Don't Buy Records

12" Reviews

2009-10-24T19:49:01.115+02:00

Bäddat För Trubbel - Det Här ar inte New York Lp (Punks Only) (12,50 euro)

What's left to say about this band? Maximum Rock 'n Roll already wrote a praising review for this Lp in the June issue and launched it as 'the record of the week' on their website, whereas people on Terminal Boredom have been creaming over this thing for months straight so the band has had a fair share of attention already. Bäddat För Trubbel plays punk rock with a certain swagger that one doesn't come across in the genre too often. These four Swedes don't shy away from using a saxophone (a mortal sin in many punks' books) and they even serve the listener two ballads! That might sound horrible, but it's anything but. There are several very good songs on this Lp, but my favourite would probably be the title track. All fifteen songs on this Lp are sung in Swedish. Apparently the band uses a lot of slang and the lyrics are supposedly hilarious. Too bad I don't understand a word they're singing, but what can you do? The singer has a deep and strong voice, which had me labeling the record as 'slick' after a hear or two, but really this Lp is anything but slick. Typical that I need to declassify a record that way as soon as I hear someone who can actually sing! Despite my first hand impressions (or narrow mindedness, you decide) I came to love this record. 'Det Här ar inte New York' is a refreshing and quite unique punk rock full length. I can see Bäddat För Trubbel playing in some Swedish bar before an intoxicated crowd that drunkenly sings along to all songs whilst spilling their overtaxed alcaholic beverages all over the floor, causing some of them to fall. Bruises, beer, blood, good times. Apart from this Lp the band did an Ep on Ken Rock that is easily as great. Pick it up if you haven't already.

Bill Bondsmen - ...--. .-.-.- ... .-.-.- / -.-----..- .----. .-. . / ..-. ..- -.-. -.- .-.. 12" (Burning Sensations) (8,- euro)

The story about this release is an obscure one. Some Dutch punk released two 12"s by Bill Bondsmen (of which this is the better) but somehow they ended up in his attic and most never got sold. To my knowledge the kid in question is still alive so why he never parted with these 12"s is a mystery to me. Perhaps they were of too much emotional value, perhaps he was told not to sell copies by voices in his head (it really was the band telling him not to (eds.)). Either way this 12" is some of the Bondsmen's best material and it's a shame that this release hasn't been available to the masses before. I don't feel like going into detail about this band's sound. They play intense hardcore. That's for sure. I've said it before, but I think Gaby's vocals are some of the best to be found in hardcore today. Most consider the "Swallowed by the World" Lp Bill Bondsmen's strongest release, but those who do obviously haven't heard this record. It's meaner, rawer and harsher. It has the sound the band had before the Lp came out and the songwriting qualities that the band got recognition for on their full length and succeeding single. This should be the Bondsmen record for those of you with a short attention span, because it delivers seven perfect hardcore tunes. Long live the 12" Ep! This might be the best Bondsmen record around. The artwork looks stupid, but rad.

P.s. Sailors, fill me in on what that morse code stands for. I wonder.

Burning Sensation - 12" (Vertex) (17,- euro)*
This three piece hail from the land down under. They're from Perth which I've seen being labeled as the most depressing town in all of Oz on several occassions. Although I've never visited the city myself, listening to the twelve tunes on this 12'' sure gives the impression that Perth is the breeding ground for depression, frustration and resent. Burning Sensation play melodic hardcore that gets compared to early Hüsker Dü a lot and although I try to keep my comparisons to classic bands on as low a level as possible the influence here is undeniable. The guitar sound is agressive and scathing and all these songs have the urgency of the Hüskers' 'Landspeed Record', which a friend of mine once labeled as the musical equivalent of one long line of speed. Quite a few songs on this record are fast as hell. Others are a bit slower and incorporate more melody. The vocals sound desperate and the lyrics sure aren't optimistic either. Topics such as angst, sexual frustration (gotta love song titles like 'I fear Erections' and 'I Chopped it off') and depression are covered without mincing matters. The odd song out here is 'I Wonder' which I guess one could call Burning Sensation's radio friendly hit. At first I hated the song, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't that goddamn tune that's stuck in my head after spinning this record each and every time. This record is bound to be labeled as 'retro', but who gives a shit? These guys deliver the goods! From what I understand this is Burning Sensation's first and last record. That's good news for you purists out there, because it means the band won't be selling out or be signing to a lousy label or whatever it is you people care about.

*PLEASE READ: I sold the first batch of this record pretty fast and got another parcel filled with these things all the way from Australia this time around. I got the first copies send to me through a friend of the band who traveled to the UK. That's why I could offer them for cheap before. I'm sorry about the high price, but it's impossible to sell it for less. Vertex is already losing money on the deal as it is now. Furthermore I'd like to inform interested parties on the fact that the records got some wear from shipment. The vinyl is in perfect condition, but the sleeves are somewhat slit.

Brainbombs - Genius and Brutality Lp (Skrammel) (12,50 euro)
It feels redundant to write anything about the Brainbombs, because this band has been the topic of wide debate ever since their birth so you probably already know if you want to hear this record or not. During their existence Brainbombs got a lot of attention of which most wasn’t positive. This Swedish band started in the late 1980s and barely ever played live. They only released a few much sought after 7”s at first and after that a few full lengths followed. Braimbombs’ music often gets qualified as proto rock or proto punk. The band’s formula is simple. Pick a slow and heavy riff and play it for minutes straight. The music is slow and sludgy and it is all about the riffs. What the band got known for however is their lyrics. Inspired by Peter Sotos’ Pure zine the Brainbombs mostly covered topics such as rape and murder and they always showed a healthy interest (or is it awe…) for serial killers. Brainbombs’ lyrics are disgusting in one word and I can understand that they turn people off. It’s interesting how words can be so powerful. I always had mixed feelings about this band. On the one hand I feel like the lyrics are despicable and tasteless, but that is obviously intended. On the other hand I think the lyrics make this band work. Without them this music loses its grit which is shown by new material from No Balls, the band some of Brainbombs’ members created after the Brainbombs’ recent demise which is mostly instrumental. Brainbombs are a love or hate kinda band and I think they’re definitely aiming to fall in everybody’s hate category. It’s undeniable that this band left a mark and some of their songs are great. Skrammel Records from

Sweden

just rereleased most of the Brainbombs’ back catalogue so all their records are once again available for the masses. This was the band’s second full length originally released in 1994. ‘Who can You Trust’ of this record is among my favourite Brainbombs’ tunes. I like it most when the band includes their trumpet player, which unfortunately is only the case in a handful of songs on this Lp.

Butcher Cover - Lp (Rotted Tooth)
This is the first full length by Butcher Cover who hail from Oakland, California. The band started out as a two piece and released a demo and 7” in that setting. These two guys made (and still make) for an interesting combination. The drummer has had much love for the Electric Eels whereas the guitar/player singer was mostly obsessed with Whitehouse. The drummer supposedly taught the other guy how to play the guitar during the recording of the demo. I don’t know how much of this is true, but it makes for a lovely story. My guess is that these two men bonded over a mutual love for hardcore music (and bad drugs perhaps) as well as a shared contempt for mankind. Butcher Cover seems to deliver classic hardcore covers on pretty much every record. This time around they do a Shitlickers song. The band recently added a bass player to their line up. The bass sounds as if it is being played over a blown up amp. Despite the addition of the four string Butcher Cover’s approach remains unchanged on this record. I’ve seen this band being described as ‘fucked up noise’ once and that’s pretty accurate. This music sure is ugly, inept and violent. The guitar sounds shrill and there’s a lot of feedback throughout the record. The drums are loud and blown out and the vocals are seething with hatred. The lyrics are mostly indecipherable, but my guess is that the guy isn’t saying anything nice. Like on the demo there are nasty samples in between the songs of which some are tasteless jokes. The song titles aren’t going to fall well with sensitive punks either. What can I say? Butcher Cover aren’t about being nice. They’re out to offend. So Butcher Cover won’t be your new facebook friend, but that doesn’t make this record any less perfect a soundtrack to your after work daydreams of killing your boss and coworkers.

Canadian Rifle - Visibility Zero Lp (Residue, Squirrel Heart)

Year Zero is Canadian Rifle's first full-length. This Chicago three-piece plays music that could be labeled as melodic punk rock. The overall production of this record is quite raw. Adding to that are the vocals of both singers. They’re pretty harsh. The lyrics tend to focus on the bleaker side of life. "All good things leave and all bad things stay and multiply." There's not much cheer to be found on this piece of wax, but the songs aren't whiny and are delivered with conviction. Unlike their previous 7"s this Lp doesn't offer any hits, but that doesn't mean the songs aren't good. They are, but consistent full length is just a whole different bag than a good 7". I think Canadian Rifle delivered a strong melodic punk rock record with Visibility Zero. So if melodic punk rock is your kinda thing I'd recommend you to pick this one up. This record won't kick your teeth in, but is a nice listen just as well.

Cola Freaks - Lp (Hjernespind) (14,- euro)
After five 7" releases here it is; the first Cola Freaks full-length! The Cola Freaks have been carrying the torch of Danish punk rock ever since all the K-Town hardcore bands ceased to exist in the early 00's. Not that this band sounds anything like the bands that put Denmark on the punk map back then. The Cola Freaks are on the catchier side of things. At first these guys were labeled as a 'KBD style band', but over time they proved to be so much more than that. Through the years all kinds of influences came seeping into the Cola Freaks' sound. Post-punk, pop, goth, you name it. The addition of a synthesizer is a good illustration of their versatility. At times I wonder if one should still consider this band a punk band, because there's nothing inept about them. They are good musicians. Plus I've said it before, and I'll say it again; the Cola Freaks know how to write a tune. Goddamn! This Lp serves eleven songs and there aren't any misses among it. You might have noticed that I said little about the actual music on this piece of vinyl, but that's because this record is just about one thing; the SONGS! You need to hear those to know what this is about. So what the hell are you waiting for? The record has been out on CD for a while now, but it's finally available on vinyl as well and, let's face it, that's all you people care about. I'm sorry about the price, but the Danish Kroner isn't cheap. This record is definitely worth the money though.

Cola Freaks - Live on WMBR (Mastermind) (12,50 euro)
High quality live recording from this Danish super group played at Harvard University’s radio station WMBR in late 2008. There’s hardly any talking in between songs. No stupid jokes. No Dj talking. It’s pretty much a tightly played live set of their early material. This session was recorded during their 2008

tour during which they supported Jay Reatard. Apparently Mr. Reatard and the Cola Freaks got along well, because shortly after some of these Danes would do time in Jay’s backing band only briefly before he left this world. They played on what turned out to be his final record. I’m not trying to sell this thing on the Reatard connection here, mind you, because the Cola Freaks are a band in their own right. It’s just nice to have some context and background, right? The nine songs on this Lp were all taken from the singles and split that preceded the band’s full length, but they sound the way the band would later sound on their Lp; huge and tense. In that sense this live recording bridges the gap between the 7”s and the 12” (and yet it’s no 5”, hoho). The synthesizer is already added to the line-up here and it gives the old songs a big and full sound quite unlike the original versions that can be found on the 7”s, which were way more stripped down. That’s what makes this set a nice document. It gives the listener a peek into the development of this punk rock band. So it all comes down to the question whether you give enough of a shit about the Cola Freaks to be interested in their development at all. Like most live recordings, this is not the best way to be introduced to this band (although I think this thing sounds good enough for a solid introduction so in that sense it’s as good a start as any). If you’re new to these guys, I think the Lp would make for a better start. Fans of the band will love this though. It sounds great. The songs are good. What more can you ask for? The artwork shown was limited so don’t worry about your friends thinking you love the Nazis. Your sleeve will have a more neutral look so you won’t have to hide the thing when your parents in law come over for dinner.

Condominium - Warm Home Lp (Sliding Hills) (12,50 euro)
Let’s start off with a retrospective on this great Minneapolis band. The first single was sold as a new project from the guitar player of Formaldehyde Junkies, a great band, but nothing like Condominium. On the first Ep the band was still developing its style. From the second Ep on Condominium got their sound down. Then ‘Barricade’ came out and mud started to be slung at the Minneapolis four. The whole ‘mysterious guy hardcore cult’ bullshit was its peak back then. Every hardcore nerd was creaming over Sex/Vid at the time as if it were Paris Hilton’s night vision sex tape. People were saying Condominium was trying to ride the wave ‘real’ bands like Sex/Vid and Total Abuse had created. Then came ‘Gag’, a total downer of a record, which could hardly be classified as hardcore altogether. Some loved the new direction the band took, while others, perhaps more mysterious in nature, were disappointed by the fourth 7”. With ‘Gag’ Condominium left people in confusion and everything went quiet for a while. One of the reasons for their sudden disappearance was probably that bass player Kim left the band. Singer Matt has picked up four string duties ever since. However I don’t think that the line up change is the only explanation for Condominium’s radio silence. The band was never prolific when it came to releasing records. They took four years for four 7”s totaling eleven songs. Maybe this low productivity is only due to circumstances, but I like to think that the main reason is that Condominium enforces serious quality control. This band has never been out to make a name for itself. Instead it focuses on writing good songs and releasing good records. Although ‘Warm Home’ has Condominium functioning as a three piece for the first time on record, there’s no noticeable difference between this record an the 7”. In fact I think this Lp could well be seen as a merging of the singles that preceded it. For this reason I think it’s a shame that the band didn’t continue the line of artwork (black and white pictures with ‘Condominium’ stamped in color paint) with this release, but really that’s nothing but a marginal note to this otherwise awesome record. Like before Condominium still plays hardcore with noise elements and Matt still sounds like someone trying to pronounce his spite against the world while being force fed dirt. The guitar playing is wild and just spot on moving between conveying agony and rage. One thing that really struck me on this record furthermore is the drumming especially in the first and last song. It demands the listener’s attention. Maybe the band has shifted its attention a bit back to hardcore in comparison to the last two 7”s. There’s more frenzy to this release, but to me that’s a good thing. I like that the band has found some of its anger back. However there are still downer jams to be found on this Lp too as well as an atmospheric ode to Negative Approach played on a hammer dulcimer, strings and bowls filled with water. The A-side delivers the more straight forward fast tracks and a crazy instrumental, while two longer more depressing songs can be found on the flip. All in all this record clocks in under twenty minutes, but this wouldn’t be Condominium if they wouldn’t have you craving for more when the needle leaves the plastic.

Cruddy - Negative World Lp (12XU) (12,50 euro)
Review up soon...

Druid Perfume - Tin Boat to Tuna Town Lp (Self Released) (12,50 euro)

This record caught me a bit off guard. Druid Perfume's previous outputs where intense, messy and chaotic if not downright crazy. The music on this record is not like that at all. Although Tin Boat to Tuna Town is calmer than Druid Perfume's former releases it still breathes the same celebration of the irrational and crazy. I'd describe the music as moody drugged punk with jolting horns. Some people have labeled the band as free-jazz, but apart from the final chord in the opening song, there's not much subtility to be found on this Lp. Whereas the bass seemed to be the only instrument keeping the music together on their former record, the band sounds more in balance on this release. The singer still steals the show. On Druid Perfume's Selftitled Lp I liked to think of him as a reverend Jim Jones kinda character strung out on psychedelic drugs announcing the apocalypse to his followers. Now imagine the following. Our anti-hero awakes in a stupor. He is surrounded by burnt down houses, smoke still coming from smouldering fires. Corpses of his followers as well as total strangers are scattered among the ruins. Drunkenly beholding the product of his teaching the guy loses the last bit of sanity he had left. He picks up a female body lying next to him. He doesn't notice her shotgun wound nor the blood he's smearing all over himself as he starts dancing a tango with what's left of the lady. As the picture slowly fades we hear the man's manical laughter. THE END. Tin Boat to Tuna Town would be the perfect soundtrack to this somewhat disturbing scene.

Flying Trichecos - Onesided 12" (Mastermind) (12,50)

Is Clevo hardcore a genre these days? Some say so. Flying Trichecos hailed from Cleveland, Ohio and are now done for. This was their final release. Alessandro a.k.a. Anus the Asshole returned to his native country where the Romans held orgies two thousands years ago and contemporary politicians throw ‘bunga bunga parties’ today. Funny how little things change. The Trichecos’ love for snorting drugs sure hasn’t diminished one bit since their 7” either. Pretty much every song on this onesided 12” mentions the use of drugs except for the opening track ‘Mongo Punk Attack’. No surprises there. There’s even a song called ‘My Nose Had A Good Day’ on here for fuck’s sake and it’s actually quite a good tune too! The blown out bass sound this band uses rules and Alessandro’s vocals are great as always. The Trichecos are at their best when the singer spits his hatred against humanity, life, you, me and of course ‘faggots’ over the mongoloid music the band produces. Whether Alessandro’s broken English has its roots in his Italian background or is a result from years of drug abuse and brain damage is unknown to me, but it never fails to crack me up. Lines like ‘I have one reason to celebrate/ every single one of you has an expiration date’ from the song ‘Rock O Rama’ can do no wrong with me. This tune actually sums up what these guys are about well: ‘So snort the lines and raise the pints/ Let’s drink to everybody fucking dying’. One would say there are only so many songs a band can write about sniffing shit up your nose before it gets trite, but the Trichecos pull it off without it getting too much of a shtick. Main reason for this is that I actually believe these guys’ drug use lives up to the expectations they create for it in their songs. Not every song on here is as good as the next. There’s a fair dose of stupidity thrown in with each tune and it doesn’t always benefit the song, but overall this is a cool punk rock record. Some songs aren’t funny to me, especially ‘Nose Blocker’ comes to mind, but I’m sure they thought it was funny and could care less about what I think. This band never gave a shit about anyone’s opinion. The Trichecos were notorious for not finishing their sets, because the singer would get into fights with the crowd all the time. Go figure. The artwork shows the band posing at the statue of a Tricheco and is bound to make you jibe.

GG King - Esoteric Lore (Scavenger of Death, Rob's House)

After four singles Greg decided he and his partners in crime were ready for a GG King Lp and ‘Estoric Lore’ is the result. When I heard GG King had a Lp in the works I really wondered what the thing would be like. All their singles were pretty cool, but releasing a full length is a whole different story than doing a single, baby. Greg and the boys seem to have thought the same thing, because ‘Esoteric Lore’ isn’t exactly the picking-up-where-they-left-off-with-their-last-record-kinda-deal. ‘Esoteric Lore’ serves fifteen songs (not counting the didgeridoo intro and the outro). According to the labels’ descriptions there are all sorts of influences to be heard on this record and although I’ve never been great at labeling it’s obvious that this thing is pretty damn diverse. GG King isn’t going for one particular sound which gives the record a bit of a mix tape feel. When I first heard this Lp I expected people would hold this against the record. ‘The thing has no consistency…’ No sir, it does not and I fucking love it. There are so many good songs on this record, it’s ridiculous. ‘Walls Closing In’ is so simple and yet so incredibly catchy. ‘Reading Magazines’ is an infectious and somewhat slow song about shutting yourself off from the outside world and just reading a good old (maga)zine. The list goes on. Boredom (‘Bored of Breathing’) and feeling detached from your surroundings seem to be returning topics on this record and weren’t that the things punk was about in the first place? You know, before ebay and record collecting. I think I read it on the Terminal Boredom forum or something… ‘Esoteric Lore’ is without a doubt one of the best punk rock records of this year and I’ll be spinning this thing until the grooves are gone. The vinyl comes in a printed insert with all lyrics and cool artwork. This Lp is nothing like I expected and yet it’s better than I could have hoped for.

Government Warning - Paranoid Mess Lp (La Vida Es Un Mus)

Virginia’s Government Warning deliver their second Lp with Paranoid Mess. If you haven’t heard Government Warning by now you’ve either lived under a rock or you’re just deaf. I actually am close to deaf after seeing them in Amsterdam in May. Thanks guys! Government Warning is at the top of today’s 80s inspired hardcore bands. It’s true that that genre is far beyond satured by now, but Government Warning is definitely one of the better bands playing this style. By now it’s the cool thing to piss on retro hardcore apparently, but for those of you who don’t care about jumping bandwagons here’s a good Lp by a band that’s been playing this style from the start and will keep playing it despite it being out of vogue. No less than fifteen tracks on this Lp. Standouts to me were “Urban Warfield” and the title track. The drums on this release sound way heavier than on their past ones. It’s a bit too much for me sometimes, but overall this is a solid hardcore record. This is the European pressing on La Vida Es Un Mus.

HPP - 12" (Perennial) (12,50 euro)

Third release on Perennial Records from Olympia. Whereas the other two releases on said label seem to have had a fair share of attention it has been awfully quiet around HPP (short for Hipster Piss Party apparently. Not that great a name, but let's not judge a book by its cover) as far as I know. This 12" delivers the two demos the band produced so far and to say these sound promising would be an understatment. HPP plays stripped down hardcore. The strong basslines and drums drive the music while the guitar goes into some dissonant jugglery here and there. No, it does NOT remind me of Gregg Ginn! The guitar sound is thin, but I don't mind. HPP's singer is up front which makes the lyrics easy to discern. The guy's delivery is raw which fits the demo recordings. All song seem to be short. I don't think many cross the two minute mark. The A-side has a better recording than the B-side which is most noticeable in the vocals being deeper into the mix on the flip. Both sides of this record bring plenty of memorable tunes to the plate though. In fact the more I listen to this record, the more I feel like there isn't much filler to be found on here, but that might just be salesman talk. I don't want to get any ideas into you kids' heads, but don't you think that logo would just look super cool on your upper right arm? Carve first, tattoo later! Another HPP Ep is due in early 2011 on Perennial Records.

Manikin - Stop the Sirens Lp (Mastermind) (12,50 euro)
Review up soon...

No Slogan - Aversion Therapy 12" (Residue)

At first No Slogan didn't do much for me. I heard one or two of their Ep's before and was not impressed. It took this 12" to turn my head. I dismissed these guys way too easily. No Slogan delivers a solid release with this 12". Their singer's gruff vocals add up well with the tough and raw sound of the music. Although a second guitarist often feels redundant to me No Slogan makes it work well. The lyrics are pretty bleak at times yet they are always delivered with both passion and conviction. It's hard to describe what makes this record so great, but it is. No Slogan just have the songwriting down. If you like classic hardcore punk (with an emphasis on the punk) I would recommend you to give this one a hear. You won't be disappointed. I can listen to the song "Death of Cool" all day.

Predator - Lp (Douchemaster)

This record has been in the making for quite some time. Why I do not know. When I ordered Predator’s debut single from Rob’s House I was already told that the band had the songs for a full-length ready, but it must have taken at least one and a half year before the record was actually released. Here it finally is though and to be frank, it’s really really good. There’s something about this record that gives it a different feel than the 7”, but what the difference exactly is, is hard to tell. The sound is pretty much the same. There’s still the blown out bass sound, which is totally awesome. The drumming is simple and tight with a hi-hat hit on practically every count. The vocals are still heavy on the reverb and their singer still has the snotty as fuck bored teenager style down. Predator delivers thirteen songs on this record of which only one was on their previous 7”. I think the band has really nailed their sound this time around. On this record Predator moves from slow weeded out songs such as the instrumental jam ‘March of the Confederates’ with its silly boogie-woogie bass line at the end, to tight frustrated punk rockers such as ‘Alright’ and ‘Choke’. There’s no bad song to be found on this piece of wax, but the absolute hit is the bouncy ‘You’. I’ve spun this record a shitload of times and I’m far from tired of it. Quite the opposite actually. With each spin I realize how great a record this is. This is one of the best releases this year brought so far and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it would turn out to be the best punk rock record of 2011. To me this thing is flawless. It’s as great a soundtrack to a day of smoking weed with your friends in the attic at your parents place during the summer vacation as to yet another wasted day without a job, money or anything to do.

Sacred Shock - You're Not With Us 12" (Residue)

Sacred Shock’s selftitled debut on Schizophrenic Records blew me away last year so my expectations for this release were high. Does this record live up to those? Certainly! In fact it’s even better than their 7”. The drums sound a bit different on this record than on their previous release. It’s less heavy on the cymbals, which I personally had to get used to. What makes Sacred Shock a great band is their amazing guitar leads. They’re both catchy and heavy at the same time. Sacred Shock’s singer also adds to the band’s unique sound. His vocals are brutal yet melodic. An uncommon combination. Nine tracks on this 12” of which one is a cover of Headcleaners “Kill The Royalties”. They definitely have their own take on this song though. Sacred Shock is a contemporary hardcore band I am really excited about and they deliver a flawless hardcore record with You’re Not With Us. This is one of the records I listened to most in 2009.

Sack-O'-Woes - The Paranoids are coming Lp (Loop Rekords)

Apparently Sack-O'-Woes went through hell to get this release available. When the first run of this record arrived in their mail box, they found out that the plant had pressed the wrong mix onto the vinyl. It sounded like shit. Unfortunately for them the records were already paid for so they had to pay for another pressing with the right mix (the lesson here boys and girls: ALWAYS do a test pressing first). This one-sided silkscreened Lp is the final result and the music sure does not disappoint. Sack-O'-Woes play punk rock with garage leanings and they do it well. What else could you expect from three guys who have been kicking it since their teens and are over forty now? Sack-O'-Woes deliver seven infectious and rocking tunes on this Lp. The walking basslines push on some catchy guitar leads. Sack-O'-Woes' singer's vocals are raw as hell. I guess the music overall is. I simply can't believe that these guys are actually from the Netherlands. This is a great record. To save some money all the artwork is done by hand and it looks rad. I would like to take this opportunity to recommend the West Friesland authorities to send a copy of this record to all their teenagers. It might the get the kids dancing instead of killing themselves.

Sexpistolstanten och Mockfjärdsvapnet - Det Personliga CV:T Lp (Skrammel) (12,50 euro)
Let me start off by saying that I know close to nothing about this band. I think Sexpistolstanten och Mockfjärdsvapnet (possibly an even more ridiculous name than Lögnhalsmottagningen) are from Nyköping Sweden and 'Det Personliga CV:T' is their first record. After reading a review of their Lp I tried to get some info through the internet, but except for some funny youtube movies of live shows there was little to be found about these Swedes. Sexpistolstanten och Mockfjärdsvapnet play simple and catchy punk rock. On vocals is a woman with a bratty girlish delivery. Her fellow band members do some back ups here and there as well. Although I don't understand a word of Swedish I have a feeling the lyrical content here isn't too serious. The artwork and costumes the band wears during live performances confirm these suspicions. I guess one could label this Lp as 1977 style punk (there are several picures of the band members wearinig colourful plastic sunglasses to be found which makes it official), but unlike many bands that get that reference Sexpistolstanten och Mockfjärdsvapnet keep it unpolished. All songs on this Lp have a minimal recording which benefits the tunes greatly. The band delivers ten songs on this record and their quality ranges from good to awesome. My personal favourites are 'Kysst Av Dräparen', 'Jag Blir Förbannad' with its silly whistling (every single time I check who the hell is whistling to the tune... I'm stupid) and the hit 'Cigg Hail' which you can even sing along to without knowledge of the Swedish language. The record ends with some practice room recording of what sounds like their theme song. This is a strong punk rock Lp by a band that seems to have a lot of fun and doesn't take themselves too seriously. Great.

Son Skull - Birth Scene Rewind 12" (Perennial) (12,50 euro)

Olympia seems to have quite a few new interesting bands formed by somewhat older punks these days. Son Skulls' members are probably in their late 20s or early 30s and I can't imagine this being their first band. The band plays hardcore punk with melodic sensibilities. Most songs are sang by a female with a strong (not tough but definitely intense) delivery, but there's also one song with male vocals. The bass sound is warm and clear, whereas the guitar is wild, crazy and damaged. Both 'Boston Girls' and 'Perennial Death' would have been perfect anthems if it hadn't been for the feedback throughout the choruses. Son Skull seems to deliberately wreck these songs, but they can't hide the catchiness of both tunes underneath the guitar squeals. Some say that there are 1990s influences to be heard in Son Skull's songs which makes sense, because these guys and girl probably came of age in that era. People have compared the band to Sonic Youth, but I don't really hear it. What I've heard from Sonic Youth was wimpy and Son Skull aren't wimpy at all. When the needle leaves this 12" Ep, I'm a bit sad that there aren't more tunes on the record. Fortunately you can always play it again, which I find myself doing a lot. To me this record is one of the best 12" releases all year. It's powerful, catchy, weird and damaged all at the same time. According to the Perennial Records website there's a new Ep in the works which obviously is great news.

Supersonic Piss - Umbillical Noose 12" (Rotted Tooth)

Iowa’s Supersonic Piss deliver a mix of no wave, noise and hardcore on their debut 12”. Although I’m not all that at home in the first two of those genres, their influences on Supersonic Piss’ sound are obvious. Most tracks on this record are carried by the solid drumming and simple pounding bass lines. Over those the guitar delivers its hissy, messy stripped down atonal riffs. The guitar playing is total-not-give-a-shitness, which makes the band punk despite their sound perhaps. The more popular noisy bands of today have a heavier and bigger guitar sound with lots of feedback, which isn’t bad either, but it’s cool to hear Supersonic Piss have a different approach to their music. Over the music screeching vocals are delivered by front-woman Page. Her lyrics are upfront and threatening, her delivery abrasive. By hardly serving anything that can be classified as a song on this piece of vinyl Supersonic Piss follow the path that Teenage Jesus and the Jerks walked in late 1970s New York and by doing two covers from mrs. Lunch and her boys (‘Baby Doll’ and ‘Less of Me’) the band doesn’t make a secret of its influences. ‘Go home dad, you’re drunk pt. II’ is probably the closest Supersonic Piss gets to an actual song and for that reason it sticks with you. It’s a slow and heavy tune that steams into some wild guitar soloing near the end. Somehow a girl singing ‘I might have been a little whore/ and I might have fucked your dad before/ and I might have fucked your mom for free/ and I might have taken a little bit of money’ is pretty confrontational. I actually think that word sums up this record well; confrontational. This 12” is definitely different from a lot of noise I’ve been spinning recently and I like it. Are you craving for a headache? Get this record!

Walls - The Future is Wide Open Lp (De Graan Republiek)

This is Walls’ second full length. This Seattle band came from the ashes of Cold Sweat which was one of the best hardcore bands on this side of the millennium. That should stand for something. Because Cold Sweat’s singer Shaun moved to Texas shortly after the release of their second Lp ‘Blinded’, the band saw itself without a singer. They soon found a replacement in Alston, but decided to give the band another name now that they had a new front man. Walls was born. The band soon turned out to be an entirely different creature than Cold Sweat had been. Whereas Cold Sweat was a hardcore band – and what a hardcore band it was -, Walls incorporated a wider diversity of styles into their sound. A continuity between the two bands is the overload of ugly dissonant guitar work and the incredible negativity of the music in general. There is nothing but hate going on with both bands, but where Shaun seemed to focus his anger on the outside, Alston also has a soft spot for self loathing, but after putting himself down he still has plenty of rage left for the rest of the world. His lyrics are harsh and bleak, his delivery violent and frightening. Walls’ sound is brooding and the music is downright scary at times. The band is still heavy as hell like Cold Sweat was, but there is more room for slower and sludgy parts. This band is able to drain you of your will to live like few bands can. I remember two reviews of the first Walls Lp that hit the nail on the head. One read that every time the reviewer span the record, he felt like there was a monster staring at him from the dark corner of his room waiting for the right moment to leap onto him and eat him alive. The other read that the record never failed to make the reviewer feel miserable. Those two references are accurate and should give you a pretty clear idea of what you’re in for here. ‘The Future is Wide Open’ is a very powerful record by an amazing band bringing thirteen new unsettling songs to the listener’s ear. In my opinion this is their best release yet and I liked everything the band did before. Be warned though. This music is not for everybody. It suits me fine however. I can already see myself trembling and twitching on the couch at 3 am, because I drank too much coffee again and now I can’t sleep or read, because my attention span has evaporated. All that’s left to do is play this record, stare at the wall and let the music consume me. I already feel a headache coming up. It sure is good to have things like these to look forward to.

White Boss - 12" (Perennial) (12,50 euro)

Yet another new Olympian hardcore band and it doesn't sound like any of the bands coming from the area. White Boss seem to be the most well known act from this vivid new scene that is bound to get called hyped by haters soon, but what isn't 'hyped' these days, right? There's a lot low end in the six songs on this 12" Ep although the bass lines are hard to make out. White Boss lay down multiple layers of steaming guitar riffage throughout the record. There are two guitar players in the band, but at times you can hear four layers of guitar in a song and there's a fair share of soloing. The songs are mostly slow and heavy as fuck and at times even atmospheric. All of this makes this 12" sound epic. White Boss' sound is huge, perhaps too big for my tastes. Somehow the record comes across a bit clinical. The band obviously wasn't aiming for a nasty or ugly sound, but at times I wish they had been. White Boss' singer's voice is raspy and he sounds on the verge of collapse. His lyrics are abstract maybe even poetic? They don't do much for me. Same goes for the artwork which makes the record look like a new age recording that could be played at the next meditation session at your local community center. Maybe it will be? Basically the whole thing doesn't win me over, but many people seem to love White Boss and supposedly they're a beast live. The band sure has another take on hardcore than any band playing today and although I'm not into the layered guitar work, I know some people will lap that shit up like a dog drinking from the toilet. All in all this is an interesting intense record that could only have been heavier if it had been pressed on 180 grams vinyl.

Various Artists - Does It Hurt? Lp (Thought Crime)

Compilation records are often dismissed and not whithout reason. There are always bands on it that you really don't want to hear. Or the contributed songs are all shit, because the bands want to save their best tracks for their own releases. The list goes on, but none of these reasons apply here. Sotatila, Dumbstruck, Charlie, No Slogan, Ruidosa Inmundicia, Yellow Eyes and Narsaak all handed Berlin's Thought Crime Records a few unreleased tracks and the result is a pretty diverse hardcore compilation. There's literally something for everyone on this record. If you're into one or two of these bands, you should give "Does it Hurt?" a chance. Personally I really like the No Slogan and Sotatila songs. I had never heard Yellow Eyes before and they were a nice discovery.

7" Reviews

2009-10-24T19:49:01.114+02:00

Astryd Lindgren's Great 5 - Ep (Ken Rock) (5,- euro)

This is a new lo-fi garage punk band from Sweden with former members of the Ydils. I never heard or even heard of that band, but looking at the artwork these guys have been kicking around for a while. They sure ain’t youngsters anymore and there’s nothing wrong with that. But let’s talk about the music. Astryd Lindgren’s Great 5 deliver, you guessed it, five, supposedly great songs on this Ep - not counting the opening instrumental that is. Like I said the music is garage punk rock. I’m guessing these guys were pretty into whatever was on the Rip Off roster in the first half of the 1990s. The songs are all straight forward with simple two to three chord guitar riffs and dumb bashing drums. After the instrumental the band delivers a cover of Freestone’s ‘Bummer Bitch’ kicks in, a classic if there ever was one. The band gets away with it surprisingly well. The final song on the A-side is the anthem here. The chorus to ‘Retard Rock’ states that ‘There’s a retard in the band!’Although I can't say I disagree, the number might actually be on the low side. There are three loonies here at the very least. The recording quality of this Ep is intentionally shitty, but not to the point you can’t make out there are songs in the mix somewhere. Although this won’t be the most memorable record you’ll lay on your record player, it’s not a bad record either and there are some good songs here. If catchy garage punk still floats your boat, and I don’t see a reason why it shouldn’t, you’ll like this. The artwork is atrocious, but I think the Ken Man has a soft spot for ugliness of this sort - check out the artwork on that Rivercity Tanlines Ep he did and you’ll know what I mean. Also 7”s with different rpm each side should be forbidden. That shit is annoying. That aside, not a bad record.

A/V Murder - Tourettes 7" (Local Cross)

Second release by this new Chicago band that came from the ashes of a band that is missed by many. I remember reading a review of A/V Murder's first 7" about a year ago and I was sure that they'd be my new favourite band. When I first heard the Ep those expectations weren't quite met unfortunately. Over time I grew to like it though. A/V Murder plays some wild punk rock with catchy guitar riffs. The band is all over the place which makes the music unpredictable. Something I had to get used to were the vocals. The singer's voice is one of the things that gives A/V Murder a distinguished sound. He sounds like he's drowning and singing at the same time. Imagine someone singing through a snorkel or something. Weird but good. This new 7" is definitely a step up from the previous one. There's two songs this time around. The A-side has an infectious guitar lead. I love it when the biting back-up vocals come in and scream "Tou-rettes". The two voices work well together. The B-side, "Fight Like A Man", would be my personal pick. It's the most chaotic of the two and there are even some horns thrown in at the end. Really great. I'm curious what the future will bring for this band and am sure that it won't take long before we hear from A/V Murder again.

Bad American - Selftitled Ep (Bad Recordings)

Debut Ep by this newish hardcore band from Pennsylvania which isn't exactly known for its amazing hardcore scene. And yet this hardcore record doesn't disappoint. Bad American deliver eight tunes on this Ep. The band has been compared to many contemporary bands for some reason, but I think none of the made comparisons do this pack much justice. This band sounds harsh and angry. The bass sound is heavy and drives the songs. The guitar wails and cries over the solid rhythms layed down in these eight tunes. Some feedback adds to the nastiness of the songs, but fortunately the band's use of this effect is modest. Bad American's singer sounds pissed. His voice is raspy, his lyrics hateful. 'Snake Doctor' would be my personal pick, because of the hypnotizing change of pace in there. I guess it's fair to say that this record is a product of its time. Bad American plays hardcore with some noisy elements, but what's important here is that they do it really well. I think this band has got the cards stacked against them. Reviews have been pretty lackluster (MRR even played the 'possibly sexist' card in their review of this Ep and I still don't get why...), while this record is a good hardcore record. This is a repress of the first Ep with alternative silkscreened artwork. The band is writing new tunes and you can expect to hear more by 'm soon.

Bill Bondsmen - Disaster Prone 7" (Local Cross)

Wow! This is Bill Bondsmen's seventh release already! Although I thought the first releases by this Detroit hardcore band were somewhat forgettable, I always liked Gabby's vocals. They have a familiar sound to them yet he doesn't seem to be ripping anyone off. The band really got their sound down on their first full length "Swallowed by the World". The style on this single is pretty much the same. This record could have been an appetizer for the Lp, but instead it's its ugly afterbirth. Both songs on this platter exceed three minutes. Few hardcore bands are able to cross the two minute line without me zoning out (who is still listening to Fucked Up?) yet Bill Bondsmen pull it of. The first song is build around a tightly played two chord riff that keeps returning throughout the song. It's the most straightforward of the two. The song on the flip starts off dark and desperate. It's moody. The band builts up some serious tension. Only halfway through the song Bill Bondsmen deliver what they're known for; some hateful hardcore. Fucking great. Can't wait to hear this band's next release.

Brainwaves - Ep (Self Released)
Brainwaves hailed from Melbourne Australia and have unfortunately recently broken up due to the singer moving to the other side of their vast homeland. This record is their only vinyl release. It delivers three punk rock songs with a crisp guitar sound and female vocals. Overall Brainwaves music sounds pretty clean. Most striking about the band are the vocals and guitar playing. Franca’s girlish bratty delivery is awesome. Her lyrics are stripped down which means you’ll find yourself singing them along in no time. Somebody likened this band to early DC hardcore. I’m guessing this comparison comes from the way the guitar sounds? Although I wouldn’t have come up with it myself that reference actually makes sense. While the drums and bass keep the songs plodding along the guitar does some nice not wanky solos and fills. I find it hard to describe Brainwaves’ music without making the band come across as generic. They’re not. In the end all that really counts is that all three songs on this Ep are catchy and memorable. I grew to love them anyways. Too bad the Brainwaves are no more. I would have liked to hear where these kids would have gone after this record. I guess we’ll never know, but at least we have this record to remember yet another band that never got far, but did do something cool for the time they were around. That’s punk rock for you. Another one bites the dust. Keep ‘m coming!

Brown Sugar/ Mayday! - Split Ep (Feral Kid)
Brown Sugar and Mayday! have little in common except for the fact that they both call Buffalo, New York their home. It has been a while since we heard anything by Brown Sugar. The band’s sound remains unchanged, but it seems like they’ve incorporated more styles into their songs than before. There’s still a lot of hardcore in these four tunes, but there’s plenty of other stuff going on as well. Overall there’s more of a rockin’ vibe to these tunes and the band shifts pace a lot more than on their ‘Deportation’ Ep. I still hope there will be a Brown Sugar Lp someday. Let’s move on to the other side of the split. Mayday! plays surf inspired punk rock with female vocals. Their debut single got a lot of positive attention, but that record didn’t do much for me. I liked what the band was trying to do, but somehow it didn’t work and I remember being really annoyed by the vocals. Great was my surprise when I heard the two songs on their side of this split. They’re a lot better than the tracks on the single. Both are quite lengthy and crafty songs. Especially ‘In it to Win it’ is awesome. I love the use of ‘guitar overtones’ in that tune. I’d almost say the Mayday! side of this split is the better one, but there really isn’t any reason to make a pick. Both sides are great and I’m looking forward to new material by both these groups. (Getting restocks)

Bukkake Boys - Second Ep (Sorry State)

Here is Bukkake Boys' second titleless Ep. These guys are from Atlanta, "City of Pop", famous for Goner Records and its catchy punk bands. Bukkake Boys don't fit in with that crowd at all for they play hardcore punk. I picked these guys' debut up last year and although I remember liking it, I didn't listen to it a whole lot. It didn't really grab me. With that in mind I'm blown away by how good this follow-up is. Bukkake Boys aren't rewriting the books here, but they sure deliver a strong harcore release with this record. What strikes me is the relentless drumming and the pissed as hell vocals. This Ep delivers seven short, fast and angry hardcore tunes. This band is harsh as hell! There are/were so many bands going for this style and few pull it of as well as these boys. If I haven't convinced you yet, you'll just have to take my word for it. This record is a keeper. 'Female Dog' is my favorite song on here, but all tracks are solid. Time to dig up their first Ep again to give it another shot.

Burning Itch - Me, Myself & I 7" (Leather Bar)
Review up soon...

Canadian Rifle - Cinder Block 7" (Criminal IQ)

Second release by this Chicago punk rock trio and in my opinion their best so far. Altough the Visibility Zero Lp was a good record, it didn't have hits on it like this 7" has. Canadian Rifle play songs with a lot of melodic guitar riffs. The vocals are pretty rough for the style which is nice. "Cinder Block" is an incredibly catchy song. I love the bridge in the second song "Creep". I can go on and describe what makes the two songs on the flip great, but I might as well say that all four songs on this record are keepers. If you like melodic punkrock I'm sure you'll find yourself spinning this piece of vinyl over and over. The only thing that I'm not too stoked on is the artwork, but what can you do. There'll be a new Ep by these fellows on Residue and Taken by Surprise records soon so keep an eye out for that.

Cannomen - Science Studies the Black Hole Ep (Flat Black)

So Nashville isn't exactly on the map when it comes to punk rock as far as I know, but the Cannomen might just change that. The band released a demo about two years ago that got much praise, but everything went quiet after that. Somehow this Ep didn't get a whole lot of attention. It might be the label? Fat Black mostly releases 1980s styled hardcore if I'm not mistaken. The Cannomen don't really fall under that category. They play punk rock with maybe a slight hardcore influence. The vocals have a malicious cling to them. The singer sounds depressed and mean. I'm really into the lyrics. There's some cool bass lines as well as some nice simple guitar leads in these songs. Three of the tunes on this record were previously released on their demo and are all great. The new song on the A-side is cool as well. The whistling in that tune still cracks me up. These kids are mining the same ground as some of my favourite classic bands did and they do it well. I'm not gonna drop names since they're not going for a particular band's sound (thank god). Just listen to it and you'll know what I mean.

Cannomen - Sex on the Bleach 7" (Fat Sandwich)
Second Ep by this Nashville four-piece. The record kicks off with a somewhat surfy three minute jam called 'Tidal Waves'. The song is build around a driving bass line. The guitar stays pretty much in the background. The chorus has whoooooahooooaa's and hand claps. I wasn't a fan of that at first, but grew to like the song anyway. 'Tidal Waves' is definitely different from their earlier material, but I like it when bands try something else as long as it doesn't suck and this song sure does not. On the flip there are two punk rockers more in the vain of the Cannomen's previous 7". The songs are faster and shorter than the A-side. 'No Sex' is a good song. I think the vocalist totally fits this song ('Hey little miss perfect/ I'm mister worthless'). The bridge in the song is a cool addition and is hella catchy. 'I Drank the Bleach' is the shortest song on here and it's probably my favourite. I like the fast three chord hardcore riff and the angry back ups. Another cool record by this overlooked band. I think these cats have a lot of potential which I'm sure will flourish even more with a next release. The band has been meaning to release a Lp forever, but somehow it hasn't happened yet. Let's hope that record will come to be someday.

Chinese Burns - You are beautiful 7" (Leather Bar)

This one sided 7" is Chinese Burns' second release and it might come as a surprise to some. Last time I heard about them was in a MRR review that mentioned the band being done for. Apparently the inventers of punk were misinformed or maybe this is a post mortem release? I don't know. The Chinese Burns hail from the land down under and play catchy garage punk. This record delivers only one song called, you guessed it, 'You are beautiful'. The song opens with simple drums; kick, snare, kick, snare. In comes the bass which basically plays the same line throughout the entire song after which a three chord guitar riff is added. This is the basic structure of the tune, but variations are made throughout to keep you entertained. The lyrics are fairly simple so each and everyone of you idiots will be able to sing along. All the guy sings is: 'Come here/ you're beautiful/ I love you!' As a cheap Dutch man I felt a bit cheated by this record at first because it's only one song. However it's an excellent tune that lasts three or four minutes. It's kind of a garage jam that despite its simple foundation keeps you interested until the last note is played. The song is infectious as hell. Be honest with yourself. How many records do you own without even one good song on it? I have tons of those! 'You're beautiful' is a keeper and therefor worth your money. Hopefully these cats are still around, because I would love to hear more from them. Get this, sing along, act stupid and bop around your room like a retard.

Cola Freaks - Dodt Batteri 7" (Local Cross)

This is the fourth 7" by the Cola Freaks and in my opinion it's their best yet. These Danish songsmiths have had many KBD references in the past (I think Cola Freaks actually is a classic KBD song from Denmark), but I wouldn't call this a KBD band. Don't get me wrong. The songs are as catchy as your KBD favourites, but you can tell that these tracks aren't coincidental hits made by kids that picked up their instrument last week. Nope, the Cola Freaks know what they're doing and they do it well. There are two new songs on this 7". On the A-side we find "Dodt Batteri". The song is tightly played and it creates a tense atmosphere. The refrain, however, is very catchy and it will be stuck in your head after one spin. I like that there's more to this track than just a verse and a refrain. How often do we hear that? On the flip we find "Nej!" which is more of a punky song to shake your ass to. Both songs are top notch, but my pick would be the A-side. What can I say? I've never been a dancer and hate fun. Hjernespind Records will be releasing a Lp by this band in the near future so keep your eyes peeled for that. (Getting restocks)

Cola Freaks - Mig, Mig, Mig Ep (Rob's House)

Yet another output by everybody's favourite Danish songsmiths. Mig, Mig, Mig brings three new songs to the plate. After their first 7"s the Cola Freaks got labeled as a KBD band by many, but to me they always seemed to go for more than retarded punk rock sleaze. These pop soda junkies definitely take their influences from a broader spectrum than the KBD series. There's more pop and sometimes even post-punk to their sounds. Cola Freaks add a keyboard player to their line-up on this release. Although I've never been much of a fan of said instrument (unless it comes in its most badass form; the keytar), I don't mind it too much here. The guitar mostly remains the driving force throughout the record although the synths are pretty dominant on the opening track. All instruments come through nicely and I especially like the warm and full bass sound. 'Mig, Mig, Mig' is an okay tune. I like how the band plays so tight at the end of the song that I for a moment thought the record was skipping. 'Knirk" on the flip is a very short and rather silly tune. The singer sound schizophrenic in the verse and the synths add to the twisted vibe. It's a fun song that's over all too soon. Then there's 'Udsigt Til Ingenting' with its tense opening. The song structure is smarter than your average punk song, but it doesn't come across forced whatsoever. People say this is the best tune on the record and I think I'll have to agree. This release gets bonus points for the timeless looking artwork. The Cola Freaks just released their first full length on Denmark's Hjernespind records. So far it's only available on cd, but expect it on vinyl soon.

Condenada - Mother Tongue Ep (Thought Crime)

Third record by this all-women feminist hardcore band from Chicago and it's without a doubt their best so far. Condenada's songwriting is damn good. The music is inventive and dynamic. Overall this band has a mighty fresh sound. I really like some of the bass work on this record. Something that I don't really enjoy about this band however is the singing. The vocals are passionate and at times very tough. It gets a bit too much for me here and there, but perhaps I'm just a bit intimidated... Apparently the lyrics cover feminist topics, but unfortunately for me two out of the four songs delivered here are in Spanish so I do not know what they're about. The other two songs are about depression, subjection and gender issues. I'm inclined to say this is hardcore music for the femmes and I mean that in a good way. Definitely a hardcore release worth picking up. Great artwork too.

Criaturas - Aranas en el Corazon Ep (Lengua Armada)
This Austen band released an eight song demo last year that got a fair share of attention even before this piece of vinyl saw the light of day. People seemed to be way stoked on Criaturas, but somehow I wasn't paying attention and I slept on this band for unclear reasons until I happened to get their tape thrown in as a goodie with a record order from Austen. Turns out Criaturas are pretty fucking great. This Ep delivers four tunes of which three are new.'Mentiras' was already on the demo. The band delivers crushing hardcore punk with an intense lady singing in Spanish. She goes for the 'singing-over-the-top-of-her-lungs-approach' which I'll take over angry screaming or screeching any day. Criaturas share members with a band that has its roots in Discharge and I think you can hear that in the band's drum sound. The snare and tomb are LOUD which makes for an impending atmosphere. At times I wish the drums would be a bit less dominant so there would be more room for the awesome guitar leads, stowing bass and passionate vocals. That's just a minor complaint though, because over all this a very strong hardcore record.

Criminal Code - Ep (Self Released)
After releasing a strong four song demo not too long ago, Criminal Code return with their vinyl debut. Musically this three piece can be thrown in with the contemporary (post?) punk bands that are being likened to the Wipers despite not sounding much like the Wipers at all. There’s also a bit of an early 1980s British anarcho influence to their music which seems to be popular at the moment. In that sense this band isn’t much unlike their soon to be label mates Arctic Flowers. The music creates a dark and bleak atmosphere. The bass sounds full and plods the songs along. The guitar plays along to the bass lines and is somewhat in the background until a lead kicks in. Every song on this 7” brings a memorable guitar solo/lead to the plate. What sets this band apart from the crowd are the vocals. Taiga’s delivery is direct. He doesn’t sing. He yells. So there’s a bit of a contrast between the music and vocals here. The first are very melodic whereas the latter are anything but. To me the vocals make Criminal Code essentially a hardcore band. They make the band sound angry while without ‘m it would have merely sounded sinister. That would not necessarily have been a bad thing, but I like it better this way. Criminal Code will release a 12” Ep on Inimical records soon. The band has changed drummers and added a second guitar player since so I’m more than interested to hear what the new songs are like.

Los Culitos - Déjame en Paz Bastardo! Ep (Self Released)
As opposed to one's expectations Los Culitos (the small asses) don't come from sunny Spain. They hail from cold ass Finland. The A-side of this record immediately won me over. Los Culitos play bouncy punk with bashing tom heavy drumming (delivered by 'Johnny Stomp'... how fitting) and great female vocals sung in Spanish. What made Yvonne sing in Spanish (assuming she's Finnish herself) is unknown to me, but it's pretty cool. The band is a threepiece, but there's way more than just drums, guitar and vocals going on here. There's bass in all the songs, but looking at the sleeve there doesn't seem to be a bass player in the band. Los Culitos doesn't shy away from the use of cowbells, an harmonica and an even organ is added to the mix in the instrumental bridge of 'El Pene de Mono'. The first song on the flip came pretty unexpected. It's a sad and slow song that isn't at all like the two song on side A. On the one hand I think it's cool the band included it despite its difference from the rest of the songs. It's obvious Los Culitos don't care too much about conventions and that's a plus in the monotonous landscape of punk. On the other hand I wish the song would have been as much as fun as the previous two. They wrap this record up with another catchy and fun tune. The band would fit in perfectly with some of the Spanish punk bands playing today, but at the same time they bring to mind some late 1970s European punk bands as well. Not because Los Culitos ape the style. The band remind me of the classics, because their songs have that timeless feel to them. This record is quite amazing for a debut and I can't wait to hear more. I think this band could pull off a great Lp.

Cy Barkley - Ep (Baby Don't)
This here is the debut of Nashville's very own Cy Barkley. When I first heard these guys I liked them, but I wasn't exactly convinced these tunes were going to leave an impression. After some spins throughout the week I actually found myself humming some of their riffs at work though. I had to think hard what the hell I was humming, but it was one of these dudes' songs. This three piece plays very simple punk rock which of course has been done to death, but there are some really good songs on this Ep. 'Lost but Found' and 'Dirt' are my favourites. The first has a sweet guitar line and great vocal bridge whereas the last has a chorus you'll find yourself singing or humming after a listen or two. The last song 'I hurt myself' has a bit of a sentimental vibe to it that I can't stand. It gets too close to slick pop punk territory, but the rest of the tunes are good. . Who is the guy in the picture? Is it 'Cy Barkley'? Is there a Cy Barkley? Looking at the back of the sleeve the face is actually a gummi mask. No info whatsoever so I don't know what the deal with all of this is, but who cares?

Daddy No! - Ep (Chipped Teeth) (5,- euro)

My knowledge about this Scottish band is limited. I thought this was the band's first record, but I've seen other stuff floating around on the internet so maybe they did some stuff before. Whatever the case Daddy No! play hardcore punk and deliver five tunes on this here Ep. The songs are fast and tight. The guitar is pretty dominant in the sound and pulls off some nice short solos here and there. Both the drums and bass come through nicely and the recording is actually pretty clear for a hardcore band. On the microphone is a girl with a biting delivery. Her screaming is a bit monotonous, but it's got a certain sneer that makes it great. This woman sounds pissed. Shouted male backups are delivered in some of the songs. The two voices sound cool togheter. The stand out track on here is 'Get down' which starts off quite slow, but gets faster throughout the tune . The song shows that Daddy No! can do more than just play fast and loud. Not that there's anything wrong with fast and loud, but I think it's good to show some versatility on a record. All fast makes me lose attention, but that's probably just me. Apart from the sleeve the artwork on this thing is pretty damn great. Due to Youth Attack's legacy I can't really stand vague black and white artwork anymore. The insert is a drawing of a suicide with the lyrics as writing on the walls. Nice.

Daily Void - Civilization Dust 7" (Ken Rock)

For those of you who don't know Daily Void are basically the Functional Blackouts with a different drummer, but over time grew to be a band without need of that reference (and yet I make it...). It's hard to describe these guys' style without making their music come across as something less than it really is. Think scraping guitars riffs with a second guitar producing mere fuzz in the background, basic drumming and a venomous singer. After releasing a 12" on Sacred Bones earlier this year Daily Void are back with this single on Ken Rock. I still have mixed feelings about the 12". The first song is great, but the other five don't really do the trick somehow. Civilization Dust brings brings more poison and fright to the plate than the 12" and it's for the better. The A-side, "Civilization Dust (before death)", is a great tune with a simple bass and drum foundation over which the guitars deliver their insanity. The flip is an instrumental. It's called "Civilization Dust (after death)" so I guess the idea is that it's the sounds of a dead society or something? I don't mind the track, but it's hardly a song. More like an "atmospheric jam". The A-side is the winner. As always the band has put a lot of effort in the artwork and this single looks great.

Deaf Mutations - Crash the Clubs 7" (Static Shock)
Static Shock announced a release by Deaf Mutations years ago. At first it would be a single with new material, then it was just going to be a vinyl release of the demo, then it was back to new single and now the thing turns out to be the demo after all. That’s not a bad thing though, because Deaf Mutations’ demo was great and apparently none of the 130 copies of the tape ever made it outside of Canada. So yeah, this record came a long way and it’s not accidental that Ellis from Static Shock gets thanked on the sleeve of this 7” as ‘one patient fucker’. Deaf Mutations get plugged by listing members’ other projects, but I don’t play that game. This band doesn’t need it. It stands on its own and this record is an absolute shredder. These three songs were recorded during practice and they sure sound like it. The songs are raw and low on production, but everything comes through nicely. Nice full blown bass sound, good guitar riffs and bashing drums. What more do you need? Dave’s voice sounds hoarse and his anger sounds real. If you like early 1980s USHC you need this 7”. It’s as simple as that. A total no brainer. I know the 1980s hardcore revival got some of you burned, but these three songs are anything but mediocre. Pinky swear! I hope Deaf Mutations is still together and will do new songs sometime, but I’m afraid chances for that are slim. This is a cool record, but I have one complaint. The artwork looks like shit and there’s no insert. This record has been so long in the making and yet the packaging is totally disposable. A damn shame in my opinion, but I guess it’s the music that counts.

De-Cultures/ Thurneman - Split Ep (Too Circle) (5,- euro)

Brand new split from Sweden's Thurneman and Japan's De-Cultures. For those of you still unfamiliar with Thurneman I have only one thing to say: "do yourself a favour and pick the Tegelsten för Tegelsten Ep up already!" In my opinion that's their best release so far, but the songs on this split don't disappoint either. The band delivers four new tunes that in style aren't all that different from their previous two releases. There's still plenty of room for melody and the songwriting is way above average. Such a great band. No on to the other side of the 7". De-Cultures are a new band to me. They deliver three tunes on their side of the split. There are definitely elements in their music that make it undeniable these guys hail from the land of the rising sun. The production is raw, the drums are dominant and the guitar does a lot of that metallic soloing the Japanese seem to love so bad. That shit can be annoying at times, but I don't mind it here, because the bass balances the guitar out preventing the soloing coming across as a total wankfest which bands fall for all too easily. The second song breaks down in some jammy part. I really like the De-Cultures tunes, but the Thurneman songs are obviously my favourites here. I think these two bands work well on a split together. They don't sound alike, but do seem to have somethings in common (urgent delivery, some melody and midpaced to fast hardcore songs). All in all a nice split of which I expect myself to listen to both sides! How rare is that?

Fontana - Not A Leg To Stand On 7" (Milk 'N Herpes)

Fontana did their first release on Detroit’s X! Records when they were barely housebroken. Their introduction to the world of vinyl, the I Feel Like A Jerk Ep on the very same label, did not get them much attention despite some good reviews. Hopefully this 7” and their Lp on X! will change that. The A-side of the single starts out with vocal melodies that are obviously stolen from Black Flag’s “Six Pack”. Then it stumbles into some subtle guitar work with the singer whinging how nobody understands him after which the song takes a more manic turn before it reaches its end. Yes, this song is all over the place, but Fontana gets away with it. The B-side is more of a straight forward punk anthem although the band shifts from fast to slow in this track as well. There’s a cool guitar solo at the end of the song. Soloing bores my pants off 90% of the time, but this is good stuff. Fontana plays blown out punk rock with mean sounding off key vocals. This band has edge. If you like your punk rock raw (and you should), you’ll love Fontana.

GG King - Babbling Voices 7" (Local Cross)

The third single by Atlanta's GG King delivers two new songs. For those who don't know, GG King was born when the great Carbonas called it quits a few years ago. Their singer started GG King as a solo project. Greg writes all the songs and is backed by some of his former band mates for recording and performing. At first I wasn't too thrilled by GG King, because they weren't as good as the Carbonas. Not really a fair judgement, because GG King aren't trying to be. Greg seems to have shifted his attention from the Zero Boys to the music that made made hardcore happen in the first place; late 1970s punk and some old garage. The raw delivery of this band keeps them from being too poppy. Thank god for that. Babbling voices is a pretty slow song. It had to grow on me, but by now I can't get the lyrics out of my head. Greg's bored and uninterested delivery makes this song. On the flip we find Insomnia which is a straight up punk song. Definitely the closest to the Carbonas GG King has ever gotten. I like it. Both songs are pretty damn great. As soon as the needle hits the vinyl I hear Greg sing: "Oooooh noooo, not again...", but I just can't help myself. (Getting restocks)

Hank Wood and the Hammerheads - Ep (Toxic State)
When I ordered records from Toxic State about half a year ago the guys running the label already dropped Hank Wood and the Hammerheads’ name. They told me they’d soon do a release by the band and that it was going to be amazing. I tried to do some research, but Hank and his men turned out to be a bit of a mystery. The all knowing internet didn’t provide much information about the band either. Apart from some live videos of a show with Dawn of Humans and Crazy Spirit at the Cosmik Butwhole in New York, little was to be found about Hank Wood and the Hammerheads. The video showed a three piece without a bass player. Great was my surprise when I heard the first recordings by Hank Wood on the New York Rules compilation tape. What struck me was the addition of keys! Quite unexpected. Both compilation songs were great and my expectations of this 7”grew big. Now the record is finally done and it was worth the wait. Hank Wood and the Hammerheads deliver three songs on this 7”. I find it hard to describe the music this group produces. It’s fucking nasty, fucked up and damaged. Unlike the other bands on Toxic State Hank Wood and the Hammerheads do not play hardcore. Maybe the band could be best compared to some of the 1970s rock ‘n roll bands that got labeled as proto punk later on, but Hank’s songs are infinitely more twisted. The keys really add a great dimension to the music. They deliver memorable haunting melodies over the noise the rest of the band produces. The singer’s delivery is ridiculous. He sounds like a mad man, especially in the opening track, and his lyrics are deranged. Not that you can make ‘m out, but the band was kind enough to provide a lyric sheet. The two songs on the flip both cover the topic of food! ‘Fever Breaks’ is the standout track to me. The line ‘I know what you’re doing to me/ Watching me eat/ Feeding me’ sticks with me somehow. The last song on the Ep is basically a blues song, but it’s delivered in the fucked up style these dudes craft. Lovely. Great record!

Herds - Selfitled Ep (Fashionable Idiots)

After a demo and a two song 7” on Deer Healer records Milwaukee’s Herds return with this Ep on Fashionable Idiots. Herds deliver five dark and intense hardcore songs on this record. Pounding drums, a heavy bass sound, great riffage and brutal vocals give this band a distinguished sound which makes them stand out in a sea of mediocrity. At times Herds is like a bulldozer waltzing over you. Sometimes they shift to a lower pace but only to come back full speed and crush you. The artwork of this record is top-notch. This 7” proves Herds a band to be reckoned with.

Herds - Michigan Ep (Residue)
What's left to say about this hardcore band from Milwaukee that hasn't been said before? I ordered both their Ep and Lp from Fashionable Idiots and still think both are great records, but somehow they haven't been selling all that well. I don't see what the problem is. Herds is one of the most crushing hardcore bands playing today. They are heavy as fuck. I'm a total sucker for their bass lines. The band exclusively sang about nature on their previous releases. They still do on the 'Michigan' Ep, but I'd say there's a slight difference. Three songs on this record cover stories of human casualties from the brute forces of nature. The last song is about us people wrecking nature and as you might have guessed, all events occur in the state of Michigan. My favourite track on here is 'Iron Mountain' which is about a mining accident that killed several workers. There are agonizing guitar cries in the tune that evoke the wails of death from the depths of the mines. Great stuff. This band destroys evertyhing in their wake and won't restrain from trampling you.

Hjertestop - Aarh... Fuck Er Det Hjertestop Ep (Fashionable Idiots)

This 7" was Hjertestop's debut 7". The band came from the ashes of some lesser known first wave K-town hardcore bands in the early 2000s. Their music is reminiscent of early 1980s LA hardcore punk according to some. A comparison based on the guitar sound and the great riffage Hjertestop can come up with. As soon as the riff of "Vi Er Overalt" kicks in you just know you're hooked. The vocals sound mean at times and although most songs are sung in Danish, I can work some of the subjects discussed here out just fine ("Piss Mig I Munden" means piss in my mouth. I remember the band selling a beautiful shirt on tour where Angela Merkel got pissed in the face...PUNK!). When I saw these guys live a few years ago they played a whole set without much talk leaving the crowd without much time to catch its breath. When kids screamed for more after their set, the band just played some of the songs they had already played at twice the speed. I remember the guitar player having a sticker of an erect cock on his guitar... Need I say more? Hjertestop are punk as fuck and this Ep is far better than the Lp they released on No Way after this. If you like hardcore punk and haven't picked this record up yet (it's already some years old) this is your chance to make up for that mistake. The band will play Europe next month after which they'll head out for the US once more. There will be a new 7" out on Fashionable Idiots by that time. Make sure you don't miss out on any of that!

Hysterics - 5 Songs Ep (M'Lady)
Review up soon...

Los Inservibles - ¿Cual es tu pedo, ñero? 7" (Leather Bar)
Mexican punk seems to have made a huge comeback over the past few years (or was it never around before? I've been never any good with international classics...). Los Inservibles are one of my favorite bands coming from the country. The band plays three mean and messy blown out hardcore punk songs on this one-sided 7". Los Inservibles deliver pure chaos on this record. The vocals are reverbating all over the place and the Spanish lyrics are near impossible to make out. Your ears will be ringing from feedback after listening to this piece of wax. ‘Cual es tu Pedo, Nero?’ is Los Inservibles' third record after two demos that were both recently released on vinyl as well. To me this is their best stuff yet and it certainly makes expectations high for a next record. Part of Los Insevibles power is in their quick and vicious approach. After delivering these three stabs Los Inservibles put their rusty knife away and make a run for it. As soon as you notice you're bleeding from the gut they're long gone. I think the band might need another assault tactic for a full lenght, which they are supposedly working on, but I'm psyched to hear whatever they'll be doing on their next release. If you like your hardcore punk mean, nasty and dirty, this could be your new favourite band.

Insomnio - Walking on the String Ep (No Way)

Insomnio from Zaragoza, Spain are a bit of an ugly duckling in the No Way catalogue. Unlike most No Way bands they don’t trace their roots back to a random early 80s hardcore band. Unlike most of their label mates Insomnio doesn’t go for fast. Instead they play some mid paced melodic punk rock with a lot of guitar soloing. The songs on this Ep were taken from the same recording session as the No Escape Lp that preceded this 7” so if you liked that record you’re bound to enjoy this as well. Insomnio’s not reinventing the wheel with Walking On The String. They do however play some catchy simple punk rock you’ll catch yourself singing along to despite their awful English. What more could one ask for?

Krunchies - Interrobang Ep (Criminal IQ)
What we have here is the Krunchies first piece of vinyl. This Chicago three-piece delivers six short blasts of frantic punkrock. The Krunchies play fast and loud without any bullshit. All six songs are short with emphasis on the simple yet catchy and jangly guitar. The guitar player and the female bass player take turns on vocals and both singers (I wouldn't actually call it singing, but hey...) add to spasm of the music. The girl in particular seems to be screaming over top of her lungs pretty much all the time. The lyrics are pissed of and funny: "Douche your brain/ You ignorant fuck/ You fucking suck". Dumb in the good sense of the word. Listening to this band gives me the impression they´re having a shitload of fun doing what they do. They made this bitter old man bang his head and tap his foot! It´s weird. There´s really nothing all that special about this music and yet I can´t come up with one single band that's doing what these guys and girl are doing. Explain that! The Krunchies just hit the right chords somehow.

Krunchies - Ugly Inside 7" (Southkore)

Third 7" by this Chicago three-piece and in my opinion by far their best release so far. The speed at which the Krunchies play would make me call them a hardcore band, but apart from their pace this band is pure punk rock with emphasis on the jangly guitar riffs and screamed boy and girl vocals. The Krunchies' lyrics are fun and witty. Song titles like "You put the 'U' in Useless" and "Ugly Inside" should give you an impression of what these cats are about. There are four frantically fast punk rock songs on this record and there isn't one among them that makes you lose your attention. Then again, you'd have a damn short attention span to lose your attention during songs clocking in barely past one minute. The rad artwork delivers the finishing touch to this record. I'm sure many people will pass on this one for snobbish reasons, but that's their loss. This is a little punk rock gem in my opinion.

Lipkick - Selftitled Ep (Kink, Monkey Sounds,Sengaja, Spastic Fantastic)

This is Lipkick from Gemany’s first proper release. These four girls play some straight ahead here and there thrashy hardcore. The guitars are loud. Their two singers both sound angry. I love how their German accent comes through in the English. I can’t help but think it’s kinda cute which obviously isn’t intended. There are some German spoken samples in between songs that I can’t really comprehend. This is a nice debut, although nothing groundbreaking, but if you're looking for groundbreaking, you might as well drop out of punk and start listening to electro. What's really cool about Lipkick is that all these kids are just in their late teens! I'm guessing this is their first band ever. With that in mind I’m sure Lipkick can develop a sound of their own over time. I love the zombie artwork. The record is on pink for those who care.

Logic Problem - No Center Ep (Grave Mistake)
This North Carolinan band called it quits a year or two ago or maybe they just decided to take a break. Either way they're not playing anymore which is a shame. Logic Problem somehow seems to have fallen through the cracks despite good reviews and some big tours. To me Logic Problem always seemed 'that band that everyone kinda liked but no one really seemed to care about'. They started playing when the 1980s retro hardcore thing was at its peak and the band didn't really fit in. Logic Problem's sounds are bigger, heavier and darker. The band's rythm section was powerful. The drumming on this Ep is wild whithout skipping a beat. The drummer lays down cool accents to keep your attention. The bass is very dominant and drives the songs. To top it all was the singer's raspy vocal delivery. Around the time that this Ep saw the light of day they released an excellent Lp on a Belgian label that never got that great a distribution as far as I know. All of that's too bad, because Logic Problem were an excellent band and you could do far worse than spending some euros on this piece of vinyl.

Lögnhalsmottagningen - Fina Nyanser i Nya Finanser Ep (Local Cross)

After a seven song counting Ep with a fairly limited pressing, Lögnhalsmottagningen returns with a new Ep called "Fina Nyanser I Nya Finanser". Although the band name gives one the impression that these guys are from Scandinavia, that's only half true. Only the vocals are delivered by a Swede. All instruments are played by a yank who during the day runs a cowboy ranch somewhere in Arizona. When the cows go to sleep you won't find this guy playing sad acoustic ballads next to the camp fire though. Hell no, in his free time he bangs out some primitive punk rock that seems to take its influenes from early 1980s Swedish punk and hardcore bands. The recording on here is minimal which adds to the oldschool feel. I love the snare sound on this recording. It bashes the shit out of you. Each song bring something goofy to the plate which makes sure that the record doesn't fall flat anywhere. Lögnhalsmottagningen make me bop around the room and when these four songs are over I feel a bit cheated that there aren't more stompers on this record, but with stuff this great that's easy to forgive. If you like punk rock, you'll like this record. It's that simple. Word on the street is they're working on a Lp that will serve 43 songs. Yes, please!

Long Pigs - Ep (SMRT) (6,- euro)
Another record from the much praised New York hardcore scene that brought you all Dawn of Humans, Hank Wood and the Hammerheads and the possibly even more lauded Crazy Spirit. Supposedly Long Pigs even share members with some of these bands, but I don’t exactly know the ins and outs there. The guys in this band also do Toxic State Records. Wow, that was a lot of name dropping, right? If I had a real webshop half of you readers would already have clicked on the ‘Buy-Now-button’ by now. You know it’s true. Don’t you deny it! I haven’t even mentioned a thing about the music yet. Think about that for a second, punk rock consumer. I’ll end my criticism here and will just do what a review is supposed to do i.g. say something about what’s to be heard on this Ep. The Long Pigs play noisy hardcore. I remember liking their demo, but apart from that my mind is a blank. The bass is blown out and the guitar is squealing throughout the entire record. Yes, there’s a lot of feedback to be heard, but it’s not in that contrived way that a lot of modern hardcore bands seem to go for. The drums are pretty loud too, but it’s hard to hear what the drummer is exactly doing underneath the guitar wailing. All six songs on this Ep are very chaotic. They’d have been falling apart if it wasn’t for the bass keeping the riffs going over the drum beat. I like what these guys are going for, but I have one complaint about this style. The songs don’t really stick. I like spinning this record. It has a nice messy, angry vibe, but I hardly remember what I’ve heard after the needle leaves the vinyl. Maybe it just takes more listens before this stuff sinks in entirely. Time will tell. I know there are plenty of people who don’t care about songs. So if what you’re looking for is some pissed off hardcore with lots of noise, you can hardly go wrong with this Ep. The artwork - screen printed cardboard sleeve and insert - matches the music well and like the Toxic State releases this Ep looks beautiful. You gotta give these kids credit for putting so much effort in their artwork. By now it doesn’t even come as a surprise anymore, but don’t you dare take it for granted!

Love Triangle - Splendid Living 7" (Dire)

After three four song cassettes the Love Triangle have found their way to vinyl with this 7" as a result. On "Splendid Living" the London three-piece delivers three previously unreleased songs. I see a pattern here. The Love Triangle overall has an optimistic sound as in their songs are songs for good times. The title track is an upbeat punk rock song. The vocal melody is so damn catchy and I love the little solo at the end of the song. Only on the flipside do I realize that the Love Triangle's singer is familiar to me (SPOILER ALERT: the dude also sings for the Shitty Limits) which in all honesty kinda turned me of. It makes me automatically compare the Love Triangle to that other band whereas the first song didn't suffer from that flaw somehow. This is more of a flaw of your dedicated reviewer than of the band really. Similarities aside the two songs on the flip aren't bad at all. I like them both, but not as much as "Splendid Living". One has to love the beautifully color clashing artwork these kids decided to settle for. I missed the Love Triangle on their short tour a month or two ago unfortunately, but have a feeling they'll be back. Word on the street is that two more 7"s are already in the works and the band is considering three Lp's after that.

The Magoos - Selftitled Ep (Vertex) (5,- euro)

Review up soon...

Marvelous Darlings - Sleeping Like A Dead Man 7" (Bachelor)

There was not much to be heard about the Marvelous Darlings for a few years. Front-man Ben Cook stepped in as Fucked Up’s third guitar player back then, but apparently he has been spending quite some time on his own projects as well. Not only did he release three 7” of which Sleeping Like A Dead Man is one, in a short amount of time. There have also been three releases by his solo project, Young Governor, this year. Ben seems to be a busy bee. Also the guy can sing! If you haven’t heard the Darlings before let me tell you that this is some slick power pop. Boy, are these songs catchy. The a-track is a power pop gem that you’d expect from the Marvelous Darlings. The flip delivers a more lofi song that includes acoustic guitar and a harmonica. Sweet. This band is too slick for me to like and yet I love this shit. A guilty pleasure, I guess. Shame on me!.

Minus Apes - Selftitled Ep (Inge's Revenge, Thrashbastard)

This right here is Minus Apes' debute Ep. This band hails from Germany, but if you'd told me that they were from the US, I'd have believed you. Minus Apes, however, don't seem to kneel for the American shrine of hardcore, like many bands from my beloved country do. There's a difference between having influences and ripping shit of, ya know. This record is obviously rooted in American hardcore from the 1980s and I'm sure these kids have been listening to plenty of the classics of said era. Minus Apes seem to have a soft spot for the more melodic bands from way back when. All five songs on this Ep are good and memorable. The music is mixed really well. All the instruments come through beautifully especially the clean guitar sounds rad. Although their lyrics seem to be pretty negative at times, Minus Apes' music overall has a very positive and energetic cling to it. I read somehwere that these guys are still pretty young which makes sense. No youthcrew but definitely youthful. There's a lot of potential here. This record might not be essential, but it's definitely good. If I didn't convince you, the artwork should.

Moralens Väktare - Konsumera! Ep (Ken Rock) (5,- euro)
Review up soon...

Mülltüte - Ep (Self Released)
This record was quite a surprise. It came out of nowhere for me. Hardcore with German vocals from Berlin? Jawohl! I’m not an insider on this topic, but I’ve been told Germany isn’t exactly known for their amazing hardcore scene. These two Freunde apparently weren’t informed and released a solid hardcore record all out of the blue. Mülltüte delivers six tracks of raw and tough hardcore punk on this debut Ep. Although the band is a two piece, there’s definitely a bass in the mix here. I guess the guitar player did four string duties for this record as well. The drumming is pretty straight forward. The guitar player delivers his riffing over the simple drum beat. There’s feedback throughout all of these songs, but not in that modern hardcore way. This feedback sounds unintentional, you know. Funny how that seems a rare thing these days. It’s quite impressive how the guitar player keeps the music interesting. The riffs are strong and the short leads are really cool. The guitar sound is amazingly clean when you listen to it closely. What’s so amazing about that is that the music sounds filthy! I guess this feature should be attributed to the vocals which are harsh and plumb. I’m not a 100% sure, but I think both band members sing. One of them, the main vocalist, has a really gruff voice which works perfectly with the music. German doesn’t sound friendly, but the guy’s delivery sure isn’t helping either. The lyrics are all in German, but the band included an insert with short explanations to each song in English. Each tune seems to have its own message. The band adresses the punk scene ('Du bist kein Punk'), and environmental issues ('Plastik') among many things. This is the kind of record that keeps hardcore punk interesting to me. It exists in its own realm. Now someone tell me what the hell Mülltüte means!

Mundo Muerto - Rompe El Silencio 7" (Mata La Musica)
This is a repress of LA’s Mundo Muerto’s debut single that was released a few years ago on Que Punk? Records. It has been out of print for a while. The band has released a strong 12” Ep and even better full length since this 7” and with that came some more attention. Now that people know about Mundo Muerto they’re interested in hearing the first single, I assume, so Guss, the band’s singer decided to repress the thing on his own label Mata La Musica to make it available to all the sleepers after all. Reviewing this 7” is a bit of a call on my conscience, dear reader. I’ll be honest. When I first heard this single I wasn’t at all convinced. In fact when I tried to find my original copy to review this record I discovered I had filed the thing away in a purge not too long ago. I remember I was really pissed at the time that I had paid four bucks for only two songs, haha. Quite a thing to be angry about. Punks… I didn’t really appreciate a ‘song’ back then. After digging this single up and giving it some spins, I must admit that my judgement at the time was definitely harsh. This is a nice single with two cool anthemic hardcore punk songs sung in Spanish. The guitar riffs are simple, but catchy. Guss’ vocals are passionate. His voice is good, but all the ‘whoooaas’ on the A-side are a bit too much for me. Still that’s not that hard a thing to forgive. I could label this ‘raw ponk’ or ‘Latino punk’ for those of you who fall for fashionable terms like that, but to me this is just a hardcore punk band playing catchy hardcore songs. When I say catchy I don’t mean there’s no anger to these tunes, because there is. Still at the same time I think you can hear this band is having fun while playing. I can’t make out the words, but the B-side cut is called ‘Politicos Falsos’ so it looks like they’re political. The artwork looks like an old anarchist lino propagating the freedom of speech, which I like. If you want to hear this band at the top of their game get the ‘Entre El Kaos’ Lp, but if you’re already a fan or don't have the attention span to listen to a full length, adding this Ep to your record collection won't be a decision you regret.

Never Healed - Untitled I 7" (Painkiller)

I discovered the Bay Area’s Never Healed only recently. So far they’ve released a (mini-?) Lp on Parts Unknown and a split with the Violent Minds. Both those records were good and this 7” might even be better. Never Healed’s style remains unchanged. The music is pretty direct midpaced hardcore with an emphasis on the guitars. Both guitarists deliver some nice riffs on this 7". Somehow these two songs sound more defined than Never Healed's previous efforts. They slowly seem to be nailing their own style. What seems to keep people talking about this band is the singer’s voice. According to some this guy ruins the band and should have been fronting a death metal band. No surprises there. If you’re going to do something that isn't run of the mill you’re bound to get shit. In my opinion, however, Never Healed’s vocalist gives the band a distinguished sound. His vocals are mean and kinda disgusting. The two hardcore songs on this single will leave you wanting more. Hopefully there'll be a new Lp soon.

Obediencia - Ep (Solo Para Punks)
This right here is Obediencia’s first record and to cut the chase it’s pretty damn great. This young four piece hails from Madrid, Spain. They play punk rock and their songs have a classic feel. Forget about ‘raw punk’. Forget about that damned dbeat. Obediencia delivers one of the most exciting Spanish records this year without any of that. These punks serve us four songs on this 7”. The first three are pretty straightforward and short punk rock tunes. The guitar sound is really nice. The guitarist does some simple but memorable leads. Vocals are delivered by Joana. She’s got an awesome voice and her vocal melodies stick with you. If I could speak Spanish I would be singing along, but as for now I’ll just be humming. Although the first three tunes are all really good, it’s the last song that sticks with me the most. ‘Nada’ is somewhat slower than the rest and it lasts over three minutes. I really love the drum beat that’s played throughout the verse. It’s no jam, but the song does build. It’s moody and kind of haunting. A simple yet beautiful guitar solo rounds the song off. All in all this is a very promising debut by these Spaniards and I’ve been told that the new material blows this record out of the water. The band is currently on a short hiatus, because of the drummer’s absence, but he’ll be back later this year. Let’s hope there’ll be a new record by these kids before the world comes to an end next year.

Pathetic Human - Selftitled Ep (She'll Be Right)

This Ep is a bit of an ugly duckling in my catalogue. I traded this over a year ago for some Shitty Limits singles and I can't really remember why... Pathetic Human hail from the land downunder and claim to play chronic powerviolence. I personally loath powerviolence so it's a good thing this just sounds like really fast hardcore with lots of feedback and a blown out bass to me. Fastcore perhaps? Pathetic Human is best when they're not playing ultrafast, because they can show some style in those parts. Especially the drummer does some cool fills. The lyrics are hateful, direct and somewhat tongue in cheek("we're coming to your village to audially rape and pillage"). Topics like mental issues and the J.O.B. are covered. There are ten songs on this Ep of which one is an instrumental. I really like the song "Brainfreeze". Somehow that one sticks with me. If you're a fan of fast and angry hardcore this should be your bag. It isn't really mine, but I don't mind it either. I still wish I hadn't traded this for the Shitty Limits singles though. Oh well, another lesson learned, I guess.

Pedestrians - Killing Season Ep (Residue)

Killing Season is Chicago’s Pedestrians’ fourth and (to my knowledge) final release. This band played a style of punk that wasn’t covered much back then and in fact still isn’t. Jordan’s vocals give the Pedestrians a distinguished sound. I really like the way he sings. The four songs on this 7” are in the same vain as their previous outputs and they are all good. Although the Ideal Divide 12” remains my favourite Pedestrians release, this Ep is up the same alley. If you liked Pedestrian’s previous releases, you’re bound to enjoy this Ep as well. For those of you who’ve been sleeping on this band this release gives a final opportunity to get your hands on some of their vinyl. I’m pretty sure that their other stuff has been out of press for quite a while. The Pedestrians definitely had a fresh sound to them and they will be missed. I’m sure we’ll soon hear from new projects by their former members though.

Pink Nightmare - Ep (Compact Chaos)
This is the debut Ep from Boston's Pink Nightmare, an all female band that shares members with several Boston acts you might have heard before. If you wanna know who and what just google that shit. This Ep delivers four hardcore punk tunes with some bleak topics such as war, alienation and misogyny. I'm really into this record, but find it hard to put into words what makes it good. All the instruments come through well in the tunes and especially the vocals sound really cool. The singer sounds angry in a bratty way. The drumming is some super stripped down bashing at times which is awesome. The guitar playing is simple, but there are plenty of memorable hooks throughout the four songs. This record is excellent proof of the fact you don't need to be the next Hendrix to write some cool tunes. 'Misogynist' is the standout track to me. Pink Nightmare deliver a good debut here. Why? I guess the songs are just there. Too bad the artwork on both the sleeve and labels looks pixilated. I don't know if there's anything on the agenda for this band, but I'd love to hear more, because this Ep is promising.

Pizza OD - Ep (Self Released)
This is Pizza OD’s debut record. The three-piece hails from Lyon, France, a city that seems to have a pretty vivid punk scene lately. There are five punk rock song on this Ep. Most striking about Pizza OD are Alex’s vocals which are pretty upfront in the mix. I like his voice a lot. He sounds juvenile and obnoxious. All songs are sung in French which is a plus to me. I like it when bands sing in their own language. It just makes more sense. Unfortunately I can’t make out much of the lyrics apart from the ‘une, deux, trois, quatre’s. The lyric sheet could help, but I’m afraid my French sucks too bad for it. My only complaint would be that the guitar sound is too wimpy. Turn that thing up! My favourite songs on here are ‘Cigarettes’ and ‘Meme pas Mal’, which means something along the lines of 'not bad at all' if I’m not mistaken. The bridge in that song is catchy as fuck. The song ‘Au Fond du Ravin’ is the odd song out. It’s a bit slower and emotional, I guess. I wish I could get the lyrics here. I think the title means ‘on the edge of the canyon’. I saw this record described as pop punk in the pages of MRR and although I can get that I wouldn’t have labeled this band pop myself. If I had to apply a genre to this I’d go for inept punk rock. These kids are no musicians. The songs are simple, but fun. I’m sure they make the French pogo in their squats. The packaging on this record is really topnotch. The artwork looks great, there’s an insert with all the lyrics and the protection sleeves of the vinyl have spray painted stencils. The band released the record themselves to boot. Punk!

Plates - Taking Pictures of Poor People Ep (Feral Kid)
This is the second Ep by Plates from Buffalo, New York. I was a total sucker for their first Ep. Around the time that record saw the light of day, there was talk of a second Ep, but since the band’s singer had left the country for a year there was much uncertainty about its actual release. Everything went quiet for Plates during the singer’s absence. They had a pile of songs, enough for a Lp actually, but no one to release it. For a while it looked like the band was done for, but fortunately they've gotten back together now that the singer is back. This Ep is the first sign of life since the ‘Garth Butcher’ Ep. The three songs on this Ep aren’t too different from the Plates you heard on that record. They might actually be from the same recording session. Plates has an unique sound to my ears. Their songs are pretty slow with a heavy bass sound and repetitive riffs, but this is no sludge or noise or anything. It might be the vocals that make this band in essence a punk band. The singer’s delivery is a bit monotonous, but he sounds mean and pissed. There’s a lot of spite in the singer's voice. His lyrics are vague, but not in a pretentious or contrived way. There are great lines throughout these three songs. For example I love how their singer bitingly says ‘Little secrets… that I can’t keep/ and that’s fine with me!’ in the last song, which is probably my favorite song on this 7”. ‘Some choose to trust/ I choose to rust’, another line from that same song, is pure gold too. Plates sound beaten down and bitter about life, but instead of writing boring downer noise jams, they deliver songs filled with anger and a punk lining. I love this band and am looking forward to their planned 12” on Big Neck. Let’s hope that’ll appear sooner than this 7” did.

Primates - Control Salvaje Ep (Thought Crime)

The Primates hail from Spain which seems to be the new breeding ground of punk rock. Eat your heart out Denmark! According to the Thought Crime site this band would’ve been gods in the US if they’d have sported some Mohawks. I don’t know if that’s true, but this is definitely a good record. Control Salvaje is Primates’ second Ep and in my opinion it’s a lot better than their first which wasn’t bad at all. Primates’ drummer is fast and their guitar player has to keep up with that frantic pace yet is able to lay down some nice riffs. The music is very energetic and catchy. All the lyrics are of course sung in Spanish so I’m clueless as to what they’re singing about. Looking at the artwork of this Ep I’m guessing they do not like the big brother society we seem to be heading for. This is a solid release and it’s only their second output so far. It’s nice to hear a good new band from the continent. More please!

Pukeoid - Ep (Not Normal)
Pukeoid who hail from Chicago, released a demo tape about a year or two ago. That thing stank and I can’t say the artwork, which showed a lady shoving her head up another lady’s crotch, helped grabbing my interest. I tried to get into the tunes, but it was just too much of a mess for me. The recording was really poor. I think it was the singer of Fucked Up who once said that a lot of hardcore bands forget that hardcore is supposed to sound ugly, but with that said their own demo was definitely a piece of shit. Well, Pukeoid’s sure as hell didn’t forget that hardcore is supposed to sound ugly, but that didn’t make them any good either. But enough about the demo already! This Ep is definitely a step up from the tape. Pukeoid plays fast, sloppy and chaotic hardcore that will probably make many people pull out the Void-card, but I’ll just stick to saying that this is nasty and messy hardcore. The mid paced intro serves the listener some sweet guitar squeals and after that the band is set to go. Pretty much every song is a scorcher and all these tracks are fast. The drumming on this record is relentless. The drummer’s non-stop bashing creates a constant wall of noise underneath the pummeling bass and wild guitar playing. The bass comes through well and carries the riffs mostly, but the guitar adds some extra wildness to the music by wailing, squealing and lashing out at the listener. I guess it’s fair to say that the style this band goes for is fashionable, but Pukeoid pulls it off well. I can’t help but be reminded of the Repos, who these guys have certainly witnessed live whether in the Ropes incarnation or not. The vocals obviously aren’t as over the top as Aaron’s, but Pukeoid has that same kind of take-no-prisoners-approach. Some of the lyrics on this record rule. Especially the bleakness of ‘Today, Tomorrow’ and the black humor of ‘Front Page’ are noteworthy. The packaging of this Ep is great. The artwork looks cool and the record is on pink vinyl, which is so unfitting that it kinda makes sense.

Ralph - Ep (Scavenger of Death)

Debut Ep by this new and young hardcore punk band from Atlanta. The band taps into the whole early 1980s hardcore vibe, but they have a sound that doesn't remind me too much of any other band playing at the moment. The seven songs on this Ep are all fast and short and lean more towards the catchy than to the angry. What I really like about this record is the loud and sloppy bass playing. It makes me feel excited that I sometimes hold the mighty four string myself even though I can't play like this dude. Silly... Almost every song on this 7" brings a simple guitar solo to the plate, which gives the songs more versatility than your average hardcore tune. The songwriting over all is pretty damn good. The singer sounds as if he's giving his all for the vocal delivery. He's performing on the ridges of his ability which gives his vocals an urgent cling. Definitely one of the better hardcore punk records of 2011. This is the first record on Scavenger of Death Records and with it the label is definitely of to a good start. Gotta love the slogan 'cheap not mysterious!' The packaging is minimal and looks cool. The cut and paste artwork appears to be a reference to their name which supposedly is slang for 'vomit'.

Sauna Youth - Lists Ep (Self Released) (5,- euro)
Second Ep by these four Brighton boys. It seems like this record has been in the making for quite a while. The band delivers three songs this time around of which one was also on their demo. Sauna Youth's home is somewhere in the no man's land that exists between garage and hardcore, but who cares about labeling anyway? The drumming is rather simple, the bass bouncy and full and the guitar a bit thin and shrill. The singer's voice always has a certain tormented rawness to it which I like. These three tunes are all catchy and memorable. Sauna Youth achieves to sound both tight and playful at the same time. One thing I like a lot about this band is their lyrics. They feel personal somehow. It seems fashionable these days to 'just care about the music, maaahaaan', but to me lyrics can still make or break a record. The artwork is in the same vain as their previous release. I like it. Looking at the colors the picture might come at you when wearing 3D glasses, but I'm too lazy to grab mine from my 'Jesus loves the Stooges' copy to put that to the test. Apart from the two 7"s the band released a couple of cassettes that are worth seeking out as well.

The Sceptres - Childsplay 7" (Dire) (5,- euro)
The Sceptres return with a fourth 7” which also turns out to be their last. I remember there were rumors of a full length being in the works, but apparently that plan will never materialize. This record totally caught me off guard. It doesn’t sound like the Sceptres we’ve heard on previous releases at all. If someone would have said this was another band altogether, I’d have believed him/her. What’s so different about these two songs then? Unlike the Sceptres’ former output there’s nothing playful nor fun about these tunes. The teenage snot has vanished and the band sounds more mature. The overall vibe of the music is depressing and the artwork is fitting in that sense. It’s not just the song writing that has changed however. Bryony’s vocals sound way different than before as well. Her sneer seems to have evaporated. Her vocals sound serious. There’s a certain drama to her delivery that I find hard to stand at times. I guess the Sceptres moved beyond punk and decided to go for more of a post-punk approach. I noticed that both the last Limits 12” and this 7” got likened to the Fall so I guess mr. Smith is back in vogue among the Anglo-Saxon punk rockers. I don’t know the Fall well enough to know if they make for a good reference here, but I get where it’s coming from. The opening track is the better of the two songs here. ‘Childsplay’ is built around a two chord guitar riff that returns throughout the song and will haunt you for days. The track is pushed along by a simple plodding bass line. In the middle of the song the two chord theme disappears and things get a bit shambolic, but the band finds back its groove just before the needle leaves the vinyl. On the flip we find ‘Job Center II’ which is carried almost entirely by the bass. The song doesn’t grab me as much as the A-side. I’m pretty sure this record will bum quite a few Sceptres fans out, but that doesn’t make ‘Childsplay’ less of a solid song. I find it very interesting that the band decided to release these two songs as their swan song. It’s definitely a strange farewell. I feel inclined to say I liked the old Sceptres better, but can only respect that these kids shook off the burden of their past to create something new for themselves.

Las Senoras - Selftitled Ep (Sola Para Punks)

Four song debut Ep by this new five piece from Spain. When I hear this band I think of the following scene. Five friends are hanging out in their shitty town on a Sunday afternoon. They're bored senseless. Then one of 'm says all out of the blue: "Hey, why don't we start a band?" A hunt for instruments follows and our five heroines reassemble in some garage an hour later where they write these four songs. I guess I should say that the band plays synth punk since the music is punk and there is a synthesizer among the instruments (I'm sure they found one in some attic dating back from their teenage years), but I don't think that label is apt. I don't know much about synth punk to begin with. Maximum Rock 'n Roll described this band as the Circle Jerks trying to cover a Lost Sounds' song which is a pretty cool description. Yes, there's a synth here, but it's not dominant in the sound. Las Senoras play simple punk rock with a synthesizer which makes for silly, bouncy and catchy songs you can spin all day. This is a fun record (yes, I said it!). For those of you who were into that Matado por la Muerte compilation a few years back, Las Senoras would have fitted right in on that record. So if you liked that Lp make sure you give this record a hear.

Sick Mormons - Why does shit keep falling from the Sky? Ep (Gummo Punx)

In case you didn't notice yet, I'm not all that much a fan of the Dutch punk scene. Everybody knows that the best bands are from someplace else, right? Well, Sick Mormons were from my beloved country and they weren't all that bad! Still my feelings about this band are mixed. They were going for that late 1970s LA sound ala TSOL which you can hear best in their guitar and warm bass sound. However the Sick Mormons always had less of an artistic vibe to me yet they do go for some epic synthy part on the second song of this record. The guitar sounds cool and the bass pulls off some nice lines in these four songs. Some of these tunes will stick with you partly because of the simple lyrics. Vork's vocals are perfect snot in dumbed down English at times, but at other times I find them lame and downright annoying. The fact that the band repeats verses in every song on this makes this complaint more agonizing than necessary. I think the songs would have been better had they been shorter. I could also do without the wimpy backups. My biggest critique, however, would be that their liveshows were always a snoozefest, but guess what? You can't hear that on vinyl! So if you're into surfy melodic punk this could well be your bag. The artwork is funny, but giving your songs Japanese titles isn't.

Silla Eléctrica - No Controlo Ep (Solo Para Punks)

If you haven’t heard about Silla Eléctrica by now you must have been living under a rock. Somehow this band seems to get more attention in the States than on my beloved continent, but that goes for practically every decent Euro band. The boys and girls at MRR headquarters have been in love with this Spanish three piece since day one. Haters say there’s nothing special about this band and that there’s no reason Silla Eléctrica is getting the amount of attention they got over the past years. If I had to pick sides I’d be in the MRR camp, because I enjoy this band’s music. Silla Eléctrica plays simple yet catchy three chord punk with a garage production. Not garage as in the style of music, but garage as in these tunes might actually be recorded in someone’s garage. They don’t sound like shit, but they sound minimal which is fitting. This is the band’s fourth Ep and it delivers four new songs of which one is also on their full length that was released around the same time as this record. It’s kind of like an appetizer being served at the same time as the main course, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it’s hardly a problem either. It’s just a bit weird. If you’ve heard Silla Eléctrica before, you know what to expect and this record will not be a surprise in any way. However, like on their previous releases, this band can craft a tune and these four songs are all good. There’s nothing new to be heard on this Ep and if you didn’t like Silla Eléctrica before, ‘No Controlo’ will not make you a convert. On the other hand, if you loved this band’s previous 7”s, you will like this one too and you probably won’t give a shit that the band sounds practically the same as before. I hate it when people say shit like ‘don’t change a working formula’, but in Silla Eléctrica’s case it’s more than apt. I liked this band before. I still like them. I like this record. Give it a hear. I love the artwork and the insert. The whole package looks great.

Slugz - Suit and Tie Ep (Feel It)
Debut Ep by this young band from Virginia, an area that got known for producing some solid 1980s throwback hardcore over the past years. Slugz don’t really fit that mould, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if you can find these boys going through record bins at Vinyl Conflict in Richmond on a regular basis and perhaps some of Brandon’s bands convinced ‘m that they too could pick up instruments to start a band of their own. Slugz’s music can best be described as filthy rock ‘n roll with a major hardcore punk influence. It’s basically hardcore kids playing rock ‘n roll. The three songs on this Ep are played with conviction. There’s no holding back and you can tell they put thought in their tunes. Furthermore these dudes can all play their instruments well which makes for songs that are more interesting than your average hardcore tune. The opening track sounds pissed as hell and is kind of their anthem. Sure the lyrics are nothing you haven’t heard before, but that doesn’t make them any less true or relevant. Is anything in punk still considered relevant today apart from obtaining the right records? Furthermore I feel like these kids are sincere which seems to be a rare thing. The drumming is heavy as hell and pretty dominant. The guitar does cool memorable leads and some not annoying solos. Even the bass is lent some moment to show his chops which, being a bass player, always makes me feel warm inside. The most striking about Slugz however is the singer who has a raspy and filthy vocal delivery. The guy is not sparing his throat one bit on this record. If you like your hardcore with some swagger this might well be your favourite new band. I’m not in the know about any future plans for the Slugz, but I’m guessing it won’t take long before we hear from them again.

Solid Attitude - Prison Water Ep (Rotted Tooth)
Unlike the other Rotted Tooth releases I’ve heard this Ep doesn’t have have one foot in noise-rock. However there is still something really disturbing about the six songs that can be found on the debut Ep by this band from Iowa. The opening track is a great example of this. It’s a calm song, but you can tell there’s something brooding underneath. This applies for most songs on the record. There’s this constant vibe that make you feel like something really nasty might happen at any moment. It’s hard to label Solid Attitude. There’s definitely some garage in their sound, but this isn’t a garage band. Let’s just call it punk. One can’t go wrong with that. Apparently Solid Attitude is a four piece, but I wonder who does what. The sleeve doesn’t tell us and there’s no insert. I find it hard to make out what’s going on apart from the drums and vocals. I’m guessing there’s both a bass and guitar in the band, but the two make for an odd combination. At times I feel like there’s only a guitar and other times I think that guitar is actually a bass with effects. Oh well, whatever instrumentation this band uses, it sounds great. There’s nothing too noticeable about the drums except for the relatively loud cymbal hits. Most striking about Solid Attitude is the vocalist. He sounds young, even bratty at times. In theory his voice doesn’t really match this music, but in practice it makes for a perfect combination. Like I said there’s no lyric sheet which is a shame, because I would have loved to read what this kid is squealing about. His words aren’t that hard to make out, but a lyric sheet always comes in handy. My favourite song on this record is ‘Constant Garbage/ Totally Droll’ in which the singer goes from somewhat manic hauls in the verse to mean ass growls in the chorus. All in all Solid Attitude delivers a threatening and damaging debut record that makes one crave for more. This band could without a doubt pull off a good full-length. I really love the artwork by the way. A pink skeleton with horns and wings? Badass!

Street Legal/ Frozen Teens - Split Ep (Shut Up!)
I picked up this Split Ep for the Street Legal side so let’s start off with that one. Kansas’ Street Legal did a mighty fine demo last year. It took a while before any vinyl saw the light of day, but here it finally is. Street Legal plays punk rock with a bit of hardcore blend in. Lauren’s vocals are great. She has a strong voice and she means what she sings. I like her lyrics. They cover how life sucks and yet always have a positive message to them. I don’t mean that in some bullshit youth crew kinda way, OKAY! Most striking about the band to me is the lightning fast bass playing. The guitar plays surfy lines over the bass attack. This combination gives the band a distinguished sound. It’s a bit of a shame that the two songs on this 7” were both on the demo as well, but the recording is a lot better this time around. Especially the bass sounds clearer and less fuzzy than before. Hopefully Street Legal will do another Ep soon, because I know they’ve got some great songs on the shelves. On the flip we find Frozen Teens who hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their songs are on the poppier side of things. Pop punk? I don’t know… I think there’s a huge scene for this kind of music in the States; the Fest, Pabst beer, beards, all that. Although I’m no connoisseur when it comes to this kinda music, the two Frozen Teen songs sound alright to me. The music is somewhat sugary with a warm bass sound under jangly melodic guitar lines. ‘New Year’ is a cool song with bleak lyrics. The words make the tune for me. Their other song leaves me cold. ‘Support’ is just another love song I could do without. It’s too sappy. This is a cool split Ep by two bands that are friends with each other, released by one of their friends. The packaging is nice. I’ll take a release like this over some of the semi-professional ‘must-haves’ of this day and age any day.

Sucked Dry - Falling Apart at the Seams Ep (Less Slow, More Go)

Sucked Dry from Missouri deliver their first vinyl output with this here 7". As soon as the needle hits the vinyl we get to hear a pretty rocking mid-pace intro, but don't be fooled. It's just a matter of seconds before the drummer hits his hi-hat four times and the band is of to go. Sucked Dry deliver some heavy, raw and fast hardcore on this Ep. These guys sure didn't try to make themselves sound better through some studiowork. What's striking about this record is the loud one-two-three-four snare hits. It's like getting your face kicked in. Sucked Dry's guitar sound is low and harsh. The same can be said about the vocals which somehow bring to mind the first Direct Control Ep although that's probably more in the direct delivery than in the guy's voice which is way more guttural. Unfortunately there are no lyrics included, but the song titles gives a pretty bleak impression; "Give Up", "Ready to Die" and "Living in my own Filth". The artwork doesn't look too optimistic either. Sucked Dry shreds through seven song on this platter and the only time they'll leave you to catch some breath is when it's time to flip this thing over. I'm sure plenty of people will dismiss Sucked Dry as being "just another retro band", but let's just leave them to their new challenging mysterious hardcore. I'm sure these guys could care less for they're just playing the music they love for the sake of it. So if you're looking for a band that plays some harsh hardcore without any bullshit or pretention, make sure you pick this one up.

Sunshine SS - Throw My Brain Against The Wall Ep (Death Agonies and Screams)

This debut Ep by this North Carolinan hardcore band has been out for over a year now and I was surprised I could still snatch up some copies from the label recently. Sunshine SS are a five piece and they play mid-paced hardcore punk. The band utilizes a double guitar attack which works well. There’s no trite soloing, just dual riffing which makes for more interesting songs than your average hardcore group, I guess. Sunshine SS’ vocalist doesn’t really sing. His delivery is more like talking which makes the lyrics easy to discern. He doesn’t sound angry, but he isn’t happy about things either. The guy shares his thoughts with the listener on five solid hardcore tunes. There’s no positive message to be found in any of these songs and that’s probably why I like this record so much. I always felt like hardcore was meant for the misfits and the crazies and their thoughts just don’t cover happy things for the most part. It’s also refreshing to see that artwork can still shock. I definitely didn’t see that coming. Thumbs up for that. There seems to be a lot of work in this release. The record comes with a foldout poster and two stickers and the vinyl is on color. It’s a great package altogether (and I ain’t talking about the dudes tool…). The band just released their second Ep ‘Teen Choices’ on Sacred Plague Records. I will try to stock that one later, because this Ep is one of the better hardcore 7”s I’ve heard lately and the band doesn’t seem to get much attention at all. Shame.

Thieves - Positive Vibrations Ep (Suburbanite, To Live A Lie)

North Carolina served us some good bands over the past years. Double Negative and Logic Problem come to mind, but apparently there's a fair share of new young hardcore bands coming from this area as of late. Thieves is one of those and "Positive Vibrations" is their first vinyl output so far. These guys deliver no less than eight songs on this Ep and you better believe me when I say there aren't too many positive vibes to be heard on this platter. The tunes are more complex than your average hardcore track without the band trying too hard. Thieves change pace a lot which makes for interesting songs. Throughout the record every band member shows his skill at some point. The guitar does some nice leads, but it's the rythm section that's stealing the show here. Fierce drumming and great clearly audible bass riffing, which is always a plus in my book, make this record standout. Thieves' singer sounds a little more monotonous on this Ep than I remember him sounding on the demo. His vocals are pretty hoarse and intense which adds to rawness of the music, but some more dynamic to his vocal delivery would benefit the band's sound, I think. The lyrics are hateful and cover both their local scene and everyday life. This is a good hardcore release from a relatively unknown scene we'll hopefully hear more from soon. In the meantime I'll give this Ep another spin.

Thurneman - Tegelsten För Tegelsten Ep (Sorry State)

When I heard Thurneman's first record I wasn't all that amazed and forgot about the band all together. It turns out I've been missing out, because, man, did they improve. These Swedes deliver no less than eight perfect hardcore punk songs on this Ep. Thurneman gets compared to Hüsker Dü (one of my all time favourites) a lot and that comparison actually makes sense in this case. Like the Hüskers these guys sure know how to write a good song! But let's not get into comparisons here, because that wouldn't do Thurneman any justice. What can I say other than that I love this band? I'm a total sucker for this stuff and I can't think of a single band that has come close to nailing this style as well as these boys. Thurneman's songs are inventive, the bass sounds awesome, the vocal melodies get stuck in your head. You'll be flipping this thing over and over and over. I know what you're thinking: "It can't be that good." But you're wrong. I can't recommend this Ep enough. Their second release is definitely worth picking up as well. I've heard talk of a new Ep on Puke 'n Vomit. Last thing I heard was that these kids were working on a 12" and were looking for shows in Europe. So what are you waiting for? Book them already!

Total Abuse - Sex Pig Ep (Deranged)

Austen’s Total Abuse came from the ashes of the Snobs years ago. The band has been getting a lot of attention since then. The Sex Pig Ep was their first proper release. Their demo was released on vinyl as well, but that never did the trick for me. Total Abuse delivers seven hardcore song on this Ep. Part of the band’s strength is their lyrics which I would describe as desperate, hateful and nihilistic. Song titles like "I deserve to be dead" and "It's alright, I'm all wrong" should give you a good impression of what these guys are about. On Sex Pig the band still had a straight forward hardcore approach. The songs are fast, short and chaotic. They changed their style a bit on their Selftitled Lp by blending in some noise and making the songs a bit longer. In short the Ep is like an adrenalin rush shot straight in the heart whereas the Lp is more of a downer record. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you're looking for a shot of relentless pissed off hardcore straight up your vains Sex Pig will do the trick and the Lp won't. You decide what you need or just get them both.

Urban Blight - Total War Ep (Static Shock) (5,- euro)
Let's start out with the obvious. Urban Blight plays simple and agressive Boston styled hardcore. This Canadian hardcore band has been around for some years now and recently did a European tour. This five song Ep was released around the same time. I don't really know all that much about Urban Blight's early years. I think the song(s?) they did on the second 'Generation' cassette released by Fucked Up got people talking. The Ep on Deranged was loved by some, but a letdown to others. I enter the story here. The first thing I heard by Urban Blight was their 'More Reality' 12" on Slasher which is one hell of a hardcore record. The recording is dirty and raw as fuck which makes the band sound primitive and angry as hell. This Ep takes things a step further or perhaps I should say back, because these recordings are even more minimal than those of the 12". There's a lot of hiss. The guitars sounds fuzzy and there's quite some feedback throughout the songs. The drums and bass are blown out and loud. All of this gives 'Total War' a damaged feel. The vocals are somewhat buried in the music, but still sound pissed. The title track is a keeper. Although I like this Ep I think the sound they went for on their 12'' was more fitting. The record comes in a huge foldout poster.

White Load - Talk 7" (Leather Bar)

This one-sided 7" is the debut of this hardcore band from the Boston area. After some feedback and the singer screaming: "Oh, fuck!" the band is of to go. The three songs on this piece of vinyl all have a vicious vibe to them and the recording is raw as fuck. The snare is so loud and the drummer sure isn't afraid of bashing the thing. The drumming overall is very basic. The guitar player delivers some wild shrill riffs over the caveman beats. At times it sounds as if there are two guitars but looking at the picture on the sleeve the band is a three-piece. Add an angry ass singer to the mix and you've got White Load. I'm really into the singer's screeching vocals. They are dripping with frustration and hate. His vocals are indecipherable throughout all the songs. "No Exit" and "Talk" are literally the only three words I could make out and those are songtitles. I imagine these guys annoying the shit out of their crowds in shitty basements all over the US without having much fun at all. Is there anything more you can ask of a band? That and four staples keeping the sleeve together? I didn't think so...

White Load - My Wall 7" (Ken Rock)

Apparently Ken Rock was a sucker for White Load's first output, just like yours truly, because he decided to release this Boston three-piece's second Ep called My Wall. White Load yet again delivers three tracks of hateful hardcore with raw guitar sounds, bashing drums, and a singer that's screaming so loud that I'd believe it if someone told me his life was depending on it. The title track is easily the winner here. My Wall might be a better song than the three tracks on their previous 7". The flip takes a different angle. According to the sleeve there are two songs on the B-side, but if it said that it was just one, I would have believed it as well. These tracks are somewhat slower and tamer than their other songs. They lack the intensity that makes this band great. This record is mixed bag. All in all My Wall is not as good as the Talk 7", but it's still worth picking up. I'll just pretend that this record is a one-sided single like their other release. Saves me the hassle to flip the thing over. What a tiring business that is. People should invent something to save me that effort.

White Load - Pig Eyes 7'' (Ken Rock) (5,- euro)
Yet another 7” from this Providence three piece. This is their fourth single and like their first it’s one sided. I wonder what made this band fall in love with the format. There are two new songs here so they might as well have made it a two sided single. Their decision to release the record as a one sided 7” instead, reeks of a certain nihilism that’s fitting when you hear the band’s music. It also saves your lazy ass the effort to flip the thing over. The theme on this record seems to be pigs. Why? I don’t know. Are we talking cops here? The sleeve shows us a pig with an ear- and nosering being roasted. A pierced pig… A punk pig? I’d like to think there’s a hidden message in the image, but chances are there isn’t. These guys wouldn’t admit there is either way. The opening track ‘Pig Eyes’ is White Load as we’ve come to know them. I guess one could label this band as hardcore, but there isn’t any Black Flag or Die Kreuzen worship going on here. I know the band has taken cues from certain old bands, but I think instead of going for a certain sound they created their own which would be best described as loud, pounding and vicious. It’s nothing new, but they do it with a lot more vigor than most. This shit is primitive and stupid in the best way. The guitar and drums sound louder than ever on this 7”. I don’t know if they did something else recording-wise, but the band sounds more powerful than before. Bigger perhaps. It’s lovely that two guys can create this much noise. The vocals are one of the things that make this band awesome to me. The singer sounds totally insane and so angry. The lyrics are near impossible to make out although the lyrics to the second song seem to be: “Little Black Pig! You make me sick!” Poetic! The last song was originally released by Black Traitor, which was basically a White Load alias. The track is different than most White Load stuff. It’s them playing one riff into the ground Brainbombs style. Although it’s the same formula (can you really call it that?) it doesn’t sound anything like those rape and murder loving Swedes. I love this band. This shit is probably more punk than ¾ of your record collection. They just did a full-length on Load. I’m actually going to leave the house to buy that in a record store. Man, that hasn’t happened in ages!

White Lung - Magazines Ep (Deranged)

If my raving review of White Lung's first Ep didn't convince you that we're dealing with a great band here, perhaps the fact that Deranged Records released their second Ep might. White Lung once more delivers three tracks on this Ep. The band has definitely grown since the Local Garbage 7". The songs ons this Ep are more defined. There's more emphasis on Natasha's rad guitar playing than before. Rightfully so. Mish's vocals are even more biting than before. Another great record by these Vancouver femmes. Natasha left the band after this release so I'm really curious about their upcoming 7" on Deranged. Hopefully they'll find a good replacement for her.

The Young - 4 Songs Ep (Criminal IQ)

The 4 Songs Ep is The Young’s second output. The songs on this 7” are even better than those on the Selftitled Ep. “Attitude Adjustment” and “Don’t Care” are great songs. The solo in Don’t Care is so simple yet so incredibly catchy. This band is timeless. If you like punk rock, you’re bound to like the Young. I know that’s a pretty fierce statement, but believe me when I say that the Young live up to it. There was talk about both a 7” and 12” on Deranged, but things have gone awfully quiet around this band as of late. Hopefully that will soon change. I want to hear more of this band!

Yperite - Ep (Close Up) (5,50 euro)
I had never heard of Ypérite until picking up copies of the Peripherique Est Ep from Close Up Records. The garcon running said label turned me onto them. Apparently this Ep is Ypérite’s first vinyl release. After some research I discovered that the band does already have two cd releases under its belt, but since you’re probably as much of an elitist prick as yours truly, i.e. you only care about vinyl, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who hadn’t heard of these guys before. Ypérite delivers four polished punk rock songs with French vocals on this 7”. I imagine these guys being in their thirties. They’ve probably been in a handful of bands before which means they can all play their instruments. Especially the guitar player has some cool tricks up his sleeve. Furthermore Ypérite’s singer has a good voice and if my French wasn’t très mauvais, I’m sure I could have made out the lyrics sans problème. All the songs on this Ep are catchy. The band employs some ska elements in the opening track without it being irritating, which is quite a feat. The standout track to me is ‘Les Temps Sont Dur’. It’s urgent and the guitar playing is very subtle apart from the solo in the middle. I don’t have much of a clue what these songs are about, although I’m pretty sure the last track is about a certain bunny rabbit. Said song is mostly instrumental and I have mixed feelings about it. On some days I find it hilarious while on others I find it annoying. It definitely has a caffeinated vibe to it, which is cool. Overall this is a nice punk rock record with good songs. Can’t really go wrong with that, can you?

Zine Reviews

2009-10-24T19:46:00.023+02:00

No Thanks Fuck Everything #3 (The Brat, Sacred Shock/Deskonocidos, Daniel Disort, Gogol)

Third issue of this zine from Chicago. I'll have to find myself a copy of the first two issues, because this is an interesting zine. You can tell that Mike has made an effort to put this thing together which unfortunately is pretty rare. There's a lengthy interview with LA's the Brat in this issue. I had never heard of them before. Apparently they were one of the early LA punk bands and the singer and guitar player still play shows today. (Still as in "have been since they started out" as opposed to "started playing again when there were bucks to be made".) Furthermore Sacred Shock and Deskonocidos are interviewed together. Of course some personal writing and ranting is included as well. The best piece in this zine was Mike's interview with Daniel from Distort fanzine in my opinion. They exchanged some interesting thoughts. Even though I do not agree with everything that's said it is great to read that there are people out there to whom the music is more than just a product. Things that some of you might not like about this zine would be an essay on hiphop legend Jeru the Damaja and Chicago's local Three MC's and an essay on Russian Ukrainian writer Gogol. I'm sure that hiphop and reading are unpunk and whatnot, but I enjoyed reading both. Sue me! Both essays give the zine a personal touch which is nice. If you care about zines at all I'd recommend you to pick this one up. Hate it, love it, start your own.

No Thanks, Fuck Everything #4 (Raw Nerve, Daylight Robbery, Illmatic)
Review up soon...
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