWI and SOEZA. Shit the more I listen to this it grows on me; some of the musicianship is amazing ranging from frantic hardcore to mellow acoustic breaks. Strongly recommended for folks that dig their music on the more, dare I say it, emo side of things. ZANN kind of slow the pace a little but weigh on the heavy riffage, darkness and the mayhem. Sometimes slow and tuneful other times full-on metallic blasts to send you rocking. This also comes with a shed load of stickers, multi-lingual info sheets and such like. Shit I like it! (SH) Adagio www.adagio830.de
BURY THE LIVING – twitch of the death nerve CD Cool, fast, aggressive angry hardcore with sarcastic lyrics dealing with the worlds injustices, scene politics. This is a compilation of all the stuff they’ve put out so far - 2 7”s, a split and a demo (plus extras), and its definitely worth picking up if you like stuff on the trendy US labels like Dead Alive and Gloom. (JK) Kangaroo, Middenweg 13, 1098 AA Amsterdam, Netherlands tyson@xs4all.nl www.geocities.com/tysonkangaroo
CURSED – one CD The promo sheet that comes with all the Deathwish releases reviewed in this issue is the most over the top piece of shit I’ve ever seen and includes a “Marketing Outline” with 12 points on it. First off nice packaging – double fold-out cardbord sleeve – predominantly black. Oh yes there’s a CD to review! The band has the singer from Ruination, Left For Dead & The Swarm. Musically I say its closer to the Swarm. Heavy as fuck in a From Ashes Rise kinda way. My own personal preference is for the faster parts, fortunately this is the majority of this. Yeah its good but not great. (JK) www.deathwish.com
EBOLA/JINN Split LP This is the final release from the stalwarts of the UK scene, EBOLA. Recorded three years ago it has taken some time to get released. Following on from their previous release this is another all out crust attack. This band will be sorely missed. From the ashes of EBOLA JINN has risen. I saw these guys play in Leeds a while back and was really impressed and this split release is equally as rewarding. JINN play heavy-as-fuck down tuned hardcore, but what makes them stand out is the musicianship. The guys mess around with timings and key changes which make them really stand out from other bands of the genre. Excellent (SH) A-totenschiff, jorg jacoby, saarstr.33. 66386 st.ingbert, Germany.
HEROS AND ZEROS – wake up call CD 14 tracks of catchy as fuck, powerful, aggressive street punk from Holland. The songs are pretty varied but all winners – angry vocals, punchy guitars, great production. Musically you can tell they also listen to a lot of hardcore. They have a song called “who stole my bicycle” which is lame (lyrically) and cannot be condoned in the tough old world of Oi! But I guess it shows them to be true Europeans. One to buy for sure. (JK) Mad Butcher, Kurze Geismarstr. 6, D- 37073 Gottingen, Germany www.madbutcher.de KOB, Via N. Cantarane 63/c, 37129 Verona, Italy kob@bbk.org
ILLDAD Nemo Saltat Sobrius 7” Yes! Swedish crust at its best, raw-as-fuck, in-you-face, thrash madness, excellent! These guys are ex M.Pati and have a similar sound; other comparisons would be WOLFSBRIGADE or even SKITSYSTEM. Check it out. (SH) Sounds of Betrayal Box 7092 200 42 Malmo, Sweden.
JED WHITEY – this machine kills hippies EP 7” Wise-ass rockin hardcore from Australia. They cover Black Flag’s “jealous again” and this fits as a good indicator of their sound – raw rock injected high tempo punk with added sleazy Aussie humour. You know, the sort of stuff that makes you shout yeaahh at the end of every song. With names likes Angelo Death & Butt Stunts you know it ain’t gonna be deadly serious and they made me laugh with the first line “fuck off – I eat meat!” – almost PC by Aussie standards. Yeaahh. (JK) Busted Heads, Box 275, 901 06 Umea, Sweden order@bustedheads.com www.bustedheads.com www.jedwhitey.com
K-LINE – lessons learned 7”/CD First off I’m gonna say that I don’t think they’d have to change their sound at all in order to be quite big in the current climate of MTV fake emo nonsense. Unfortunately that makes it sound as if I hate this, which is way off the mark. All I’m saying is they have a sound that could appeal to a wider audience (even if most of that audience listens to such unbelievable wank!!). Ed Shred (ex Stupids, Bad Dress Sense & Sink) plays guitar and the feel (sounding dated but in a good way) of the record is somewhere along the lines of the latter 2 bands – a definite mid to late eighties DC feel to the guitars. I’m guessing they’re already lumped in with all the modern emo crap but I’d say they deserve more of a chance than that, as this sounds sincere and certainly no attempt to jump on any bandwagon. If this was being reviewed in Kerrang! I’d give it KKK1/2. (JK) Boss Tuneage, PO Box 74, Sandy, Beds, SG19 2WB, UK www.bosstuneage.com
THE LAYBACKS – beer 7” 7 songs of mid paced street punk with an under produced sound to it. The songs are fairly sing-a-long and at times I felt it needed a change of pace to give it more interest. The guitars are really heavy and it has a real DIY feel to it, which for street punk is unusual. Pretty good. (JK) Roku Records, Poroelontie1a3, 96100 Rovaniemi, Finland RANDY – cheater 7” I’m guessing a good proportion of people reading this already know that Randy are good buddies with and sound like the Hives. This record is even produced by their singer. Here Randy show us that their sound is more ‘77 driven, kinda with a Dead Boys influence meets British punk but still the garagey rock n’ roll sound. Cheater has a great chorus & the latter half of the song is great ‘77 stuff. Flip over for more of the same with the second song being a more straightforward singalong which would work well acoustically. Fun to dance to. (JK) Busted Heads, Box 275, 901 06 Umea, Sweden order@bustedheads.com www.bustedheads.com
SAYYADINA/No VALUE Split 7” Sweden’s SAYYADINA kick off with 5 tracks of super distorted D-Beat. This is the band’s third release and if you dig their earlier stuff you won’t be disappointed, great stuff. NO VALUE are from Tokyo, Japan and thrash it up with plenty of distortion andscreams. A kind of mixture of Latino hardcore ala LOS CRUDOS and the noisecore of MELT BANANNA. Highly recommended. (SH) Putrid Filth Conspiracy, PO Box 7092 200 42 Malmo, Sweden.
THE STAKEOUT – on the run LP/ CD So now I’m pissed off as I missed these guys live – I think it clashed with football and I got there too late to see them. This CD is ace. Totally great fast angry hardcore from Finland. In places this reminded me of early MDC, particularly the vocals, less musically which sounds bang up to date, fuckin’ in your face fast hardcore with maybe a touch of Out Cold meets someone more thrashy. I could definitely see fans of all types of fast stuff being well into this. Hopefully they’ll be (or already is) a European version. (JK) Deranged, PO Box 543, Station P, Toronto, Ontario, Canada http://www.derangedrecords.com/
STIGGAN ANDERSSON Paasta Irti 7” 5 tracks of interesting melodic, almost folksy, punk rock from Scandinavia. Its difficult to make comparisons but for some reason this reminded me of the DEAD KENNEDYS but actually sounds nothing at all like them. I liked it though (SH) Roku Records, Poroelontie La3 96100 Rovaniemi.
THRASH BRIGADE – vatican terror attack CDr This is one of those records that genuinely benefits from being recorded in (Ben’s) shed. Take away the rawness and you might loose all the power and energy that makes this fuckin great. 8 cool tracks of complete mayhem, guitar wanking and lots of intense screamed vocals – totally enjoyable & the “I kick ass for the Lord” sample from Braindead for good measure. If this had come out in the 80’s in the States on a press of 500 limited copies it’d be worth a small fortune. Isn’t punk wonderful? (JK) Phallus Bob, c/o Ryan, 17 Littlemoor Close, Cloughton, Scarborough, N. Yorks, YO13 0AN, UK. ben_bd@hotmail.com kais_funeral@hotmail.com
VOICE OF AGGRESSION/ EAT YER GREENS – open eyes to an evil world – split demo CDr This is precisely the sort of release this silly mag was designed for – fuck your promo sheets, limited editions and massive advertising campaigns – this is DIY hardcore punk. 2 bands up in Scotland struggling to get heard amongst the Blink 182 wannabees (their words not mine). This starts off with a DIY video track of each band. Next up VOA play fast angry stuff with a metally edge to their guitars and a singer with a possessed voice. They do justice to Scatha’s “fuck the system”. EYG play angry mid paced (to fast) stuff with male/ female vocals. Well worth your support. (JK) £2/ 3 euro/ $3 postpaid from: Black Box Records, c/o Dave Rowlands, 19 Albury Place, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB11 6TQ, UK blackboxrecords@hotmail.com
WEAVING THE DEATHBAG The Devils Punchline 7” Amusing name, the music?s not too bad either. Fastcore punk rockers from Wisconsin, USA point their fingers and shout whilst the rest of us mosh n’roll. Play it reet loud. (SH) Kangaroo Records, Middenweg 13, 1098 AA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

ZINE
Blackpool Rox II – free A4 20pp This is such a good idea. It’s a basically resource guide for Blackpool and the surrounding area AND its free. Not being from Blackpool I’m not sure how comprehensive it is but given that Blackpool is a large seaside town in the magnificent north-west of England I’d say it must cover pretty much most stuff going on in the area punk-wise as there is a lot in here. There’s a large list of local bands with contact numbers & web addresses, a UK zine list (we’re even on it – you make me feel so humble!), live reviews, music reviews, upcoming gigs, editorial comment and an article on why Blackpool needs a live venue. This is put together by Andy Higgins who runs JSNTGM (Just Say No To Govt. Music). This is well worth your support particularly by people living in the North West as it would help you book some different bands and give them a chance. Anyone fancy doing this for West Yorkshire??? (JK) JSNTGM, PO Box 1025, Blackpool, FY3 0FA, UK www.jsntgm.com