Neurotic Text

The future looks bright. Ted Haggard doesn't.

2007-02-05T03:57:00.000-08:00

Contrast and compare time. Here, by way of Harper's, is disgraced Christianist scumbag Ted Haggard, attempting to justify his own personal sectarian hair-splitting and ill-concealed bigotry through an appeal to modernism and science:

"And the nations dominated by Catholicism look back. They don't tend to create our greatest entrepreneurs, inventors, research and development. Typically, Catholic nations aren't shooting people into space. Protestantism, though, always looks to the future. A typical kid raised in Protestantism dreams about the future. A typical kid raised in Catholicism values and relishes the past, the saints, the history. That is one of the changes that is happening in America. In America the descendants of the Protestants, the Puritan descendants, we want to create a better future, and our speakers say that sort of thing. But with the influx of people from Mexico, they don't tend to be the ones that go to universities and become our research-and-development people. And so in that way I see a little clash of civilizations."

Thanks, crosslicker. Now, what do the real scientists have to say about your faith after exposure to the fruits of all that research and development you value you so highly? Here's Richard Dawkins in "The god delusion" (published, incidentally, about the same time last year that bastion of morality Haggard was being exposed as a shameless liar with a meth habit and a penchant for male prostitutes):

"A study in the leading journal Nature by Larson and Witham in 1998 showed that of those American scientists considered eminent enough by their peers to have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences only about 7% believe in a personal God. This overwhelming preponderance of atheists is almost the exact opposite of of the profile of the American population at large, of whom more than 90% believe in some sort of supernatural being. The figure for less eminent scientists , not elected to the National Academy, is intermediate. As with the more distinguished sample, religious believers are in a minority, but a less dramatic minority of about 40%. It is completely as I would expect that American scientists are less religious than the American public generally, and that the most distinguished scientists are the least religious of all."

So yeah, maybe appeals to rationality and the advance of scientific knowledge aren't exactly the best way to ensure the continued strength of archaic theology after all, huh? Idiots.

Would you believe a few more punk record reviews?

2006-07-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

A few more recent punk 7"s to have crossed my path....

LOOK BACK AND LAUGH "Street Terrorism" EP
Five songs of rather tedious flailing about from this Northern California thrash band, playing it fast and direct but ultimately coming up with little that sticks to the ribs. Reminding me of crucial outfits like Talk Is Poison, Deathreat and Life's Blood, this certainly should work as at least a competent genre exercise, but the similarities are all in the concept, and the execution unfortunately fails to realize the strength of the style. The guitars have a nice, raw sound and sometimes indulge in slightly more interesting melodicism, but they're nowhere near as overwhelming as they need to be for this style, and the vocals are simply terrible, sounding less angry than just forced. Above all, the record lacks any real spark, any tangible dynamics, memorable hooks or particularly impressive displays of power that might cause one to remember it twenty minutes after listening. By no means a truly bad record, just generic and forgettable. (Deranged; www.derangedrecords.com)

THE PETS "Sticky Situations" b/w "Never Ask For Help" 45
There are inarguably some bad band names represented in this post, but these Oakland cats have to take the cake for worst of the bunch...."The Pets"??? Christ, who won that particular bet? Luckily, the record is a hit despite the distressing self-handicap imposed by their inexplicable choice of moniker. A-side's a quick, punchy blast of pure American punk rock circa 1977 (similar to what Time Flys have been doing but referencing the point a few minutes later when people realized that yes, in fact, you DO need short hair to be punk), fast, simple and catchy as hell, while the flip is even better, a driving mid-tempo stomp that sounds like a primitive early Dictators track (not least of all due to the heavy Handsome Dickisms), or maybe something the Foreign Objects or Gizmos would've coughed up. This band is destined to record a great song about professional wrestling, I can just feel it. (Sweet Rot; sweetrot@hotmail.com)

THE VICIOUS "Obsessive" EP
Picked up this band's much-hyped first single last year and really didn't dig it at all-- very much in the vein of such current and recent fellow Scandinavian '77/'82 punk/hardcore retro acts as Gorilla Angreb, Regulations, Young Wasteners and Knugen Faller, but nowhere near as good as the standard consistently being set by the aforementioned, and somehow seeming a little less genuine, a little more contrived-- so I didn't bother with the LP. As with the LBAL EP reviewed above, I picked this one up primarily on the basis of strong reviews, here promising a real improvement over the debut, and that's definitely the case. Predictably reliant on now-stock Scandi influences, ie early West Coast American bands like Adolescents, Dead Kennedys, CH3, TSOL and the Dangerhouse roster, but even more slavishly than usual-- I had to return the needle to the beginning of the fourth song several times before giving up on identifying the no doubt totally obvious riff that it steals, and in the process realized that the riff fading out from the end of the third song is similarly borrowed-- although I'm once again unable to pinpoint exactly where I've heard it before! Anyways, original or not, all the elements of melodic California punk circa '78-'81 are here, from the clear, undistorted guitars and pummeling rhythm section to the snotty vocals and ultra-catchy, hook-laiden songs, and that's far more important to me than a little bit of unveiled inspiration from the right sources. Please note: it's becoming increasingly clear that this label can do no wrong. (Feral Ward; www.feralward.com)

Ugly Pop Hardcore Vinyl, 1998 - 2006

2006-07-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

I used to do a punk rock record label that released nearly 20 records over the last few years (all vinyl, all the time!) and since I've been asked this stuff so often, I decided to sit down and write up a proper discography of our releases. The punchline-- I've taken the label off hiatus and will soon be consistently releasing punk vinyl once again on Ugly Pop, so take this as the story up until today, but not the definitive history.

UP001 V/A "Reproach: Eight Modern Hardcore Bands Cover Negative Approach" EP

(w/ DROP DEAD, SPAZZ, RUPTURE, CHOKEHOLD, MAN IS THE BASTARD, VOORHEES, UNION OF URANUS and KOPS FOR CHRIST) First pressing November 1998, 3000 copies with black and white labels, first 500 on grey marble vinyl. Second pressing around January 1999, 1800 copies with yellow labels. Insert. Approximately 6 test pressings.

Salvaged from the wreckage of a projected LP that should've come out on Dysgusher circa 1993, this record isn't good, but Brannon liked it, so I'm happy, and selling nearly 5000 of your first release is a hell of a way to start a new label.

UP002 LEGION "Hell at Last" EP

1000 copies, June 1999. Approximately 6 test pressings.

I'm still pretty embarrassed by this record's idiotic label artwork; taking it into the plant was a real treat.

UP003 MARILYNS VITAMINS "Meanwhile During the Class War" EP

First press June 1999, 600 copies. Repress of 500 copies, November 1999. Approximately 6 test pressings.

Great record from an excellent band with the worst name in the world.

UP004 RAJOITUS "Systeemiin Naulittu" EP

1000 copies, November 1999. Possible repress of 300, late 2006? Approximately 6 test pressings.

Later included on the band's discography CD on Hardcore Holocaust, but I really should press 300 more to fill the remaining sleeves, because it's a great little slab of pure '83 Finnish hardcore (via Sweden 1998).

UP005 THEY LIVE/COUNTDOWN TO OBLIVION split EP

1900 copies, April 2000. Approximately 10 test pressings.

Along with the Legion EP, this is is probably the fursthest we ever ventured from our purist hardcore punk focus, but it's still a good little record that sold well.

UP006 DREAM DATES "Moans on the phone" 45

600 numbered copies, December 2000. No test pressings.

This is honestly one of the best Canadian punk singles of all time, and it's incredible that it took over twenty years to see the light of day; we had no idea how it would go down, so pressed only 600 copies. Later licensed to Zurich Chainsaw Massacre, who proceeded to put both Dream Dates 45s on a 12" and have yet to send us any of the copies they owe us.

UP007 RAW POWER "Screams from the Gutter" LP

First pressing 1000 copies, February 2001, with insert and black/white labels. First 300 on clear splatter vinyl. Second pressing of 500 with red labels, replaces insert with printed inner sleeve, late 2001. Third pressing of 500 circa early 2004. Possible repress of 500, late 2006? Approximately 6 test pressings.

Our first LP, and a killer at that. Probably the best Italian hardcore LP ever, and a seminal crossover record by any standard. Totally different artwork to the Toxic Shock pressing, which sold around 40 000 copies in the '80s. It's true-- sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

UP008 STATICS "Original 1980 Punk Rock Recordings" EP

800 numbered copies, April 2001. No test pressings.

A really great, strong little punk single that deserved far more attention than it ever got.

UP009 PAINTBOX "Singing, Shouting, Crying" LP

First pressing of 1600 copies, April 2001. First 300 on white splatter vinyl. Repress of approximately 500 circa early 2004. Approximately 6 test pressings. This record never included an insert.

When all is said and done, people will very possibly say this Japanese hardcore monster was the best record we ever released.

UP010 DFA "Destined For Assimilation" 12"

First pressing of 600 copies, January 2002. First 300 or so on various shades of purple and blue, since we went to the pressing plant and added the colour pellets while pressing! Repress of 500 circa July 2002. Printed insert. No test pressings.

This was a straight vinyl pressing of the demo this Saskatchewan band sent us out of the blue.

UP011 DREAM DATES "The Mess You're In" 45

800 copies, March 2004. Seven test presses, mistakenly pressed on red. All regular copies on black.

Vinyl actually pressed in early 2003, but released when jackets printed.

UP012 CAREER SUICIDE s/t LP

100 test pressings with initial recording pressed for European tour, September 2003. Four used as test pressings, 96 stamped and given sleeves for tour. After rerecording and new mix, first pressing of 312 copies released November 2003. 500 more pressed a couple of weeks later, and third press of 300 around January 2004. Printed inner sleeve.

All regular pressings completely identical. Later repressed on 140 G vinyl with embossed jacket by Parts Unknown.

UP013 HAMMER "More Hammer" EP

1000 copies, March 2004. Insert.

Vinyl pressed mid 2003, held pending jackets.

UP014 WARHEAD "Kono Omoi Wo Dokoe" LP

First pressing of 1400, April 2004. First 111 copies on a beautiful blue/white marble swirl vinyl. Repress of approximately 500, July 2005, last 40 or so did not include printed inner sleeve. First set of approximately 12 test pressings, second set of same size from remaster.

After we traveled literally across Japan tracking down Guy Bloodsucker in Hiroshima to make this happen, it became a nightmare project plagued by rejected test pressings, broken plates, 2000 unusable LP jackets, wrong paper for inner sleeves, labels on wrong sides and missing text on sleeves. Our first and last Acme Records job.

UP015 FORWARD "Fucked Up" 12"

First pressing 500 on red vinyl May 2004, rushed out for summer 2004 US tour. Remastered for second press of 500 on black vinyl, circa July 2004. First set of approximately 12 test pressings, second set of same size from remaster. Printed inner sleeve.

Jacket has a file-transfer error from original CD cover, but we couldn't really care less.

UP016 HONG KONG BLONDE "Split Finger Fastball" EP

600 copies pressed, August 2004. First 100 on green marble vinyl.

Great Vancouver metal/thrash; some junkie recently stole the last remaining 40 from their car.

UP017 CCSS "Commun Chfeu Sa Soupe" EP

600 copies pressed, April 2005.

Ugly Pop essentially ended as this record was being released, meaning that both it and UP016 were never repressed (since our new pressing plant doesn't hold onto plates as MMS, which had done all previous 7"s, did). Both should've had represses of 400 more copies, and the jackets were printed.

UP019 TRANZMITORS "Look What You're Doing" 45

First pressing of 300, March 2006. Identical second pressing of 300, May 2006. Probable repress of 400 to fill sleeves, summer 2006.

This was originally meant to be the debut release on Cat Call Records, with the Ugly Pop catalogue number intended simply to facilitate distribution.

The future: Ugly Pop is back from the dead. Hopefully, a Teenage Rejects EP, as well as singles from local faves Fuck Me Dead and Vancougar. Also, represses of some still-in-demand earlier titles for which plates are available and unused print is still in stock.

Society Dog "....Off the Leash" EP

2006-06-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

For all the continued interest in '70's punk and '80's hardcore, the bootlegs and reissues and websites and discographies and cover versions and fanzines, there are still many great records from the period that have yet to attract the attention and credit that they deserve, and this 1981 EP, their second, is a fine example. With its surging guitars, sneeringly sung vocals and rough melodies, "Off the leash" is very much a '70's punk record, but the rawness and increased pace of the delivery indicate that it's not the '70's anymore after all. Society Dog's sound is very much like that of their peers the Subhumans, Black Market Baby, Negative Trend and Really Red, and they would've been a perfect fit on the "New York Thrash" LP alongside Kraut and the Undead; this is "hardcore" in its very first incarnation, about 10 seconds before the Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains and Minor Threat would push it into straight thrash territory.
Prior to this, the band appeared on the "SF Underground 2" comp EP in 1980 and issued a debut EP, "Working People", also in 1981. This was the short-lived outfit's final release, but vocalist Johnithin Christ (whoa sir, lay off the cheese...) soon surfaced with new band Code of Honour, who achieved a great deal more notoriety than Society Dog through their highly rated 1982 split LP with Sick Pleasure (aka COH minus Christ), "What are we gonna do?" EP (1982) and rather unfortunate "Beware the savage jaw" LP (1984). Every record listed here was on Subterranean, who have every right to their claim to be San Francisco's first hardcore label.

Bearded vegans and punk: mutually exclusive since 1975.

2006-06-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

Went to see Imperial Leather the other night, and I never did end up seeing these Swedes deliver what was no doubt a perfectly good set of retro punk rock, because I simply couldn't last through the opening band, a dreadful North Carolina "Crimethinc"/trustfund act called Requiem. Seriously some of the worst shit ever from these hippies; the tepid, overwrought drudgery of their "epic crust" (no, seriously...so NOT FUCKING PUNK) music, the sheer grossness of their filthy clothing, beards and dreadlocks, the pathetic, unexamined idiocy of their fantasy pseudo-politics.
"Steal what you want, burn the rest" read the banner they hung behind themselves, and I couldn't help but think just how wholeheartedly their current administration has embraced that philosophy this century, from Iraq abroad to the whole mechanism of progressive and forward-looking social policy at home. I guess that basic impulse transcends simple ideology where Americans raised with the same underlying sense of entitlement umarried to any concept of responsibility are concerned.

More new punk records.

2006-06-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend's quick roadtrip to see Warhead and Forward in Portland wasn't quite quick enough to prevent Scotty and I from going a little nuts in the vinyl consumption department, believe it or not, since Portland is an absurdly rich city in terms of record shopping. Reissues and the specifically Discharge-inspired stuff have been covered already; these are just newer/recent records that fall into the broader punk/hardcore/garage genres. Thanks to Jesse at Know Crap (who is a king among men and actually sold me most of the following titles on the way to Portland anyways, freeing me up to spend $40 on Hellhammer 12"s), Mississipi Records, Green Noise, Brickwall and Discourage.

Asbest "Klaust Robofi" EP
Denmark's been making punks around the world sit up and take notice for a few years now, with bands like Gorilla Angreb, No Hope For The Kids, Amde Petersen's Arme and Young Wasteners releasing some of the more compelling hardcore/punk records to appear in awhile, and although Copenhagen's Asbest haven't attracted quite the attention of some of their better-known compatriots, their first EP won respectable reviews and being on leading Danish label Kick n'Punch guarantees a certain level of interest (if not quality, unfortunately, as anyone who took the plunge on the label's more juvenile anarcho/vegan nonsense can attest). This second EP continues in the style established on their first, a hefty early '80's-rooted hardcore that avoids thrashing in favour of a consistently burly and aggressive mid-fast attack with raw vocals and a frantic, off-kilter guitar clearly inspired by Greg Ginn. It's solid, serviceable stuff, but somehow misses that spark that separates the good from the really great. (Kick n'Punch, www.kicknpunch.com)

Busy Signals "Can't Feel a Thing" b/w "All the Time" 45
Chicago punks defy the sophomore slump with a truly great single that's even better than the first, and that's no easy feat. The formula is simple enough-- classically raw punk rock'n'roll guitars, alternately ringing and slamming, and melodic vocals over a piledriving rhythm section that rams the songs home so much faster and harder than is standard for the style-- but it's totally convincing and never forgets to keep the songs catchy and memorable, nor to throw in a tasty lead exactly where it belongs. I'm loathe to raise expectations too high for a band so early in their career, but I don't think it's too much to say that this could be America's long-delayed answer to Teengenerate. Absolutely essential punk rock and sure to make my 2006 Top 10. (Shit Sandwich, www.shitsandwichrecords.com)

Criminal Damage s/t 12"
Yet another winner from the best hardcore label in the US today. I saw Criminal Damage play a house show in Portland last year and greatly enjoyed their set of tough but tuneful hardcore punk at its purest, but this is a style that's too often sterilized and neutered in the studio. No worries with that here, however-- this debut 12" is an exceptional eight-song set of overwhelmingly power and depth, with an ideal production job that perfectly captures the massive guitar sound and gruff vocals while leaving everything suitably rough and unrefined. There's certainly melody on this record, in the vocal and leads, but no nuance to speak of-- from the relentlessly tight and driving 4/4 drumming to the gang choruses to the brickwall powerchords, everything is completely solid and about as subtle as a riflebutt to the face. I guess the chief stated influence here is the "Chaos en France" oi scene of the early '80's (think Trotskids, Camera Silens, Warrior Kids etc)-- and the chorus of "Last chance", along with "Anesthesia" my favourite song here, so strongly recalls Kidnap's classic cut "No SS" off MRR's "Welcome to 1984" comp LP, that I probably would've thought so even if no one had told me so beforehand-- but most will see the closest resemblance to Blitz, tougher Italian bands like Nabat, and the early American hardcore bands that most unabashedly reflected UK oi in their own sound, ie Effigies, Negative Approach and Iron Cross if the latter didn't suck. This will probably appeal to a pretty wide range of punks right across the board, so check it out without hesitation (unless you're only into grindcore or emo or whatever, in which case you're probably beyond help anyway). (Feral Ward, www.feralward.com)

Frantic "Attaque of the Grizzlie" 12"
This Atlanta band's 7" EP was a fun set of manic punk rock that reconciled the garage and hardcore influences as well as anyone, but this follow-up doesn't quite hit the mark. It's by no means a bad record, it just doesn't stick to the ribs the way this stuff needs to. The choice to cover a song by Government Issue-- most boring of the classic DC hardcore bands-- speaks volumes; try SOA or Void next time. The playing is fine and the guitar tone is great, but there simply needs to be more punch in the overall delivery, whether that means slowing down and focusing on melody or speeding up and relying on sheer impact, but for now the songs aren't ultimately strong enough to warrant repeat listenings for a full-length. On the other hand, the inspired cover sold me on this record, so props to whoever designed it. (Die Slaughterhaus, dieslaughterhaus@yahoo.com)

Knaughty Knights "Tommy of the River" EP
This is the fourth single from Memphis supergroup the Knaughty Knights, and given the pedigree-- members of the Oblivians, Reatards, Lost Sounds and Compulsive Gamblers-- it's pretty lame to admit that this is the first I've heard. It's pretty much what one would expect from the people involved, albeit a little cleaner and/or more straight-ahead in its basic, no-frills garage punk approach. This isn't entirely unwelcome; as much as I love the members' prior efforts, there's certainly no harm in laying off the distortion and chaos when the songs are well-written and memorable in their own right, as they are here. The fuzzed out guitars, quick tempos and sneered vocals are still in place anyway, just not half so exaggerated as before. The title track is the real winner here, a great '77 punker with a catchy chorus and a tasty lead breaks, while the following track is an appealingly amped-up Outsiders cover and the flip, Jack Yarber's sole contribution, is a pleasant enough but altogether less remarkable mid-tempo garage stomp'n'mope with a cool sneered vocal...I'm sure it'll grow on me further with the inevitable repeat listens. (Shattered, www.shatteredrecords.com)

Love It Or Leave It "Four Song" EP
Released by Vancouver's Clarence Thomas label, this far-flung but Bellingham-based outfit's debut EP is the sleeper hit of the pile-- a really strong, heartfelt punk record with memorable songs made up of excellent vocals, powerful riffs and a rock-solid rhythm section, delivered at a consistent, driving pace that never lags nor degenerates into simple thrash. The production is just about perfect, with the vocals neither buried nor too far upfront and the guitars ragged and thick. While the Avengers and Subhumans (Canadian, of course) might make for basic reference points, this pulls off the ideal balance between being at once a timeless pure punk record whilst remaining fresh and distinct enough to avoid being filed away as simple rehash or homage to any particular sound, and I've listened to it numerous times in the past couple of days alone. Don't know how many of these were pressed, but I doubt it was too many, so I highly recommend any fan of quality punk rock act now before the rest of the world catches on. (Clarence Thomas, bistrodistro@hotmail.com)

Nix "Speed Freaks" EP
Much anticipated second 45 from this Portland band continues pretty much exactly where the first left off, a one-sided job with three quick ones this time around, and considering that the previous single was among my very favourites of 2005, I'm not complaining. Assuming you weren't among the luck 300 to score a copy of that debut, the style is fast, catchy and raw punk in the vein of early Queers or Keith Morris-era Black Flag and if that doesn't sound good to you, you don't deserve to be buying reords anyway. Proof positive that inspiration and energy are more important than originality any day, and the lyrics dissing cokeheads and speed freaks are the icing on the cake-- something I've felt much more strongly since moving to the Pacific NW myself. Overall, it's a strong 45 that hasn't hit me quite so hard as the first one after a few listens, but it's still superior to 95% of product out there right now and more than worth tracking down. As with the first record, self-released with hand-written labels and no contact info provided, so I guess you'd better get yourself out to Portland fast.

V/A "No Bullshit Vol 1" EP
Richmond, Virginia's Direct Control have been receiving a lot of attention lately as one of the leading lights of the back-to-basic '80's hardcore scene, so it's only fitting that DC singer/guitarist Brandon should be compiling this sampler slab for his new No Way label. Side one kicks off with a generic but enjoyable blast of speed from Toronto's own Career Suicide before sliding into an even more furious burst of aggression from Osaka's Bad Dirty Hate, who take their name from the Nihilistics but actually dish out a much speedier and more direct attack than he older band; with its shrieking vocals and manic snare, this might be a little more at home on a 625 "fastcore" record than the sort of purist '82 hardcore comp I was expecting here. Their song is over as quickly as it arrived and the side is wrapped up with another predictably short, fast and loud rager from Brandon's other band, Government Warning.
Side two starts off with San Francisco's Strung Up, and they jump off the vinyl with a pair of rough, angry thrashers that recall Negative Gain or "Dealing With It"-era DRI-- totally pissed and violent with a thick rush of speed and choked out but legible lyrics. Good stuff, but the Direct Control song that rounds out the record is perhaps my favourite, with a steady, controlled speed and gnarly guitars that sound straight out of some obscure '83 midwest hardcore band. Speaking of which, this EP isn't quite a "Master Tape" for the new millenium, but it's a solid enough set of purist hardcore. At least two more planned volumes in the series have already been filled with like-minded bands; just remember what "compilation of current hardcore" meant in 1996 and be glad this stuff's happening now. (No Way, nowayrecordshc@gmail.com)

The Nightmare Continues...and Continues, and Continues...

2006-06-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

Discharge, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....over a quarter-century since the release of their earth-shattering debut EP, and the influence of Stoke On Trent's finest continues to make itself felt and heard through the rawest and toughest of hardcore punk around the world. This past weekend's vinyl binge culled several new releases proving that point mightily, with strong Discore slabs from Japan, Canada and Spain as well as a new installment from the originators themselves. Dig in:

Kontempt s/t EP
Montreal's Kontempt debut with an eponymous seven-song effort that veers a little from the direct path to take its prime influence from the early Swedish bands that emulated Discharge with unprecedented effect in the early and mid '80's. With accelerated tempos and gutteral vocals applied to the burly, distortion-drenched "Fight back" template, this is a shredding assault in the finest tradition of Crudity, Sound of Disaster and Discard. The bass is a chugging monster and the guitars depart from their chainsaw riffing on cue with sick, atonal leads that quickly self-destruct and sink back into the charging mess below. 100% recommended, as is this band's equally relentless live set. (The End Records, ibrache@aol.com)

Disclose/Flyblown split EP
Easily the most important and perversely influential of the really overt Discharge copies, Disclose have made a substantial career out of endlessly rearranging and combining riffs and lyrics from a period of Discharge's own catalogue. The "classic" period, of course, but there's still something truly bizarre about approximately forty songs released between 1980 and 1982 becoming the source material for a repetoire of what must be a couple hundred Disclose songs recorded over the past fifteen years or so. Disclose very rarely tamper with the formula, either, with brief forays into more Broken Bones influenced material, or different variations on the principle of poor production, being about the only (barely) discernable shift in execution. Such single-minded devotion to such an incredibly narrowly proscribed musical endeavour as Disclose's version of d-beat is impressive, and this latest batch of three more songs (actually recorded in 2002) sounds exactly the same as every other Disclose record that enjoyed decent enough production. It's also testament to my own severely compromised tastes that I actually eagerly snapped it up without a second thought, secure in the knowledge that it would indeed be identical to every other Disclose record I own (let's not go there).
On the flipside, England's Flyblown waste their vinyl with five short tracks of disposable crust/grind noise with grunted vocals and downtuned everything, making for a completely forgettable listen. Admittedly, even this stuff is deeply rooted in Discharge, but its tedium and sluggishness (even at high speed) are no legacy to be proud of. (On the Verge, ontheverge666@yahoo.com)

Hermit Prose "Down Beats Sect" EP
This new Osaka outfit debuts with a blazing "nine minutes of thrash & rove", whatever the hell that means, an idea further reinforced by the back cover's bold declaration that "This is howling minded Japanese style!" I'm certainly not one to argue with any characterization of the cacophony within these grooves as "howling" or "thrash", and while their total debt to Discharge is undeniable, it's equally true that their expert distillation of the sound's essential qualities-- rawness, velocity and distortion-- is informed by the previous generation of Japanese crasher crust units (Gloom, Defector, Iconoclast, Abraham Cross etc) that took the concept to new extremes from the early '90's and on, so I won't quibble about the "Japanese style" claim either. Overall, this is a decent example of current Japanese crustcore, with its massive, buzzing production and impressive levels of power and energy, but its heavier impulses and very gruff vocals render it a little less than essential for this purist. (Crust War, crustwaroverseas@earthlink.net)

Discharge/MG15 split EP
Like so many other raw hardcore bands, Spain's MG15 formed in the early '80's with the expressed intention of recreating the power and fury of early Discharge (they had previously been called Slips Y Sperma), so it's no suprise that the liner notes to this new split release should refer to it as "making an old dream real". Unbelievably, the band's three songs of fast, angry d-beat hardcore here are actually pretty great; the production is a little cleaner and the guitars a little sharper than the fuzzed-out noise attacks of yore, but this is still genuinely engaging, relevant hardcore with charging rhythm section, powerful vocals and a relentless, charging energy that just can't be faked. Very reminiscent of prime Ratos De Porao (and not just because of the vocals), which is very much compliment.
The Discharge side of this record has received a lot of criticism, and it would be absurd to claim that it's on the same level as the material they were spitting out 25 years ago, but it's a perfectly enjoyable set of traditional hardcore punk that's far from embarassing for a band that's been around as long as this. A rougher, more stripped-down production job certainly wouldn't hurt, although it's far from slick, but the energy and structures are there and I'll take an authentic lifer like Rat doing competent, suitable vocals than Cal doing falsetto glam singing anyday. Recommended, honest-- and I'll review their new full EP next week. (Throne, wwwthronerecords.net)

Saapaat: some recent hardcore bootlegs

2006-06-05T00:37:00.000-07:00

Reviewed here, three recent bootlegs of three crucial '80's hardcore bands from around the world. Each of the countries represented here-- Japan, Finland and the USA-- was particularly renowned for the strength of its hardcore, and each band here was arguably the single most important in its own national scene. Equally importantly, each band maintained an authentic mystique that survives to this day, and each band surpassed and transcended the aesthetic limitations of the scenes that they are often regarded as epitomizing. It's also nice to see that, contrary to the unfortunate history of shoddily done, greedily-priced bootlegs marked by bad sound and either wrong information or none at all, these records are consistently nicely put together and easily recommended to fans both old and new.

GISM "Live Tokyo 1982 -1983" LP
Tokyo's GISM remain perhaps the single most intriguing and mythologized band in hardcore history, with a litany of anecdotes and rumours borne of singer Sakevi's all-too-real insanity, expressed through his brutally surreal visual artwork, haunting lyrics and honest commitment to the sort of violence and chaos that is simply symbolic grist to the artistic mill for 99% of punks. Married to an astonishingly strange yet undeniably effective reconciliation of rough hardcore, industrial noise and wailing hair metal with a extremist left revolutionary ideology and a sartorial sensibility borrowed straight from early Motley Crue records, the result was GISM. For this reason, any serious collector of obscure and foreign hardcore that might normally turn his or her nose up at the usual cash-grab live bootlegs can be forgiven for ignoring their better judgement and shelling out for anything otherwise unheard. As a fan and as an amateur scholar of this music, it's fascinating to see how GISM's signature sound developed, and these extremely early live recordings provide as good a chance as any to view that progression.
Side one's April 1982 gig is, of course, unspeakably raw and noisy, but the vocals are relatively clear, the drums audible and the guitars provide a steady churn of barely-structured rushing thrash and feedback that, while nowhere near so sophisticated or metallic as the band would become when late guitarist Randy Uchida joined soon after, is powerful and anguished. Recorded just five or six months after their November '81 debut and five months before the set partially captured on the seminal "Outsider" comp LP, it's probably a bit foolish to make any firm assessments of influence and inspiration based on such rough recordings, but I would nonetheless be surprised if the band weren't listening to an awful lot of very early UK hardcore at this stage. The speed and snarled vocals are much more suggestive of Discharge, Disorder and Chaos UK than of traditional '70's punk or even the better-known contemporary American hardcore, and the likelihood of likeminded Finnish, Swedish or Italian bands being widely heard in Japan at this stage seems slim (feel free to correct me if you know otherwise, because the possibilities are intriguing).
The second side was recorded some time in 1983, and the sound is marginally better (similar to the much-maligned live material on Negative Approach's "Total Recall", which I think sounds great). The sound has already progressed considerably, with the songs generally tighter and faster, and most importantly, Uchida's guitar thrashing out the serious riffing and wild leadwork that would soon become Japcore's defining components. It's less historically important than the first set, perhaps, but it's a great listen if you're a GISM freak and probably completely unlistenable to just about anyone else...consider yourself warned. Oh yeah, and as usual for Absolute Power releases, the packaging is stellar and packed with insight and information. Clearly a labour of love from some truly dedicated fans.

Black Flag "Licorice Pizza and more" EP
The Dead Kennedys were bigger at the time, Minor Threat lived out the ethic most consistently and Bad Brains probably had the best songs of them all, but when push comes to shove, Flag will have to go down in history as the single greatest American hardcore band of all time, and this is a pretty sweet reminder of why that's the case. Originally pressed in a limited promotional edition of 1000 copies and intended to be given away for free at the California chain Licorice Pizza's record stores, this 1981 single was the first Black Flag release with new DC transplant Henry "Rollins" Garfield on vocals and also featured Dez Cadena on second guitar. Few seem to have survived-- the liner notes here claiming that a good chunk of the pressing was simply trashed by the stores-- and the single is now a serious wantlist staple for punk collectors. Luckily, there's more to recommend this record than simple obscurity, despite the fact that it's a live promo. Recorded by Target Video in San Francisco, the two songs on the original 45 ("Thirsty and Miserable" b/w "Life of Pain") are anything but throwaways. Admittedly, I'm not inclined to believe that this legendary beast of a band, captured here near their peak, would even have been capable of recording a throwaway at this point, and this can only support my bias. "Thirsty and Miserable" is a driving chunk of sheer power with typically abrasive Ginn guitar throwing shrapnel all over the place, while "Life of Pain" starts off ugly and lurching but soon breaks into a sustained barrage of frantic thrash that's as fast as anything they ever put on a normal release (always ahead of the game, Flag soon opted to deliberately avoid playing this fast when everyone else decided it seemed like a good idea). The production is ideal, coming off like a nice, raw studio job rather than any sort of live recording, and the addition of a previously unreleased "Spray Paint the Walls" with Dez on vocals, culled from the 1981 "Damaged" demos, is a welcome bonus. Packaging isn't flashy, but it's packed full of info, including a large insert reproducing a 1980 interview with the band, and it's definitely the work of a fan and not just some hack trying to turn a quick buck. Very recommended.

Terveet Kadet "Jeesus Perkele" EP
The mighty Terveet Kadet (which means "Healthy Hands", incidentally) and their most famous compatriots Rattus both blew out of Finland in 1980 with great, short debut singles, but while the latter produced a very good but very traditional punk rock record that hardly suggested the brutality of their later, more hardcore material, Terveet Kadet came charging right out with a really savage, stripped down blast of raw, primitive thrash that predates pretty much everything else that sounds similar (it's interesting to note that the band's own website mentions them forming to play Discharge-inspired hardcore in January of 1980; the first Discharge EP was released in March of that year.) This new EP compiles the first single in its entirety (the three songs clocking in at about two minutes altogether!) and a couple of surprisingly good-sounding 1981 live tracks on side A, while the the flipside comprises all four songs the band contributed to 1984's excellent "Yalta Hi-Life" compilation LP. While the 1980 stuff is definitely cool and a worthwhile addition to any collection of quality hardcore, the 1984 songs are totally punishing, with speeds cranked up to the maximum, catchy choruses, more interesting guitar parts and a generally streamlined, more economical attack at work. It's great, great stuff and, along with the quality packaging and information enclosed, pushes this properly into the "essential" pile.

Harper's stands up, Indigo wilts.

2006-06-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

It was nice to see Harper's, an essential monthly read of mine for the past decade, become the first truly major North American news outlet to run the Danish cartoons that so inflamed the world a few months back, although not entirely surprising given the strength and vehemence of Lapham's editorial response to that outrage a couple of months back. Unfortunately, it's equally unsurprising to see Canada's largest chain of book sellers, Indigo, all-too-predictably launch a pre-emptive strike on its own rights and responsibilities by pulling the June issue that includes these images. Perhaps there's just the hint of an important shift in the way that the nature of this apparently effective new threat to free expression is being viewed, however, or at least the vaguest suggestion of a willingness to identify that threat more honestly, in the corporation's stated reason for not selling Harper's-- rather than peddle the usual nauseatingly insincere and self-serving cant about respecting anyone's faith, Indigo has openly admitted their decision is based on the threat of "demonstrations" against the cartoons as seen worldwide in February. By no means is this a courageous or noble stance, but it certainly can't hurt to see people and instituations finally being honest about their bowing to the wishes of theocrats and fascists. A little bit more of this openness might just awaken even sleepy Canada.

Sons of Ishmael

2006-05-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

Like Australia-- home of perhaps the single greatest punk rock scene in history from 1975-1980-- Canada's punk scene was enormously fertile in the '70's but failed to deliver on that initial promise as the music evolved. Certainly early Canadian punk bands like DOA and the Subhumans were instrumental in the very evolution of hardcore, but their successors were generally less inspiring and the country produced very few great hardcore bands in the '80's (although the recent appearance of such internationally-recognized outfits as Career Suicide, Fucked Up, Inepsy, Under Pressure, Action and so on has done much to correct this imbalance at long last). Growing up and first discovering punk in Toronto during the mid '80's, it was difficult to avoid comparing the Canadian bands one saw every weekend to both the legendary first-wave bands that had made Vancouver and Toronto such hotbeds of '70's punk and the global hardcore that had been setting standards for the past seven or eight years, and the comparisons were rarely favourable.
While many Canadian bands were solid and entertaining, the prevailing styles were a rather pedestrian, mid-tempo hardcore inspired by DOA and Subhumans, the senile mohawk punk that had taken root in Toronto's Kensington Market scene and thrives to this day, and the generally disdained crossover punk/metal thrash that was so in vogue at the time. In retrospect, each style had its appeal, but at the time, I craved the most over-the-top, intense noise I could get my hands on and was freaking out over music coming from pretty much everywhere else, especially overseas; the local fare seemed positively tame next to the likes of Larm, Gauze, Poison Idea, Anti-Cimex, Discharge, Wretched, Terveet Kadet and all the other insane hardcore bands then roaming the earth. Only one local band truly seemed to have tapped into the same well of manic thrash as these outfits, and they were my favourites.
Ironically enough, Sons Of Ishmael didn't even come from Toronto, a huge city with an established punk scene and record stores like Records on Wheels and the Peddler stocking all the latest underground singles for anyone with the $3 necessary to purchase them, but from Meaford, a small town several hours to the northwest. Whatever this this relative isolation might have cost them in terms of ready access to obscure vinyl, however, it more than compensated for in a visceral sense of alienation and disgust with the "small town mentality" that would fuel their music's rage and power as effectively as any simple musical influence. This simmering anger first found (recorded) musical expression in a crudely recorded and packaged demo cassette by the charmingly-named Angry Thalidomide Babies (it was no doubt a similar concession to commercial viability that led the band to title their demo "Coathanger abortion"); the eight or so songs were split roughly equally between ferocious but generic three-chord hardcore and more grating, noise-drenched experimental fare. Unfortunately, I lost this demo while moving years ago, but the real prize was yet to come anyway.
The short-lived ATB soon became Sons of Ishmael, who released "Hayseed hardcore", their debut EP, in 1985. By any measure, it's a great EP, but by the standards of 1985 rural Ontario, it's nothing short of astonishing. Miles beyond the agreeable melodic punk and cretinous heavy metal of their peers, the Sons ripped out 14 songs in as many minutes, and this was no disposable speedcore exercise either. Oft compared to early DRI at the time, this record certainly merits that comparison on the basis of speed and economy alone, but what's much more interesting is the apparent influence of Dutch and Italian hardcore of the era, with the sheer velocity and near-hysterical vocals recalling Larm and early Funeral Oration while the ragged energy and chainsaw guitars suggest Wretched or Impact and the searing leads, so glaringly out of place on an otherwise entirely non-metallic hardcore record in 1985, echo Raw Power. The lyrics are superficially standard '80's hardcore stuff, full of teenaged disgust with pretty much everything but undeniably passionate and remarkably smart and acerbic. What's most impressive about "Hayseed hardcore", and what simply can't be aped or duplicated, is the relentless energy and fury that drives the whole affair along so violently, each song ending only to slam into the next jolt of hyperactive thrash without a moment's let up.
Self-released by the band, the initial pressing of 500 copies soon disappeared, and one of my earliest DIY punk rock memories involves sitting in a Wendy's restaurant on Carleton in 1987, folding covers for a second press that had just arrived from the plant. This second pressing had a new cover and was printed on a variety of stock colours, but the music was the same and that was all that mattered. Around the same time, the band contributed a couple of songs to a local benefit EP (along with MSI, Nunfuckers and other leading lights of TOHC circa '87) and the "Apathy...Never!" compilation LP on Connecticut's Over The Top label. With a new line-up, the band was also playing a good number of shows, both locally and on weekend forays in the US. All that was needed now was an LP, and Over The Top soon promised to release one.
Apart from the Sons LP, Over The Top had released a number of records, and owner Karl's predeliction for raw, international thrash was obvious long before such material became in vogue with North American punks. Released in 1987 and even licensed for a UK press on the popular Manic Ears label, the resulting "Pariah Martyr Demands A Sacrifice" 12" (almost always refered to simply as "PMDAS", for obvious reasons) suffered dreadfully from a truly terrible recording-- not simply raw and unrefined like all the best hardcore records, but muffled, thin and powerless to a degree that the songs lurking somewhere deep within the grooves were simply neutered by the production. Generally regarded as being fatally flawed, the record has largely sunk from memory, even as the preceding EP fetches considerable sums from collectors.
The next release was 1989's "Sing Generic Crap" EP, a tremendous record that recalled-- philosophically-- that first ATB demo in its mixture of raging, straight-ahead hardcore songs (albeit considerably more controlled and cleaner than the wild earlier efforts) and some more left-field stuff that dabbled in odd time changes and stranger vocals. Completely unchanged were the sharply sarcastic, critical lyrics and the short songs, but this was clearly a band already progressing beyond its three-chord roots. Several pressings sold through, including one in Europe, and the record can still be found relatively cheaply. More touring, both throughout North America and in Europe, followed as the band shared stages with the likes of Youth of Today and Larm.
Despite the progression of their sound and their success in touring overseas, however, the band's days were numbered, with an unstable line-up and conflicting personal priorities ensuring that Sons of Ishmael would break up in 1991, shortly after a successful European tour and a disaster-plagued, German-only 10" that unfortunately traded in much of their early firepower for a now-dated foray into music inspired by the likes of Th'Inbred, Rhythm Pigs and Victim's Family (so yeah, and when is that particular revival scheduled to occur again?) and never saw release or even real availability in Canada; bizarrely, the band's final shows would be opening for Hole around Ontario.

Back to Finland

2006-05-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

V/A "Propaganda - Hardcore '83" LP

Like most raw hardcore fanatics, I more than just dipped a toe into classic Finnish hardcore in the late '80's and early '90's. Records by Rattus, Terveet Kadet, Riitstetyt and Bastards were a lot easier to find, and incomparably cheaper, than they have become in this era of eBay pricing and a generally much higher degree of musical knowledge and subsequent demand in the age of the internet. By the mid '90's, I had therefore amassed a rather unhealthy collection of vinyl by the above, as well as Kaaos, Appendix, Destruktions and many more, a sizeable chunk of a punk collection that probably could have covered a pretty healthy downpayment on a Yaletown condo had I held onto it until today. Nonetheless, I'll admit that I rarely listened to it; next to the sheer energy of prime American hardcore, the burly onslaught of Swedish kang, the high-precision violence of Japanese thrash and the seemingly limitless mystique of the late '70's punk rock no-hopers retroactively categorized as "Killed by Death" bands, this raw, scrappy music was undeniably effective and passionate, but somehow less substantial and memorable than so much of the stuff cited above (a claim I'd also make for Holland's hyperactive thrash and Italy's psychotic hardcore). By the late '90's, I'd sold or traded away virtually every Finnish hardcore record I had, and rarely thought about them even as I couldn't help but reminisce wistfully about the Minor Threat and GISM records that once lined my shelves.

Fast forward nearly a decade to spring 2006. There are a couple of Riistetyt represses in my collection and a Terveet Kadet button on my leather jacket's lapel, but that's about the extent of my connection to Finnish hardcore when I come across a new copy of the "Propaganda - Hardcore '83" comp LP in the back room of a record distributor I work for on weekends. Quickly perusing the back cover, I see names like Aparat and Varaus, and the memory of this vicious little slab of pure, unrefined Finnish hardcore at its peak, originally released on Propaganda in 1983 and now made available again by excellent German label Hohnie, rushes back. Not an hour later, I'm blasting it at home, continually inching the volume louder and louder as I soak in the astonishing, long-forgotten power and rage of this stuff.

For those unfamiliar with the style, the key concept here is Discharge, but more so. Finland just loved Stoke-on-Trent's favourite sons, and the country's particularly catchy and melodic early punk sound was soon obliterated by a wave of spikey-headed drunks taking the rough, simplistic Discharge '80-'81 template and cranking up the velocity and rawness to new extremes of hardcore punishment. Perhaps the purest expression of this aesthetic is found in the Riistetyt, Tampere SS and Bastards tracks, unforgivingly primal blasts of howling distortion and barked vocals that sound like nothing quite so much as "Fight back" out takes smashed forth at twice the speed. In a peculiarly Finnish habit, the vocals are often pushed through heavy reverb but, like Portugese, Finnish is an ideal language for hardcore punk, and the rough, gutteral manner in which the words are spit out is rarely compromised.

Doubtless inspired by Disorder, Chaos UK and their own excessive kilju consumption-- and possibly by the newest wave of North American speed freaks a la Neos, Poison Idea, DRI and Gang Green-- even less refined outfits like Kuolema and Sekunda are already breaking speed limits with ultra distort thrashers that barely crack the 20 second mark in duration. These tracks are mercifully too short to seriously interrupt the LP's flow, but they already suggest the dead end represented by this weak and powerless style, their thin sound and monotonous beats appearing all the more disposable when stacked up against the mighty roar surrounding them.

On the other side of the fence are comparably more advanced tracks by the likes of H.I.C. Systeemi and Varaus. These are still fierce, severe hardcore, virtually bereft of melody and distinguished even to rawcore cogniscenti only by the occasional tasty guitar break or shift into a slightly less amphetamine tempo, but they nonetheless serve to break up the record's otherwise constant barrage of million MPH thrash. Perhaps the best example of this is Rattus' tremendous "Taalta Tullaan Kuolema", a damaging chunk of exemplary Finncore that weds a primitively melodic guitar refrain lifted from early Blitz and almost-sung vocals to the usual bass-heavy lurch for maximum impact.

I should be over this stuff, but ever time I think I've grown out of it, nostalgic curiousity gets the best of me and I end up finding myself unable to resist the raw power of purist hardcore punk-- to the point that I've literally listened to the entire thing probably ten or twelves times in the last 24 hours In that spirit, I'll concede that, while I no longer feel the need to own every single piece of Finnish hardcore vinyl ever released, a compilation as solid and forceful as this serves as a necessary reminder of just how welcome and even essential it is to remember exactly why this music has endured for so long, and just why it's so much harder to really kick than one might ever expect given its fundamental primitivity and simplicity. In fact, it's precisely that raw authenticity that makes hardcore work-- and why this time I'll be holding onto my copy of "Hardcore '83".

Some great new punk singles.

2006-02-23T23:05:00.000-08:00

While I've long been a champion of 7" vinyl as the ideal format for certain of my favourite styles (ie classic soul or punk 45s with a killer A side and a cool flip, or hardcore EPs packed with five or ten quick and economical blasts of shortfastloud), it's been awhile since they've occupied any real time on my turntable-- the obvious aesthetic value too often trumped by the simple desire to put on a solid jazz LP and not have to get up for another eighteen minutes whilst otherwise engaged. All the more reason to celebrate a pack of recent punk singles that have really impressed with power and memorability that more than compensates for their brevity, then....

FUCK ME DEAD "Mechanize me" EP
Vancouver's a beautiful and entirely liveable city with a truly great punk history (DOA, Subhumans, Pointed Sticks, Modernettes...need I continue?), but it's also been pretty damn barren for a long time now, a fact that's especially obvious when compared to other Canadian cities currently pumping out great band after great band. In a scene awash with dreadful straight edge pablum and underwhelming crust, newcomers FMD represent a very welcome return to pure hardcore punk in the vein of pre-Henry Black Flag, Angry Samoans and early Queers, and this debut slab conveys those influences nicely. Only 3:20 worth of music here, distributed among three songs, but no complaints when the snot, speed and energy are as delivered quite so tastily as this. It's not remotely original or stylistically adventurous, of course, but it's not supposed to be, and this easily sails by on the simple strength of raw, catchy songs played with enthusiasm and bile. Only 500 pressed, nice colour sleeve, and a no-brainer for fans of quality punk rock. (Clarence Thomas Records, bistrodistro@hotmail.com)

TRANSMITORS "Bigger houses, broken homes" b/w "Dancing in the front row" 45 (Deranged)/"What you're doing" b/w "Teenage filmstar" 45 (Ugly Pop/CatCall) Also hailing from Vancouver and mining retro punk rock territory that is chronologically akin to FMD's inspirations but sonically nowhere near so raucous, the Transmitors debut with two 45s released nearly simultaneously this week. I'm loathe to call their exceedingly melodic but propulsive and appropriately unpolished punk rock songs "power pop", because in 2006 the term inevitably evokes visions of talentless hacks in white belts and Rod Stewart haircuts, killing time before the next hair metal revival comes around. This band is different; they're one of the few genuinely good, authentic power pop punk bands in recent memory-- probably because these veterans (all of them at least well into their 30s and playing in bands since the '80's) would be doing this stuff regardless of its relative hipness....no Plastic Letters dogshit here. Anyways, both records are undeniable hits, and while all the names being dropped in reference to the band (Undertones, Pointed Sticks, Buzzcocks, Jam and Boys, for example) are welcome if they aid in steering sympathetic ears toward a new favourite, I think it's crucial to note that this is not just another competent tribute to days gone by. There's some real hefty talent at work here, these songs being the product of people who know very well how to craft a song with lethal hooks and play it with economy and skill. I strongly suggest that any reader with even a passing interest in the style track these down and soon. (Deranged, derangedyouth@hotmail.com/CatCall...uhhhh, that's me, so just send an email to arasamasai@gmail.com if you're curious. I'll have copies of both)

THE AVERSIONS "Black alibi" EP Yep, another killer new Canadian punk record-- it was a very pleasant surprise at work recently when the postman arrived with a copy of the Aversions EP. This band is from Quebec City and are fucking great live, but they've received next to no attention outside their area and it's not exactly rock'n'roll central to begin with. They self-released a decent LP a couple years back, again to nearly no notice, but this new 7" is a whole few notches above-- really powerful, distinct and catchy pure punk rock with big riffs, quick, rough delivery and awesome Quebecois vocals-- kind of reminds me of late '70's California proto-hardcore a la Chiefs or Controllers meets your favourite Euro KBD hits. This is doomed to once again go unnoticed, I'm afraid, but it's better, more enduring and memorable, than 99% of the bandwagon-jumping, hyped-up crap coming out lately. They only did 300 numbered copies; I don't know the Paypal details or whatever but give 'em a shout and procure yourself one, you shan't regret it. (Die In Style, mail@theaversions.ca)

NIX s/t EP Yeah, Americans make punk rock records too, and while this one is a little older, I can't go without mentioning it-- probably the best hardcore record of 2005 (although those under 35 will probably call it "garage punk" or something, since 'hardcore' now means vegetarian heavy metal or lawnmower tribute acts). This Portland foursome came out of nowhere with a killer slab of raw, pissed and primitive punk reminiscent of really early Black Flag, Circle Jerks and, above all, those legendary early Queers singles, but what really sets this apart, like all great records, isn't simply deploying the correct influences but rather managing to transmit the same spirit and drive that made those pioneers as important as they remain. One-sided, four songs in as many minutes, yet I could happily tape this repeatedly until it filled both sides of a 90 minute cassette and leave it on endlessly like a beautiful, endless loop of perfect punk rock. Probably long sold out, and I don't have an address or label name...sorry.

THE SUSPICIONS "We're all wrong" b/w "Memories" 45 Maybe I need to pick out a couple of bad/mediocre singles to write about here; all this enthusiasm is bound to come off as keener hyperbole, but the aim was to write about great recent punk singles and this one is the top of the heap. It really is fantastic, pretty much exactly what I want out of a punk rock 45 in 2006. Timeless, pure punk rock without an ounce of pretence, just a driving beat, rough melodies, perfect female vocals and songs that get instantly under the skin and stay there. I have no doubt at all that I'll be putting "Memories" on mixed tapes a decade from now. Their first LP is due on Rip Off next week and I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a new full-length.

Up next, a change of pace: newer metal and reissues from Mastodon, Abigail, Witch's Hammer, Craft, Sunn 0))) and Orcustus.

Japcore reviews, 2004

2005-05-31T00:06:00.000-07:00

WARNING: these two blog posts are old reviews I wrote last year. Newer content when I get a chance to sit down and write about some newer stuff...

Several unfortunate barriers—economic, geographic and linguistic—conspire to ensure that far too many great Japanese bands and records never receive a fraction of the recognition they deserve abroad, so it was refreshing to see Boston label Cadmium Sick collaborate with Dewa to release a fine 2002 debut EP by Niigata’s HEARTWORK, a record that turned many heads among North American punks. It’s a shame, then, that now Dewa alone have delivered the band’s sophomore EP, a ripping three-song set that deserves every bit as much attention as its predecessor. HEARTWORK’s music hasn’t changed a bit— quick, driving blasts of purist hardcore punk that recall classical US (Negative Approach, Minor Threat), Japanese (Lip Cream, Systematic Death) and even some early UK bands; current Japcore comparisons might include No Side or early Deride. The pace is set by a consistent galloping beat, fortified by prominent bass, accompanied by shouted vocals and all driven along by a non-stop buzzsaw guitar that occasionally leaps into tasteful leads but never loses the essential momentum. Definitely recommended to anyone into straight forward old school hardcore, and deserving of far greater availability outside Japan. (Dewa/89-11 Ishinada Tonojima/Tsuruoka Yamagata/997-0815 Japan)

Perhaps somewhat more easily found is the latest from Tokyo traditionalists WORM’S MEAT. Their “Four stupid brains” CDEP has recently been pressed on vinyl, albeit in a limited edition of 750 copies, on Stuart Scrader’s renowned Game of the Arseholes label, and it’s every bit the ripper one would expect from the label. Like Heartwork, WORM’S MEAT spurn “progression” in favour of a purist hardcore rooted firmly in the Japanese tradition. That means stinging leads, group choruses, scowling vocals and a relentless, charging metallic punk attack. While decidedly heavier than HEARTWORK on the Burning Spirits influence (ie lots of fret-scrubbing action), this is still more direct than, say, Paintbox or Crude, sounding most like the definitive late ‘80’s Selfish Records bands (Nightmare, So What etc). (GOTA/PO Box 511/Whippany, NJ/07981-0511 USA)

Last column, I sang the praises of another of Stuart’s releases, a cassette-only entry in DISCLOSE’s increasingly ridiculous discography. Entitled “The sound of disaster”, this has now hit vinyl courtesy of a Brazilian label (No Fashion/massiser@hotmail.com), in a small press of only 500 7” EPs. Needless to say, totally essential raw noise, as is the second DISCLOSE record we review this month, also an EP. Called “Neverending war” and released by the elusive Japanese Dan-Doh label, this three song rager is another uncompromising mess of smashing guitar distortion, anguished cries and the relentless, addictive d-beat drumming that makes each song seem to repeatedly collapse upon itself in torrents of noise and violence. Many hardcore punk fans will still turn their nose up at the horrendous windtunnel thrashing DISCLOSE never fail to subject us to—I recently decided that you know your tastes are fucked for life when you start craving such sonic abuse as is found on these records, even with the slightly more structured, primitively metallic Broken Bones influence the band have been displaying of late. As always, the music, lyrics and graphics are entirely recycled….so what? Definitely not recommended for fans of originality or creativity, but mandatory for raw hardcore freaks. (Dan-Doh c/o K-Club/2-1-26 Honmachi/Kochi City 780-0870/Japan)

Early accounts comparing the SPROUTS to an insane blend of Teengenerate and Larm intrigued me enough to warrant getting ahold of their debut EP on Kentucky’s Sound Pollution (PO Box 17742/Covington, KY/41017 USA), and the record’s 21 songs-on-a-45 RPM 7” format actually outdid the first DRI EP, but a few listens reveal this to be a moderately amusing novelty item, not an enduring hardcore rager or the long-awaited garage thrash breakthrough that had been suggested. Definitely high-energy stuff here, but the tinny, powerless sound and absence of any truly memorable songs make it unlikely I’ll be pulling this one out for too many repeat spins.

EXTERMINATE are an Aichi band, and I’d been hearing good things about their new “Find out” single on the long-running MCR label. It’s certainly a competent effort, with the standard strained vox and group choruses over a full, powerful mid-tempo hardcore sound, but something’s missing. Some serious bursts of speed, a particularly catchy hook or a bit of tasty melodic/metal guitar might well push “Find out” into the recommended pile, but for now it’s simply another decent little record. Nonetheless, I’d definitely be interested in hearing future material, because EXTERMINATE clearly have potential. (MCR/157 Kamiagu Maizuru/Kyoto 624-0913/Japan)

MCR’s second release this month is a four-song EP from Mie’s CONTRAST ATTITUDE. Bearing the typically Japanese (ie nonsensical but undeniably evocative) title “Sick brain extreme addict”, it’s a good slab of furious, distortion-drenched thrash in the tradition of Gloom, Disclose and the recent wave of d-beat crasher crust outfits. CONTRAST ATTITUDE kick up one hell of a din for a three piece, with rabid vocals and chainsaw guitars blazing over a rough and tumble rhythm section. Definitely dig the sick, atonal leads that sometimes erupt as if on “Why?”-template cue, so no problem at all giving this full generic hardcore approval.

I’ve never heard the first EP from Kumagaya City’s LITTLE BASTARDS, but if it’s anything like their second, “Greed slaves”, I really don’t need to. Pretty dreadful disposable chug/thrash from this self-proclaimed “grind crusty” act, with cookie monster vocals, a weak guitar sound, drums way too high in the mix and no actual songs to speak of. I guess someone out there likes this grindcore stuff, since the records keep getting released, but it sure ain’t me …next. (Dewa, address above)BATHTUB SHITTER fare a little better, since their grinding thrash has a full, clear recording and doesn’t skimp on the blasting speed, but any listenability is once again trumped by utterly pointless big dog/little dog crust vocals. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of their “Angels save us” EP is that it was released on a Cypriot label (Rusted Lock/PO Box 27620/2431 Nicosia/Cyprus)

LAST SURVIVORS are a young punk band from Yamato City, and they’ve released two killer singles; they’re not new but they deserve to be mentioned here. “Law of the land” b/w “Red danger” appeared quite awhile back on Crust War, but it’s not that label’s usual violent thrash fare, while the more recent “Hell’s corner EP” on Pogo 77 is a similar divergence for a label with a very specific focus. LAST SURVIVORS have a clear allegiance to the faster, wilder UK82 outfits, and these singles find them racing through some inspired purist hardcore punk along the lines of Ultraviolent, Abrasive Wheels, early Chaos UK and the first Partisans 45, as well as such (relatively) tuneful Finnish contemporaries as Lama and Appendix. Catchy, powerful and brimming with energy and enthusiasm, I can’t see LAST SURVIVORS failing to engage anyone with a taste for straight forward hardcore punk rock. Unfortunately, the Pogo 77 EP was a very limited edition of 300 copies sold only locally and is long gone, but Hardcore Holocaust should still have copies of the Crust War 45. Its heavy, textured sleeve is meant to resemble a leather jacket (punk enough for you yet?), so it’s an expensive record, but I still recommend it strongly. (Crust War/1-28-3A, Shikitsu-Nishi 2/Naniwa-Ku, Osaka-City/556-0017 Japan)

NO THINK’s “Straight to hell” EP on HG Fact didn’t interest me at all, unfortunately. Extremely fast, tight thrash verging on power violence with the alternating gruff/screechy vocals (not a style that appeals to me at all) and blasting speed, but there’s really nothing memorable here. If NO THINK married their speediest impulses to a nastier guitar sound and some more coherent vocals, they might really be onto something (ie Infest, No Comment, even Exclaim), but for now it’s another competent but forgettable entry in a very crowded field. (HG Fact 105 Nakano Shinbashi-M/2-7-15 Yayoi-Cho/Nakano, Tokyo/164-0013 Japan)

Much better is another recent HG Fact release, CROSSFACE’s “Red line cross” CD. This took a couple of listens to really grab me, but it’s a solid batch of totally doctrinaire Japanese hardcore circa 2004. Scathing vocals, group choruses and a skilled lead guitarist soloing over very well-produced, mid-to-fast tempo hardcore with metallic leanings and some really nice melodic flourishes in the leadwork…you know the score. Neither quite so rabid nor overly melodic as various other Burning Spirits bands, but well within the idiom, and it’s difficult to go wrong with this formula when performed by musicians as talented as those in CROSSFACE. I’m really digging this guitar playing the more I listen, in fact. Grab it if you like Forward, Judgement, Etae or Paintbox.

Perhaps my favourite record of the issue is “Absolute suspicion”, the new LP from Kumamoto City power trio SOULCRAFT. A few American bands have been heralded as groundbreaking lately by virtue of mixing in the occasional subpar wannabe AC/DC or Motorhead riff into their tame generic hardcore and claiming to like Thin Lizzy and Rose Tattoo. A couple have made it work (No Time Left definitely come to mind here, and they’re anything but tame), yet Japanese hardcore is virtually defined by this bastardization of hard rock flash and hardcore violence and has been since the mid ‘80’s, when bands like GISM and Gastunk first harnessed guitar pyrotechnics and big production to the raw power of serious punk rock. SOULCRAFT are just the latest to peddle this lethal combination of instrumental proficiency and reckless attack, but they do it exceedingly well. They’re less measured than the Burning Spirits heavyweights, thrashing out their songs with an abandon and ravenousness that recalls the best of Lip Cream or Gudon, but there’s no let-up on the wanking either. Masashi is a superb guitarist, constantly spinning off into full flight above the rhythm section’s barrelling rush, and his squealing leads provide dynamic and melody to an already impressive display of muscular thrash that might nonetheless appear one dimensional otherwise—the difference between a good record and a great one. Listen to the way “Left my thought” begins with a subdued classic rock intro before bursting into a blazing slice of vicious hardcore, only to be tempered by an exceptional, extended melodic lead break if you need the point illustrated. Ace Gastunk cover and typical Japcore demon drawings don’t hurt one bit. CD is on essential Hiroshima label Bloodsucker, but punks will want the licensed vinyl pressing on Sweden’s PFC. (PFC/Box 7092/200 42 Malmo/Sweden)

On the other end of the hardcore spectrum are FEROCIOUS X, who forego any hint of refinement or taste in favour of a non-stop onslaught of dirty thrash, apparently inspired by the early rawness of such Swedish noise merchants as Skitslickers, Absurd and Anti-Cimex but functionally more indebted to the hugely influential Osaka crust bands that took the kang style to such extremes in the ‘90’s. Screaming vocals, furious speed and a massive wall of howling noise entirely bereft of any hint of melody or distinction ensure that this will appeal to none but the diehards, which is just fine by me. Their “Vaga tanka sjalv” EP is a prime example of the non-metal strain of Japan’s thriving crust scene (ie starting with Discharge but taking the frantic early ‘80’s Skandi route over the Axegrinder/Amebix grind preferred by Effigy, Zoe etc). Noise not music, indeed… On a US label, so make a point of grabbing this if it sounds tasty. (Distort/Box 3400/Wallington, NJ/07057 USA)

Hailing from Kofu City, EXHALE debuted a few years back with a stellar EP on Throw Up, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see them showing up now with an American release, specifically a split with Connecticut’s Diallo. EXHALE continue to kick out some very powerful, anthemic purist Japcore— think the late ‘80’s Selfish greats with Roger Miret on vocals and you’re in the ballpark—although it’s not quite in the upper echelon of the genre. Still, definitely worth acquiring for any serious Japcore collector. Diallo, by the way, are excellent. Heavy but melodic hardcore with throaty vocals and some nice guitar work, this is obviously in the vein of the Memphis-by-way-of-Portland outfits but retains enough individuality and character to easily avoid sounding at all contrived or paint-by-numbers. A solid split all around. (Cries of Pain/PO Box 1004/Windsor, CT/06095 USA)

Completely removed from the very professional, rockist Burning Spirits scene that receives so much well-deserved praise in this column is the huge but much less hyped Japanese anarcho punk scene, so the overview provided by Forest’s recent “No hesitation to resist 2” EP (Forest c/o Hideyuki Okahara/Ceramica 2 #301, 2-1-37 Minami/Kokobunji, Tokyo/185-0021 Japan) is an appreciated glimpse of some lesser-known Japanese punk. Six bands on this 7” slab, with the prevailing sound being a fearsomely noise, bottom-heavy take on Disorder or early Extreme Noise Terror. DISCRIPT are a standout, providing some seriously pissed sounding d-beat that isn’t afraid to indulge in heavy, chugging mosh breaks, whereas CRIMINAL’s strange take on early Outo’s noisy thrash is less impressive. Why does every record on this label (run by Hideyuki of DISCRIPT and BEYOND DESCRIPTION) sport cover artwork featuring American soldiers in gas masks? Anyways, I think you know whether you need this or not, but I enjoyed it.

Not actually on Forest, but including Hideyuki (you can tell by the cover photo of a section of American infantrymen in NBC gear) is a new split EP from BEYOND DESCRIPTION and Italian crusties Kontatto. BD destroy here, ripping through a pair of brutal, well-produced thrashers with crunching breaks and a completely sick guitar sound. Kontatto’s raw, scrappy anarchist hardcore is solidly in the early ‘80’s tradition of Eu’s Arse, Wretched and Impact, especially with its frantic, simplistic drumming and distressed but it’s not quite in that league, and the thin recording undermines what might otherwise be some gripping hardcore punk. (Disastro Sonoro c/o Alessandro Castano/CP 162 – 54033/Carrara (MS)/Italy)

Crossover: punk and heavy metal, 1980-1987

2005-05-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

I wrote this awhile back and just recently re-edited it, so if you've seen it before, just ignore it. Anyways, it's a history of the influence of heavy metal on punk, specifically between 1980-1987, and it's a good read if you care about such things and a terrible bore if you don't. Consider that your warning!

Metal sucks. Loud, tedious and long-haired, metal was the sonic and cultural refutation of rock’n’roll’s promise, anticipating punk’s demand to kill your parents but aiming that v-axe holocaust in entirely the wrong direction. Rock’n’roll was, and is, a music predicated on passion over precision; simple structures, wild performance and raw soul residing in spontaneity and unbridled aggression. Within fifteen years, however, proto-metal amputated the fluid roll and left only the frigid Rock. The resulting form was neutered by an obsession with technicality and production, rendered a soulless, sexless genre that placed heaviness before energy and instrumental proficiency before inspirational abandon. The abominations of the ‘70's-- latter-day Deep Purple, Van Halen, Bad Company et al-- led directly to today’s Korns and Cannibal Corpses, and are worth about as much of the true music fan’s attention.
Why, then, is Joe Hardcore bothering to applaud records that signal this regressive influence’s first formal incursions into punk rock? I’ll gladly honour the slim tradition of metal acts that have, through excessive dabbling in such tendencies as primitivity (HELLHAMMER, early SABBATH), speed (KREATOR, SLAYER circa ‘86) and sheer bludgeoning dumbfuck savagery (early BATHORY, VENOM) managed to redeem their efforts in a rock’n’roll context; it’s only fair to concede the practice of some primo hardcore/punk outfits to enhance the effectiveness of their attack with tightly controlled doses of metal. The thirteen releases here were important in the cross-pollination that occurred in the ‘80's, a process that began with the decade in the form of shared influences and culminated in whole new genres circa 1986. I’ve chosen to select records based on their degree of influence rather than their relative, subjectively-judged quality, and I’ve had to ignore a number of records that might have anticipated these trends but never really connected enough to be seen as more than isolated flashes of prescient inspiration (STAINS LP on SST, CHINA WHITE 12"), flukes or ultimately irrelevant footnotes (HELLHAMMER, BATHORY etc).

Punk rock and heavy metal: shared origins

Before I get into the meat of this piece, I think it’s important to establish a few points that have long been overlooked by fans and tastemakers in both camps. First of all, metal and punk are not, by nature, polar opposites. Many partisan observers on either side of the fence have promulgated this view since at least the late ‘70's, myself included, and each form has indeed progressed, both musically and ideologically, in largely different directions. Metal has tended to be both the more conservative and escapist genre, presenting its notion of intelligence through virtuoso performance (the work ethic in action!) and grandiose presentation while appealing to a socially conservative, often explicitly right-wing demographic. Metal values material success and upholds an anti-social, rebellious ethic that nonetheless remains essentially traditionalist.
Punk, on the other hand, rejects sophistication of playing and composition, its inherent elitism looking down on such effort as indulgence and pretence. Punk has also been much more explicitly political, usually left-wing or liberal; it has also frequently appeared very reactionary in social matters, but this has more often than not been due to its desire to shock and offend the sensibilities of the “politically correct” than to the presence of any true conservatism.As divergent as these (admittedly far from clearly defined) paths have become, the conscientious student of rock’n’roll history will note that the forms sprung very much from similar origins. Throughout the late ‘60's and well into the ‘70's, seminal outfits like the STOOGES, MC5, ALICE COOPER, BLUE OYSTER CULT and the DICTATORS were playing a basic hard rock that retained, to varying degrees, elements of each incipient genre. This music was championed by writers like Lester Bangs and Richard Meltzer as the truest rock’n’roll of the day, and it was firmly rooted in a pretty specific existential milieu, the American teenage experience of mass culture as filtered through the smart/dumb rock’n’roll ideal, borne of junk food and loud guitars, monster movies and fast cars. KISS opened for the NEW YORK DOLLS and everyone was happy.
Of course, the schism was already under way; heavy metal was increasingly being defined by the likes of LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH, drawing the music to arena concerts and sword’n’sorcery lyrics, while punk was soon to explode in direct reaction to such excess. By the end of the ‘70's, the forms were about as far apart-- musically, ideologically, culturally-- as possible, and it was in this context that the crossover occurred. Nonetheless, their shared cosmology is significant and should be considered. Crossover proved that punks were largely willing to accept metal when it returned to its own proletarian, no-frills roots but were equally quick to abandon it when it once again adopted the pomposity and bloatedness of its pre-thrash days. To a certain extent, it also showed that some metal bands were willing to exchange occult nonsense and tedious misogyny for more realistic and progressive sentiment, although the extent to which this filtered down to the fans is, to say the least, debatable.
Another point to remember, since I’m writing for a punk audience, is the initial metal reaction to this stuff. If you’re reading this, chances are that, like me, you’ve frequently opined that the crossover’s principal legacy on this side of the fence-- “modern hardcore”, that is-- is in fact not “hardcore” at all, but is in fact merely “moshmetal”, “new school shit” or words to that effect. True enough, indeed. That said, it’s instructive to scan the metal press circa ‘83-’86 and see the absolute disdain expressed for much early thrash metal. The most scathing condemnation that these longhairs can muster is to decry SLAYER, KREATOR, VENOM et al (but rarely METALLICA, for what it’s worth) as disposable, unlistenable “punk” or “hardcore shit”. Something to keep in mind. Now, onto the records...

MOTORHEAD “Ace of spades” LP (Bronze, 1980)
From day one, perhaps no band has been so influential to punk’s harder side, and so instrumental in the global shift to hardcore, than England’s MOTORHEAD. Originally called BASTARD, they were formed by bassist/vocalist Lemmy Kilmeister upon his unceremonious sacking from spacerock freaks HAWKWIND, and quickly established a reputation as the fastest, roughest band around. Even the relatively tame early recordings reveal a truly raunchy outfit with a murky film of gunk covering their uniquely abrasive, bass-driven blitz.
Combined with their long hair and bluesy songs, the scurrilous themes of numbers like “Vibrator” and amphetamine anthem “Motorhead” seemed to reveal a distinct heavy metal/biker aesthetic at work. With the NWOBHM still a few years away, heavy metal was still largely defined by keyboard-wielding sub-prog hacks and tepid boogie merchants; clearly far too aggressive for such company, MOTORHEAD soon found themselves necessarily allied with the punk rock scene that had fortuitously-- though hardly coincidentally-- exploded just as MOTORHEAD appeared. A number of the era’s less pretentious, more down-to-earth hard rock outfits had found themselves marketed as punk (AC/DC) or professed a certain respect for this new wave of guitar-heavy garage bands (THIN LIZZY), but none were embraced quite so readily as MOTORHEAD. From 1977 on, they released records on punk-friendly labels (Chiswick), gigged with punk bands and even collaborated with punk musicians (Lemmy played bass in an early DAMNED splinter group as the DOMED and recorded songs sharing vocals with SKREWDRIVER’s Ian Stuart; for obvious reasons, the latter sessions have never seen legitimate release). Perhaps no single group is so ubiquitously represented in t-shirts and buttons worn by punks, with everyone from the RAMONES and the ADVERTS through COCKNEY REJECTS and UK SUBS to ANTI-CIMEX and WRETCHED sporting the timeless warpig emblem.
While the band’s sheer velocity was no doubt inspirational to many, it was Lemmy’s hammering bass that really pushed the music forward. Bands like STIFF LITTLE FINGERS and LEATHER NUN brought a whole new burliness to classical punk rock when they added such weight to their own bass sound on killer ‘70's 45s, but it was on MOTORHEAD’s own fourth and most infamous LP, 1980's “Ace of spades”, that the signature elements of gravel vocals, punishing bass and relentless tempo really came together to produce a punk rock LP of unmatched power. There are twelve songs on the LP, and not a hint of the slower or more melodic tracks that peppered earlier efforts; instead, we are treated to one absolutely ferocious rocker after another. Despite its crucial role in the evolution of such definitive bands as BATTALION OF SAINTS, POISON IDEA and DISCHARGE, this is not the pure proto-hardcore punk of such contemporaries as the EXPLOITED or the oi bands, however-- the songs swing in a manner that betrays distant but strong blues roots, the same influences that powered LED ZEPPELIN and DEEP PURPLE accelerated and amplified far past the imaginations of those dinosaurs. The swagger of the ace rhythm section and the excellent lead guitar work convey a sense of genuine musicality and hedonism that was at odds with the hard-nosed but lumpen plod of their compatriots. This is music that is supremely aware of its place in the narrative of great rock’n’roll, music that settles respectfully into its historical berth even as it executes its rule-breaking imperative in breath-taking fashion.

VENOM “Welcome to hell” LP (Neat, 1981)
VENOM don’t really belong in this discussion. Nonetheless, the band and all the inept Satan metal nonsense (beloved of so many mockingly ironic punk rockers) that they inspired in the first half of the ‘80's would be conspicuous enough by their exclusion that it makes more sense to head off the inevitable queries now and explain why I think that to be the case.
Shamelessly ripping off MOTORHEAD, playing faster than any metal band before them and stubbornly refusing to allow their lack of talent, intelligence or any socially redeeming qualities whatsoever to slow them would arguably point to a certain “punky” spirit, and punks were undeniably drawn to the band’s inane racket, but incompetence alone doth not punk rock make. Essentially, this is the PLASMATICS had that band not been in on their own joke. Numerous noisy proto-thrash/trash metal bands were to follow in VENOM’s wake; while some were hilariously bad (ie early SODOM or HELLHAMMER, who self-destructed in embarrassment upon release of their “Apocalyptic raids” 12"), others were actually quite effective in their own way. Montreal’s VOIVOD, for example, released a truly savage LP in 1984; while stock DISCHARGE and GBH t-shirts betray punk influences, their ultra-raw, frenzied thrashing recalls the self-titled DIE KREUZEN LP, VOID or CHEETAH CHROME MOTHERFUCKERS more than the traditional metal-tinged UK outfits favoured by sussed hairfarmers of the day. None of these bands really seem to have significantly influenced contemporary hardcore outfits, however, who were quite capable of making their own inane rackets (by the time most metalheads heard VENOM, punks were already forming bands like CONFUSE, DISORDER and STARK RAVING MAD, after all!), nor did many resonate with any serious metal demographic beyond the underground tape-trading clique. Indeed, neither the traditional metal nor hardcore crowds were to be truly convinced until METALLICA and a couple of like-minded outfits managed to fuse the energy and aggression of punk rock to music played with the proficiency and restraint of classical metal, a combination that was not to reach mainstream ears until 1986. In the meantime, these bands either packed it in ignominiously (a million one-demo wonders) or went on to become serious metal bands (CELTIC FROST, SODOM, VOIVOD), and the terribly amusing and occasionally quite enjoyable din they created remains a historically interesting dead end.

DISCHARGE “Hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing” LP (Clay, 1982)
Perhaps the greatest hardcore band in history, the mighty DISCHARGE formed in 1978, a product of the direct aftermath of British punk’s first wave, in Stoke-on-Trent. They apparently started out playing routine Britpunk in the DAMNED/PISTOLS tradition and developed a strong local following through opening spots with bands like SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, but the 1980 arrival of new frontman Cal Morris saw them radically upping the “noise not music” ante with a cacophonous mess of pure violence documented on that year’s essential and seminal self-titled EP. This extremely abrasive sound spread rapidly, heralding the arrival of a new form as it simultaneously blew the minds (and eardrums) of some and sent others scurrying back to their GENERATION X records in disgust. A string of brilliant EPs followed, each selling in sufficient quantity to dent the national indie charts and finding aesthetic culmination in the bone-shattering ugliness of 1981's “Why?” 12", but despite somewhat improved production and song-writing (especially evident on the “Never again” EP that followed the 12"), and the borrowing of MOTORHEAD’s jackhammer bass sound to great effect, DISCHARGE were still disparaged as tuneless (yes), mindless (not quite...) disposable noise-- “gluebag music”-- by their legions of detractors. At a time when British punk was dominated by tame new wave from washed-up ‘77 hacks and the banal, plodding tedium of the oi outfits, DISCHARGE’s assaultive primitivity was still simply too much for many to take seriously. “Hear nothing...” changed that forever.
Released on Clay in May of 1982, DISCHARGE’s first LP took all of the rage of their earlier records and jacked it up to a whole new degree of intensity. Gone were the frantic tribal drumming and fuzzed-out, chaotic guitars, replaced by a tight, measured pace and razor-sharp, multi-tracked guitars, wild leads shooting out from the relentless “wall of sound” juggernaut engineered by producer Mike Stone. While every bit as ferocious and unforgiving as the rawer early records, “Hear nothing...” possessed a controlled fury that could not be so easily dismissed as previous efforts. The LP was a monster, and while certainly not “metal”, per se, the new-found professionalism and undeniable sheer force present here would not to go unnoticed outside the hardcore scene, a significant portion of which was to dedicate itself entirely to slavish recreation of this record, a trend that continues unabated today. “Hear nothing...” was instrumental in bringing the potential of the previously-disdained genre to the attention of hair farmers, and revered by the first wave of true thrash metal bands that would appear over the next couple of years, breaking new ground by infusing their metal with the speed and energy found here. Big names such as METALLICA and the dire ANTHRAX eventually covered songs from the album on their own records, but these high-gloss affairs aren’t a patch on the originals. This is hardcore at its best, its influence undiminished twenty years later-- even given the truly pitiful full-blown metal records later released by a band seemingly hellbent on pissing all over its own legacy-- and its power still rarely matched.

METALLICA “Kill ‘em all” LP (Mega Force, 1983)
The eventual adoption of metallic elements by punk bands was inevitable. As punks learned to play their instruments or started dreaming of earning a living from the music that sucked up so much of their time and money, it was only natural that they would seek to make their efforts more complex or potentially more lucrative. If you don’t want to soften up or go totally experimental, making one’s peace with some form of metal seems unavoidable-- hence the emergence of slight metallic/hard rock tinges in numerous bands from the late ‘70's on. From the DEAD BOYS, DOA and LEWD to BLACK FLAG, BAD BRAINS and COCKNEY REJECTS, the ghost of hard rock past infiltrated punk rock long before anyone spoke of a crossover in progress; the influences were simply too singular and subtle to take on the appearance of an over-arching trend. Punks accepted such development as natural and the overwhelming majority of metalheads, completely dismissive of punk rock’s simplicity and roughness, simply didn’t notice.
Similarly, heavy metal was busy undergoing its own transformation in the late ‘70's and early ‘80's. A new wave of lean, mean British purists were taking the heavy metal scene by storm, similar to a European power metal scene that was producing such like-minded outfits as ACCEPT. Nevertheless, tough-sounding as these new bands might have been relative to their spandex-clad precursors, they enjoyed little currency among the punks, their music still too slow and polished. METALLICA were the band that changed everything.
As metal-obsessed, record-collecting teenagers living in California, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield were hooked on overseas heaviness-- JUDAS PRIEST, BUDGIE, NWOBHM and raucous German acts like ACCEPT and the SCORPIONS. Unlike their friends, however, they had gone on to discover the more extreme sounds of punk rock, and they didn’t hesitate to incorporate the hitherto unknown speed and aggression of such outfits when they formed METALLICA circa 1981 . Of course, their favourite punk band was the MISFITS, who didn’t really speed it up or release a vaguely metallic record of their own until some time later (1983's “Earth AD” LP), by which time METALLICA’s debut was already being released. The group’s early demos electrified the underground metal tape-trading network, hinting at a band that played faster and heavier than MOTORHEAD without degenerating into the one-dimensional joke band ridiculousness of VENOM.
Mega Force released the band’s debut, subtly entitled “Kill ‘em all”, in 1983 and the band shot to the forefront of the new thrash metal scene, easily outshining debut releases the same year from SLAYER and MERCYFUL FATE. As impressive as the LP was, their 1984 sophomore effort, “Ride the lightning”, met even greater acclaim; despite the acoustic intro and melodic leads, the debt owed to such hardcore punk outfits as DISCHARGE and GBH was obvious.
1984-85 saw the release of vinyl by ANTHRAX, EXODUS, CELTIC FROST, MEGADETH, VOIVOD, DESTRUCTION, BATHORY, KREATOR, SLAUGHTER, OVERKILL and ARTILLERY, to name just a few of the more significant acts. Thrash metal was at its peak and METALLICA were the biggest band of them all, retaining underground cred while actually managing to penetrate the mainstream to an extent that would have been unthinkable a few years before. How this affected the mainstream does not directly concern us here; its influence on hardcore, however, was to prove definitive, and by 1985-- the year after “Ride the lightning” appeared-- hardcore bands around the world were falling all over themselves to imitate the raw high-speed metal that METALLICA had perfected over the course of two albums. While some thrash bands continued to play music that was simply too commercial and contrived for most punks to handle, others were simply churning out more of the tuneless noise that hardcore bands had already mastered; as such, their influence would remain limited. METALLICA’s genius was in striking a balance between their rawer, faster impulses and the desire to create memorable, well-crafted songs. For many bands and fans unwilling to give up the speed and energy of early hardcore, but eager to hear something new after years of triple-speed punk thrash, the combination was to prove irresistible.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES s/t LP (Frontier, 1983)
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES’ debut LP is a tough one to peg. It sold in huge quantities, spawned a legitimate MTV hit song and was the first hardcore that a great many people were exposed to. Nonetheless, the measure of its enduring impact is debatable. It is inarguable that the band were, even before this LP, crucial in fomenting a regional phenomenon. They reigned over the Venice Beach scene that produced such like-minded crossover outfits as BEOWULF, NO MERCY and EXCEL (who also went on to record for Caroline with some success later in the decade). Likewise, selling a reported quarter million copies of a record like “Suicidal Tendencies”, on an indie label, would be no mean feat today, let alone in the pre-METALLICA era. Nonetheless, for whatever reason, few bands outside Southern California actually reflected the band’s sound-- certainly not near so many as adopted their gang’s signature style of bandanas, long-sleeve shirts and hats with flipped-up brims. Ultimately, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES were a novelty band for the majority of record buyers that made the LP such a hit. Although they were to pursue a much more authentically metal/crossover direction on later records (records, incidentally, that rival DRI’s later efforts in shameless pandering to the lucrative hair farmer and skatebrat demographics, with attendant loss of any real edge or relevance), the debut actually consists of catchy, well-played hardcore that takes most of its metallic cred from the presence of a particularly good guitarist in the form of Grant Estes. Unafraid to show off his decidedly unpunk chops at a time when such instrumental indulgence was a liability for any self-respecting ‘core unit, Estes provided the perfect musical backdrop for frontman Mike Muir’s pseudo-offensive ranting. With their hit “Institutionalized” fittingly included on the “Repo Man” soundtrack alongside other cartoon-punk outfits like FEAR, SUICIDAL’s seemingly mock-psychotic schtick was possessed of enough musical heft (courtesy of Estes and a quality production job) to pass mainstream muster, and hardcore finally entered the living rooms of suburban America via a wacky MTV video. In 1984, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES were to DOKKEN as the DEAD MILKMEN were to REM, but their new-found fan base was too busy toking up and waiting for the next trend to bother going out and forming their own bands. Too high-profile to be completely ignored here, the long-term influence of “Suicidal Tendencies” was nonetheless minimal, and they remain more hardcore fluke and metal footnote than crucial piece of the puzzle.

GISM “Detestation” 12" (Dogma/City Rocker, 1984)
One of the most truly demented hardcore records ever released, GISM’s massively influential “Detestation” set an enduring precedent for Japanese metalcore and remains a global cult favourite to this day, status due in no small part to its absolutely original method of combining punk and metal influences in equal doses. While the idea of mixing the styles was not entirely new by 1984, the choice of metallic inspiration certainly was. Punks elsewhere were able to dig the new sounds brought by early ANTHRAX, METALLICA and SLAYER precisely because these rough-hewn upstarts presented a marked contrast to the decidedly unpunk mainstream arena metal acts; GISM, on the other hand, embraced the cheese with unlikely but effective results. In fact, it might even be somewhat misleading to refer to some of GISM’s rockist influences as “metal” at all, at least as most understand that term in 2002, and therein lies the secret of Japanese hardcore’s successful appropriation of “metal” ever since, even as the crossover did untold damage to Western hardcore. American and British outfits took their cues from the speed/thrash and nascent death metal sub-genres. This initially lead to strong hardcore records fortified with the crunch and power of metal, but quickly lead to weak hair-farmer fodder as the metal went from influence to allegiance (see the CRO-MAGS and DRI entries for examples). Given that these newer forms ultimately emphasized leaden heaviness and yawn-inducing technicality over the punk priorities of energy and rawness, such disappointment seems in retrospect to have been inevitable. GISM-- and more specifically late guitarist Randy Uchida-- avoided this fate by instead drawing inspiration from earlier, pre-thrash forms of hard rock and purist heavy metal, especially the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands.
Comprised of the young, unrefined UK metal outfits like IRON MAIDEN, SAXON, SAVAGE and DEF LEPPARD that appeared in the late ‘70's and very early ‘80's, the NWOBHM was to heavy metal specifically what punk had been to rock’n’roll in general circa 1977-- a revolution from below that rejected bloated prog excess in favour of a leaner, more down-to-earth approach. The NWOBHM is perhaps now best known for providing bands that would go on to become the old guard that they aimed to reject-- and for being METALLICA’s key inspiration-- but it was clearly also a crucial influence on GISM’s energetic, muscular metalpunk. Similarly, the band’s bizarre glammish appearance and squealing guitar solos betray the influence of exactly the sort of post-AEROSMITH hard rock that was all the rage in North America at the time, often with barely-disguised (if embarrassing, from this side of the fence) punk roots. Flamboyant rockers like MOTLEY CRUE, FASTER PUSSYCAT and Finland’s HANOI ROCKS were infamous for playing quick, sleazy hard rock that was inspired more by the NEW YORK DOLLS and the SEX PISTOLS than BLACK SABBATH or MOUNTAIN. Dreadful stuff indeed, but in GISM’s capable hands, these disparate influences were to be grafted onto the traditional DISCHARGE/MOTORHEAD chassis, souped up to reach the occasional TERVEET KADET sort of tweaked velocity, given an extra dose of genuine psychosis and transformed into something strange and wonderful. Obnoxious as hair metal was, it remained far closer to the sound of rock’n’roll than the otherwise more acceptable thrash metal that was to corrupt Western hardcore into virtual extinction by the early ‘90's. The overwhelming influence GISM (and their like-minded contemporaries GASTUNK and the EXECUTE) maintained on Japanese hardcore transmitted these influences effectively, ensuring that even the fiercest, heaviest outfits-- DEATH SIDE, BASTARD, CRUDE-- were able to incorporate the gruff vocals and wild lead guitar work that have become the hallmark of A-list Japcore, without ever sacrificing an ounce of punk energy and roughness.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY “Animosity” LP (Death, 1985)
Like so many of the crossover outfits, North Carolina’s CORROSION OF CONFORMITY were a product of the early ‘80's hardcore explosion, making their vinyl debut on ‘83's “Why are we here?” compilation 7" and turning in a well-received brace of raw, noisy thrashers later that year on their “Eye for an eye” LP. Although the band were inspired by the positive-minded and political side of the hardcore scene, the DC/Dischord variety in particular, their music progressed rapidly from its initial punk genericism, combining a guttural, twisted ugliness reminiscent of DC outfits VOID and UNITED MUTATION with a raw, pounding interpretation of pre-thrash metal.
While by no means a slow band, COC were nowhere near so reliant on speed as most other metallic hardcore outfits, rejecting simple thrash in favour of heavy, lurching BLACK SABBATH-rooted power and extended, discordant lead breaks. Like a more extreme version of post-“Damaged” BLACK FLAG, they were attempting to filter the heavy metal of their youth through the rougher, more aggressive style of hardcore, and this technique proved extremely popular, especially with metal fans looking for something of substance (as they understood it) among the barrage of lightspeed three chord thrashpunk. Of all the “punk” crossover bands, only DRI were more popular. Fashionably catchy three-initial acronym names and memorable, t-shirt-and-sticker-ready logos made both COC and DRI easily marketable commodities for the large metal indies (like Death and Metal Blade) that smelled money in the new genre, and the two bands soon served to define the term together. After their ‘85-’87 honeymoon, however, they quickly parted ways stylistically. While DRI paid the rent by releasing album after album of formulaic crossover metal, COC alienated the mosh-hard crowd with a series of progressively slower, harder-rocking records, carving themselves out a respectable major label niche as a non-braindead hard rock band, and they continue to record as such today.

RAW POWER “Screams from the gutter” LP (Toxic Shock, 1985)
The most renowned of Italy’s many superb ‘80's hardcore outfits, RAW POWER left thrash freaks around the world drooling with a succession of absolutely devastating compilation appearances and a barely-distributed debut LP on infamous rip-off label Meccano Records. Their best-known track was “Fuck authority”, a clear standout on MRR’s “Welcome to 1984" LP, a veritable who’s who of international early ‘80's hardcore. The song was a rabid blast of pure hardcore rage, with pissraw guitars and thunderous drums racing along beneath the most deranged shrieks yet committed to vinyl; to this day, as close to a perfectly realized hardcore song as one will hear anywhere. Elsewhere, songs like “You shock me” and “Raw power” prove that the band were consistently recording the most devastating punk thrash in the world. Such unrestrained intensity was not easily maintained, however, and a combination of increased musical proficiency and the predictable physical ravages of Mauro’s throat-ripping vocal style-- he was simply unable to sing like that night after night on their first US tour-- would soon lead to a refinement of their fury. That this refinement would reflect the influence of the embryonic crossover is hardly surprising; the band were on tour in the USA when they recorded this sophomore LP, and it was 1984. To a band clearly capable of playing their instruments proficiently, wishing to develop their musical attack without softening or wimping out in the process, the advent of the new American thrash scene (METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX etc) must have been revelatory.“Screams from the gutter” was one of the first records by an established hardcore band to display a blatant thrash metal influence-- indeed, very few of the seminal thrash records had even appeared yet. With its insistent double-bass drumming, wailing twin guitars and much tighter, more controlled execution, however, there is little mistaking the band’s intent, and ZERO BOY Paul Mahern’s excellent production brings all of the elements together in perfect balance.
For all of RAW POWER’s obvious metallic leanings, the record nonetheless resides comfortably in the hardcore punk realm; the leads are still cacophonous, the severity unleavened by the bass solos and acoustic intros of the speed metal acts and the vocals rejecting the standard metal crooning in favour of angry shouting that still occasionally slipped into the anguished shrieks of earlier efforts. As such, it was hugely influential to an entire generation of hardcore and underground metal kids, sales of 40 000 copies suggesting an influence far beyond what would ever have been conceivable had they stuck with the tuneless ferocity of previous efforts. Gradually, the band would inevitably fall victim to its own most regressive longhair tendencies, going on to release several LPs of decent but uninspired crossover and speed metal, but “SFTG” remained the most popular release by far, ensuring that they would remain best-known for this supremely powerful slab of concentrated violence.

DRI “Dealing with it” LP (Death, 1985)
Perhaps no single band’s career so handily illustrates the arc of the crossover as that of seminal thrash outfit DRI. Formed by bored punk kids in 1982, Houston’s DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES debuted with 1983's “Dirty rotten EP” 7" (later reissued on 12" as the “Dirty rotten LP”); even in an era of short songs, fast playing and rough sound quality, the record’s 22 bursts of raw, chaotic noise created quite a stir. With non-existent production values and song lengths measured in seconds, “Dirty rotten” (along with similar efforts from GANG GREEN, NEOS, LARM and DEEP WOUND) seemed to have pretty much defined the outer limit of the early hardcore aesthetic, about as far from the technicality and high-gloss presentation of contemporary heavy metal as possible. That such a barrage of insane speed could provide an exhilarating rush is undeniable, but the formula also leaves no room for progression or further exploration. This was hardly an appealing prospect for any band not content to churn out xerox copies of the same record, and like DISCHARGE, RAW POWER and many more of the fiercest hardcore units, DRI soon set out to hone their chaos into something sharper and more controlled. Their next record, 1984's “Violent pacification” EP, hinted at the band’s impending direction with its longer, more powerful title track, although the other songs continued in the simplistic but effective loudest/fastest vein of the first record. The full extent of DRI’s pioneering fusion of thrash and metal would have to wait until the band’s first real full-length, 1985's “Dealing with it” LP.
Viewed over twenty years later, “Dealing with it” represents the crossover ideal. With its blinding speed, pissed vocals and 25 tracks, this is very much a hardcore record, entirely bereft of frills or pretence. That said, what makes it not just another hardcore record, but rather one of the finest ever made, is the skilful recuperation of metallic influences. The overall sound is a thick, burly double-bass-driven roar, with frantic leads erupting and collapsing back into buzzsaw rage and blunt-instrument chug. Brief steamroller passages break up the thrash, and a couple of outstanding mid-tempo numbers tracks prove no less potent than the otherwise consistently mach speed numbers. Upon its release, DRI became perhaps the most popular hardcore band in the world. While 1985-86 saw the first wave of hardcore bands mellow out or break up (BLACK FLAG, DEAD KENNEDYS, BAD BRAINS, HUSKER DU, MISFITS, SS DECONTROL, DOA et al), and countless three-chord outfits peddle a tired rehash, the crossover bands alone were able to retain the power and intensity while still offering something new, and DRI sat comfortably at the forefront of this movement. Never a band to be overly concerned with subtlety, and no doubt eager to capitalize on this new-found status, they chose to name their next record “Crossover”.
Released in 1987 on Metal Blade, “Crossover” was a huge disappointment. While one might not be advised to judge a book by its cover, this LP would suggest that one might easily do so where a heavy metal record is concerned; in place of the rough, unpleasant artwork found on earlier records, the jacket bore a garish silver rendition of the band’s “moshing man” logo, and that was just a start. A quick survey of the back cover revealed a mere dozen tracks, and things only got worse upon the needle hitting the groove. The metal elements with which DRI had deftly fortified their hardcore on the preceding LP had taken over nearly entirely, with a much slower, “heavier” approach prevailing, and a cleaner, production job sapping the fast parts of their ragged energy and leaving a powerless, monotonous drone. From frantic but unfocused hardcore through tight, ripping thrash and onto routine, tedious metal, DRI had provided a handy guide to the potential and pitfalls of the punk/metal crossover in three successive albums.

SLAYER “Reign in blood” LP (Def Jam, 1986)
The masterpiece-- a record that served as the Dreadnought of metal, its release instantly rendering all metal past obsolete and, perhaps, all metal to come redundant.
From the opening note until the ominous ending, "Reign in blood" is a non-stop barrage of undiluted metallic fury, alternating seamlessly between the most piledriving, intense thrash yet conceived and lumbering, bludgeoning forays into perfectly-executed moshchunk. King and Hanneman's frequent leads are horrifying-- technical enough to leave the heshers enthralled, but so atonal and harsh that punks raised on DISCHARGE and BLACK FLAG will still be floored. Araya's voice is perfect, a mid-range roar ensuring that every word in praise of Satan and unleashed evil remains completely legible, and of course Dave Lombardo's drumming is staggering, the engine and foundation that makes all of this brutality possible. If it is true that "the essence of sin is in the taking of heaven by storm", then this LP would be the soundtrack to such an endeavour.
This most revered of metal records is essentially a metal band’s attempt (conscious or not) at making a hardcore record; SLAYER might have enjoyed Rick Rubin’s excellent production and a musical prowess far beyond that of virtually any hardcore band, but the speed and rage that make the album what it is would have been unthinkable five years before. Had the likes of DRI, ADRENALIN OD and SEPTIC DEATH not broken speed limits in the early ‘80's, SLAYER might well have been playing JUDAS PRIEST covers still. What set this record firmly in the metal camp, however, is its ruthless sterility and precision, a fundamentally inhuman, almost fascistic quality that is anathema to rock’n’roll of all stripes, but quite appropriate to a style attempting to invoke the musical manifestation of evil; death metal, indeed. The punk that SLAYER was feeding on remained frenetic and wild in its fury, but the band’s inherent rockist sheen prevailed over any rawer impulses in their interpretation of thrash.
The irony is that the LP ended up inspiring an entirely new direction in the hardcore scene that it drew from-- yet that influence was absolutely regressive, and ultimately neutered the very elements in hardcore that had made “Reign in blood” such an astonishingly great record. This is where the crossover bit back. Within six years of the LP’s release, American hardcore was virtually a dead issue, awash with countless bands pushing the blandest mediocrity imaginable-- and all in the name of SLAYER. As the new breed of American “hardcore” developed increasingly independently of old school hardcore and punk rock in general, “Reign in blood” was constantly touted as the source of inspiration, its heaviness and technicality imitated (but, needless to say, rarely duplicated) ad nauseam as its speed, brevity and abandon were ignored, and the resulting music-- think Earth Crisis, Snapcase or any other sluggish, forgettable crap on Victory-- represents the nadir of the last twenty years’ hardcore, a shameful era from which it has only in the past few years begun to recover.

CRO-MAGS “The age of quarrel” LP (Profile, 1986)
One of the most truly original products of American punk, this excellent record signalled the advent of an entirely new era in hardcore history. In retrospect, its influence upon the music’s direction has, like SLAYER’s, proven nearly entirely negative, but taken alone it is a near-perfectly realized fusion of complimentary punk and metal elements.
Many of these songs originally appeared as demo in 1984, and a back-to-back listening of the demo and the (re-recorded) LP is instructive. The cassette is a bona fide classic; tough, fast and definitive New York hardcore with an emphasis on the mosh. Usually credited to the BAD BRAINS, mosh was a crucial stylistic innovation that consisted of abrupt, dynamic mid-tempo breaks in the midst of the usual speedy rush. The mosh part was first heard on such early BAD BRAINS hits as “Right brigade” and the Rastas took it along with them when they left their DC home for NYC in the early ‘80's, where the hard, danceable style was eagerly embraced by a new wave of seminal NYHC outfits. On the LP, however, the songs take on a whole new dimension. The mid-tempo passages are supremely tight and ominous, while the thrash remains raw and powerful. The standard 1-2 punk drumming of the demo session has been replaced by a much heavier rhythmic thunder, and the vocals are strong and dramatic, more singing than hardcore shouting but not the affected crooning of mere metal bands. The metal influence here is clear, but entirely subservient to the hardcore agenda-- less a matter of particular borrowed attributes than a general hardening of approach. There is not an ounce of flab on this recording, metallic excess rejected in favour of a disciplined, streamlined attack and controlled power. Metal fans and hardcore kids responded with equal fervour. The band’s live set was legendary, and an infamous 1986 US tour with MOTORHEAD brought that home to both crowds.
Subsequent to this record, legions of bands around the world sought to mimic the CRO-MAGS’ version of hardcore crossover, soon to become synonymous with NYHC to the extent that the latter term became more a stylistic indicator than a geographic reference. Driven apart by an astounding soap opera scenario of personality conflicts, drug abuse and business issues, various incarnations of the band have released a number of records and toured under the CRO-MAGS name. Like many of the outfits discussed in this piece, however, they never did come close to equalling the quality of their early material, and it seems a safe bet that they never again will.

NAPALM DEATH “Scum” LP (Earache, 1987)
This seminal LP is generally credited with inventing the entire grindcore genre, but I would argue that its actual achievement was, much like that of the RAMONES debut, less a matter of invention than the artful (or inspiringly artless!) uniting of existing threads-- in this case, of severe hardcore and metal-- into an end product so forceful that people had no option than to finally recognize the validity of said impulses by granting them a genre of their own. By no means is this to take anything away from NAPALM DEATH; their outspoken homage to exactly those predecessors (SIEGE and LARM on the punk side, REPULSION and MASTER on the metal end) indicates that they were all too happy to give credit where credit was due to cult ultrathrash outfits.
While the extremity of these speedier passages have guaranteed this record’s place in the history books, however, the more crucial influences are more pedestrian than obscure tape-trade faves like SIEGE. “Scum”’s core sound is a rough-hewn blend of HELLHAMMER/early CELTIC FROST’s gravelly guitar textures and creepy-crawl riffs with the primal hardcore structures and quick delivery of DISCHARGE and their Swedish progeny. While the resulting heaviness and caveman grunting made for easy comparison to such contemporary metal primitivists as DEATH, NECROPHAGIA and the like, the literate political lyrics and atonal, self-destructing Ginn/Bones-inspired leads betrayed the band’s peacepunk roots-- in fact, the overwhelming bleakness of ND’s drone ultimately recalls the textures of earlier RUDIMENTARY PENI or AMEBIX efforts sped up to inhuman velocity. This is especially noticeable on the more structured first side, recorded in 1986. The second side, recorded almost a year later and with a different line-up, finds the outfit playing essentially the same style, but the band has cut down on their grinding in favour of more relentless bursts of speed. This makes for some rather spectacular examples of absolutely tuneless noisethrash at its best-- songs which in their anonymous brutality render pointless just about every record that was to follow in the same vein-- but the true highlights of the LP remain the more distinct, structured efforts of the first side. “Instinct of survival” and “Siege of power” might not generate quite the apocalyptic head-erupting grindcore whirlwind holocaust appeal of Side 2's 15-second blurblasts, but you’re a lot more likely to remember the titles six months later.
“Scum” is a fine record. It’s also an economically sound release, and not only on the strength of its 28 tracks-- owning this slab pretty much releases one from needing to waste money on any further grind vinyl, although the second LP’s refinement of the ultrahigh-speed attack makes a worthwhile investment for anyone who just can’t get enough of the debut’s second side. None of the subsequent full-lengths are worth owning, marred as they are by scruffy new Floridian members and the ensuing death metal overkill that necessarily followed, but don’t let them deter you from exploring this near-unlistenable gem of a debut.

False starts, blind alleys and aftershocks:
TANK “Filth hounds of Hades” LP (1982)/WARFARE “Pure filth” LP (1984)
UK MOTORHEAD freaks mix NWOBHM crunch with punk energy for a fast, stripped-down style that never quite took off as it should have...perhaps the world’s just not big enough for more than one MOTORHEAD?

DYS s/t LP(1984)/YDI “Black gold” LP (1984)/SSD “Break it up” LP (1985)
No crossover here, just erstwhile hardcore heroes striking out hard as they attempt to emulate trad heavy metal without bringing a bit of new energy or ferocity to the plate.

ENGLISH DOGS “To the end of the earth” 12" (1984)/ANTISECT “Out from the void” 7" (1985)/SACRILEGE “Beyond the realm of madness” 12" (1985)/ONSLAUGHT “Power from hell” LP (1985)
The Britpunk crowd hear the first two METALLICA records and a serious lead poisoning epidemic ensues.

AGNOSTIC FRONT “Cause for alarm” LP (1985)/S.O.D.”Speak English or die“ LP (1985)/ CRUMBSUCKERS “Life of dreams” LP (1986)/CARNIVORE s/t LP (1986)
NYHC turns into NYHM, and the results are musically tepid and ideologically regressive; the Ozzy fans love it. Mosh it up, dude.

AMEBIX “Monolith” LP (1987)/AXEGRINDER “Rise of the serpent men” LP (1988)/HELLBASTARD “Heading for internal darkness” LP (1988)/DEVIATED INSTINCT “Rock’n’roll conformity” LP (1988)
The birth of “crust”, as DISCHARGE/Swedish hardcore-obsessed British anarcho trash rediscover BLACK SABBATH en masse, in the shadow of NAPALM DEATH.

Et al:BROKEN BONES/POISON IDEA/ACCUSED/LEEWAY/CASBAH/EXECUTE/ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT/HEIBEL/RATTUS/FINAL CONFLICT/BEYOND POSSESSION/CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER/ REPULSION/SUDDEN IMPACT/DEATH SIDE/ARMAGEDOM/CIVILISED SOCIETY/CONCRETE SOX/RATOS DE PORAO/S.O.B./VERBAL ABUSE...

Here we go, then.

2005-05-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

I used to write, and then somehow I stopped. Given that I wrote primarily about music, and I'm recently finding myself more excited about new music than I have been at any time since the late '80's, this seems as good a time as any to get back in the habit. I'll start by using this blog to host some older pieces, as well as gratuitous rants and raves of newer noise that crosses my path. In the meantime, expect to see coverage of punk rock, hardcore, garage, artpunk, deep soul, power pop and thrash metal here, and by all means let me know if you're writing in a similar blog. As an aside, I hope for this blog to function the way the old Ignatius list did as a way of publically opining about punk rock for a group of literate, informed music nerds, so if any Iggy almuni happen to come across this, please get in touch!

NP: V/A "Complete Stax/Volt singles 1959-1968" CD #7