Suburban Voice blog #34

Not too long ago, I was walking around the track at the YMCA and had Agnostic Front’s “Victim In Pain” playing on my iRiver (NOT iPod because their self-contained software can suck it). First off, after some 23 years, it holds up pretty damn well. I’d deign to call it a classic, in fact. I mean, when that breakdown for “No Justice” comes on, I almost break into circle pit mode on the track.

But there seems a bit of a contradiction in the lyrics, on back to back songs. Nothing major, just one of those things that crossed my mind, around lap 21 of the 25 I was walking. Something I’ve actually thought about for quite awhile when listening to this album. On “Hiding Inside,” Roger sings about keeping feelings bottled up inside, keeping the real person hidden behind a façade. A “character in a hardcore handbook,” as he calls it. And the last line states “we don’t need anymore great American heroes but real people being themselves and not weirdos.” Now, isn’t hardcore and punk meant to be a place for the misfits, the freaks, the “weirdos”? That’s what Dave from MDC said in the “American Hardcore” movie. Of course, I seem to recall a flyer of a NY skinhead grabbing a punk kid wearing an MDC shirt by the nose. By the way, discussing the song itself for a moment, that is one great “Yeeeeeowwww” to kickstart the song. It almost sounds like a tribute to one of those older Warner Bros cartoons.

In any case, after “Hiding Inside,” the next song is “Fascist Attitudes,” which gives a wag of the finger (thanks, Stephen Colbert) for people who are intolerant of others’ style choices. The lyrics go “why should you go around bashing one another? If they look or think different, why let it bother. Everyone’s got their own style, their own thoughts. Don’t let it bother you, don’t let it caught” and also mentions how “we’re all minority and everyone of us counts.” Another plea for unity but if someone wants to be a “weirdo,” shouldn’t that be respected?

Ah yes… a classic case of nitpicking. One of those little things I think about more than I probably should. Idle thoughts to keep my mind off of my thighs getting stiff after all those laps. So if any of those NYHC folks (especially the ones with big muscles) take this the wrong way, please don’t beat me up. In the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Well, maybe it does—cliques, divisions, etc remain a fact of life. Scene unity is always a nice ideal, as expressed on “United and Strong,” another track on “Victim In Pain.” Unfortunately, idealism and reality often isn’t the same thing. And what’s a “scene” anyway? Truth be told, I get tired of labels. I have a friend who talks about someone being a crusty or a hardcore person or a peace punk. I can’t keep up with all the sub-groups anymore. Nor do I really want to. I’m getting too old to worry about this stuff. I do love being a weirdo, though.

What a great album, though! No other subsequent AF release has come close to it….

MUSIC REVIEWS

APPALACHIAN TERROR UNIT-Armageddon Won’t Be Brought By The Gods (Profane Existence, 7” EP)
Straight outta West Virginia—crusty hardcore punk. A spoken intro with somber accompaniment and then the pillage begins. Harsh female/male dual vocals and heavy, piledriving riffage and metallic squalls. The subject matter isn’t exactly cheery, as you’d expect, summed up on the title track with the line “humanity has been lost.” Following a standard musical/lyrical path but it’s convincing. (PO Box 8722, Minneapolis, MN 55408, www.profaneexistence.com)

BAYONETTES-We’re Doomed (Deranged, 7” EP)
Brash, tuneful punk without being sappy-sounding. Vocals that go from sweet to piercing and back again. Despite the upbeat-sounding music, there’s some darkness in the title track and “Take This Pill,” while the other two songs deal with affairs of the heart, also from a less-than-cheery outlook. There’s a tough ’77 era spirit, something that’s quite in vogue of late, but bands such as the Bayonettes make it sound fresh all over again. (1166 Chaster Rd., Gibsons, BC, VON 1V4, CANADA, www.derangedrecords.com)

BELCHING PENGUIN-Demos 1985/1988 (Burrito, 7” EP)
First off, one complaint. This record has way too much surface noise. Perhaps it’s from the colored vinyl but, in any case, it detracts a bit. Belching Penguin were a Florida hardcore punk band—they released one album in 1986, “Draft Beer… Not Me.” Side one features songs from their ’85 demo, done as a three-piece and the flip consists of uncirculated demo songs from ’88. Raw, energetic hardcore punk inspired by DRI and a tiny whiff of crossover. They also had a sense of humor and I imagine that the name of the band probably tips their hand. I imagine that’s also made obvious by “Dead People Can’t Drive” and “Senators’ Wives.” There’s even a childhood trauma revisited on “Box Lunch.” What was interesting is the fact that the guys stuck to the thrashin’ approach in ’88, after it had fallen out of favor. Comes with a xeroxed photo/flyer booklet and fold out poster—and that has a recent interview with their bass-player Jeff Jewhurst. A nice bit of archaeological musical digging here. (PO Box 3204, Brandon, FL 33509-3204, www.soundideadistribution.com)

BREATHING FIRE

BREATHING FIRE (Painkiller, 7” EP)
This southeastern Mass. band just reconvened after a few years off and this is a pressing of their 2004 demo. Spasmatic thrash and heavier, oozing breakdowns that create a menacing ambiance. “Exile,” for instance, slows to a snail’s pace and just hangs there in the air. There’s definitely a doomy metal influence in there (particularly for “Gates Of Ivory’) to go along with the piledriving hardcore. You gotta be in the mood for this type of bludgeon effect. Like a killing spree mood. (8 Burney St., #1, Boston, MA 02120, www.painkillerrecords.com)

BRUTAL KNIGHTS-Feast Of Shame (Deranged, CD)
The Toronto garage/punk miscreants are back for another go-round. The hand-written lyric sheet is tough to read (I REALLY need to invest in a magnifying glass) but the sarcasm-with-a-message-sorta comes through for “Government Asshole,” “The Perfect Buffet” and “We Have A Website.” Jay Reatard did the mixing and the result is a rougher and trebly sound this time around but the Knights haven’t altered the formula that much. It remains loud, rambunctious and a lot of fun if not quite as good as the first album. (1166 Chaster Rd., Gibsons, BC, VON 1V4, CANADA, www.derangedrecords.com)

CAREER SUCIDE-Attempted Suicide (Deranged, CD)
Career Suicide seldom disappoint and this album is no exception. What do you need to know? Snotty, ranting vocals and a high-powered hardcore punk sound that also rocks. Not in that contrived gas station jacket wearing, clichéd devil horn way. Not RAWK, in other words. It’s mixed into the flail and the songs hang onto their catchiness, as well. Having drummer Brandon Ferrell (Direct Control, Government Warning, Municipal Waste) behind the kit makes a big difference, as well—dude can flat out PLAY and he keeps the songs moving like a motherfucker, even when they slow it down a tad for the title track. Bottom line—this is one of the best bands going today. After so many releases, one would think they’d be getting stale but Career Suicide sound positively inspired and inspiring here. (1166 Chaster Rd., Gibsons, BC, VON 1V4, CANADA, www.derangedrecords.com)

DOA-Bloodied But Unbowed (Sudden Death, CD)
This compilation originally came out in 1983, when DOA’s “Something Better Change” and “Hardcore 81” albums were out of print. (it also came out in the early 90s on Restless Records, with their “War on 45” EP tacked on). So the songs presented here were gleaned from both albums, plus there was a new version of the Subhumans’ “Fuck You.” Unfortunately, the songs were remixed and had way too much echo. A few of them were edited, as well. Another case of remixing detracting from the material. Too bad because these songs completely stand the test of time—rousing gems such as “The Enemy,” “New Agee” and “Smash The State,” the scurrilous “13” and “001 Loser’s Club,” or the tuneful “2 + 2” and “Whatcha Gonna Do.” Yep, I’m kind of a purist when it comes to retaining the integrity of the original recordings. Fortunately, the two aforementioned albums (“SBC” and “HC81”) are once again available with their original mixes and running order intact. That’s the place to discover the greatness of DOA. (Cascades PO, Box 43001, Burnaby, BC, CANADA V5G 3H0, www.suddendeath.com)

GOONS/LEGBONE-Split (Rat Town, 7” EP)
I neglected this split for awhile (seems to happen a lot lately). The Goons, from DC, have been around a long time and hammer out two sprightly hardcore punk songs. Serge’s dramatic, over-the-top vocals remain an acquired taste but the songs hit hard. Ohioans Legbone also have a speedy hardcore punk style and are pretty successful at it. In that middle area, where I don’t want to say it’s either great or garbage. That’s the truth about this split. (PO Box 50803, Jacksonville, FL 32240, www.rattownrecords.com)

RETAINERS-Teenage Regrets (Fashionable Idiots, 7” EP)
Love the packaging here—a cut manila folder with a hand screened cover. As for the EP, it’s OK. Raw, distorted garage and surfy elements and nearly-inaudible vocals under the din. Side one, with “Teenage Regrets” and “Zombie Caliente,” are the best tracks. PO Box 580131, Minneapolis, MN 55458, www.fashionableidiots.com)

SCAPEGOAT (Painkiller, 7” EP)
Lumbering heaviness alternating with blast-thrash mania. A few Boston area bands are following this Crossed Out/Infest-inspired template and Scapegoat are one of them. Lyrical fragments screamed from the gut and a thick, cacophonous sound delivered intensely. This isn’t catchy stuff—it’s intense and the recording is full-sounding. Provocative fold-out poster sleeve, as well. (8 Burney St., #1, Boston, MA 02135, www.painkillerrecords.com)

WOUND UP-s/t (Painkiller, 7”)
Three songs of angry punk rock bile, done at a medium pace and quite rockin’. The first song is “How To Make Friends and Influence People” and, if anything, Wound Up don’t sound as though they want to be anyone’s friend, in light of the two other songs, “Fuck Fashion” and “You’re All Wrong.” It’s a lame description, but Donald Jeffers’ vocals are murderous sounding and, yes, they do sound wound up. Incidentally, one of the guitar players used to play with late 80s youth crew stalwarts Unit Pride but this is something a lot different. And better. (8 Burney St., #1, Boston, MA 02120, www.painkillerrecords.com)

Suburban Voice blog #33

You know what’s irritating? When records are pressed in super-limited quantities and, unless you know the secret handshake (to quote the always quotable Aaron Ulcer, late of Straight To Hell, Paindriver and Ulcer) or find out about it the day it’s relased, it’s likely you’ll miss out. A perfect example is the Sex Vid 7” that came out a few months ago. Came and went before I even knew about it and now all I have are MP3s to listen to. Better than nothing, I suppose. If it’s going to be re-pressed, I apologize. At least I have the second 7” on the way. Hopefully…

Seriously, though, if there’s demand for a record, why let it go out of print and end up on eBay a few weeks after it’s been released? I know some people defend this by saying it forces people to search things out, not have it come to them in a passive manner. I call bullshit—it just creates collector elitism. I don’t really care if it’s a first or second pressing—just try to make the damn thing available. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Enough said about that. I’m not going to any shows this weekend but last Saturday, there was a pretty kickass show at the Cambridge Elks with I Object, The Tangled Lines, Out Cold, Minefield, Helping Hand and Sick and Tired. By the end of the night, my head was pounding due to the volume of the bands and the loud DJ’ed music between sets. I was responsible for some of the platter-spinning but, in all seriousness, it doesn’t have to be at an ear-piercing volume. A constant aural bombardment wears thin after 3-4 hours and it’s impossible to carry on a conversation. That’s something I loathe about rock clubs because they think every moment has to be filled with volume. If these shows are meant to be a social gathering as well as a musical one, there should be a lull in the noise for a bit.

I OBJECT

This was a fun time, though. The sets were kept short—in fact, things were ahead of schedule so there was an “intermission” between Minefield and Out Cold. Speaking of the latter, this was one of the best sets I’ve seen from them in awhile. Nary a break between songs—one right into another, a ravaging hardcore punk assault done with clockwork precision. It was one of those sets where they NAILED it. The Tangled Lines played high-energy hardcore, as well, and brought out a spirited response. Luise, their vocalist, put on a Red Sox hat during the set--a sure way to win over the always-parochial Boston audience. OK, maybe not but at least it wasn't a Yankees hat. I've said it before but I Object have really turned into a powerhouse live band in the past few years and Barb loves to get up in people’s faces. There’s a sincerity, here—nothing seems contrived either with the message or presentation. As for the other three bands, I wasn’t too blown away by Helping Hand’s more melodic hardcore but it was serviceable. Sick and Tired ripped out the aggro in much the same way as at the Greyskull basement space not long ago and Minefield’s crusty hardcore is rough around the edges but on the right track.

THE TANGLED LINES

MUSIC REVIEWS

CIDER-They Are The Enemy (Painkiller, LP)
Most of these songs originally came out on a 7” on Painkiller but the band weren’t happy with the sound quality so here it is again on a 12”, along with three decent demo recordings from ’96 and a live song recorded in 2004. A much hotter mix this time. The Clevo nastiness—as mentioned in the review of “Battle of The Worst Bands” compilation, Cider and their compatriots had a chip on their shoulder, to use a cliché. A wanton, fuzzed-out sound with guitar and bass merged into a molten sheet of sound. A combination of breakneck hardcore and taking an oi-ish turn for the live “Thanks For Nothing.”. A phony British accent (“we’re British from Cleveland”) that turn redneck (?!) by the end of the 7” tracks. Quality antisocial punk rock. (8 Burney St., #11, Boston, MA 02120, www.painkillerrecords.com)

COKE BUST-Demo 7” (Headcount, 7” EP)
From DC, with a couple of guys who used to be in Bail Out. Flying the edge flag, going so far to claim that “when I die, there will be an X on my casket.” Giving new meaning to “true ‘til death,” I imagine. Aggressive, fast, in-your-face hardcore punk with the occasional burst of double speed (there’s the usual reservations about that) and some tough breakdowns. Even a metal lead for “No Middle Ground.” There’s definitely an early Revelation Records vibe here and the anger comes through. (www.headcountrecords.com)

GET RAD-Say Fuck No To Rules, Man (Hyperrealist, LP)
This one came out awhile ago but it just got sent to me. The brightly colored cover immediately catches your eye—Get Rad in large letters and a big multi-colored rainbow—which is coming from a broken skull and a bicycle cuts through a road made out of brains. Get Rad offer a similar juxtaposition—in a way, I guess. There’s a positive attitude in many of the songs, along with gang style vocals but also a good amount of anger, both vocally and with some of the sentiments, here. There’s the youthful (aka youth crew) element but without conjuring up the late 80s finger-pointin’ ambiance. It’s hardcore PUNK and they’ve got a sense of humor. In fact, the more I think about it, the tongue seems to be planted firmly into the cheek. In any case, it’s an infectiously upbeat sound and the blink-n-you-miss “Peein’ Red” (to the tune of a certain Minor Threat song you should have no trouble figuring out) is a clever touch. (PO Box 9313, Savannah, GA 31412, www.hyperrealist.com)

MONSTERS-The Worst Of Garage Punk. Vol. 1 (Voodoo Rhythm, dbl. CD)
I didn’t realize this Swiss band had been around since ’86 but that’s the case and here’s a double disc of loose ends—a lot of it live, along with radio performances, demos, out of print vinyl. These guys have always been about keeping it rough—from Beat-Man’s raspy yowl to the garbage-can aural aesthetics on a lot of these songs. In case you weren’t paying attention, the main focus is garage, along with some bluesier and surfier touches. They get crazed and unhinged on some of these songs—a fucked-up sounding “Voodoo Love,” with vocals that sound as though they’re coming through a transistor radio and some backward loop effects for the guitar. In the beginning, there was more of a Childish air at times, such as “Baby I Love You.” A mixed bag, to be sure, and that’s usually been the case with most of the releases I’ve heard from this band. In other words, it’s probably not the best starting point for newcomers to the band, yet there are nuggets scattered over the two discs. (Jurastrasso 15, 3013 Bern, SWITZERLAND, www.voodoorhythm.com)

NOTHINGTON-All In (BYO, CD)
Remember Tsunami Bomb? If not, you should be grateful—they were one of those terrible pop/punk bands that are staples of the Warped Tour. In any case, some of the guys in that band have formed Nothington and, instead of playing pop/punk, they’ve opted for the Social D/heartfelt/heartland kind of approach, with traces of emo/pop/punk still in there. The design matches that songwriterly approach—scribbled words on torn pieces of notebook paper, empty cans, a full ashtray, etc. In any case, I don’t like this band much more than Tsunami Bomb. The gruff, husky vocals aren’t bad at all, but that’s about the only positive I can come up with. (PO Box 67609, LA, CA 90067, www.byorecords.com)

RABIES-Test Your Might (Sorry State, LP)
Snotty west coast skate ‘n destroy punk and picking up where the 7” left off. The production is bright without getting too flashy—it enhances Rabies’ burning properties. Also, there’s no way I would have known that “Plateau” was a Meat Puppets cover if I hadn’t read the credits and Rabies’ version is a high speed dismembering of the Puppets’ laid back acoustic-flavored composition, at least until the end. The other cover is by Magnolia Thunderpussy, an 80s SST Records band and, while I remember the band’s name, I don’t remember the song. It’s another changeup, an oddball ending to this searing album. To steal from Agression (another skate punk band) a bit, these guys have found an effective way to release intense energy. (www.deadmetaphor.com/sorrystate)

TERMINALS-Forget About Never (Dead Beat, CD)
Lo-fi, blown out, organ drenched garage/psych(otic) primitivism. That’s a mouthful, I guess. It begins with a gospel church organ signature but the spirit is aimed at the other place, if you know what I mean. You’d think, with my appreciation for this sort of garage rock noise-mongering, it’d be right up my alley. Sad to say, but it’s just not happening for me. Their cover of the Castaways’ “Liar Liar” is more than just a carbon-copy rendition but, overall, it comes up short. Something is lost, not translating from the sonic whirlwind. The effect is akin to sticking your head into a metal garbage can and having someone smash the side with the cover. In this case, that’s not too pleasant. (PO Box 361392, Cleveland, OH 44136, www.dead-beat-records.com)

VARIOUS-Public Safety (Maximum Rock ‘n Roll, CD)
Not a lot of compilations seem to have much thought put into them these days—there’s the occasional exception. The “Mein Comp” 7” collection a few years ago was killer and the “No Bullshit” 7” comps are off to a fine start, as well. Still, it’s not the heyday when you’d have such classic collections as “This Is Boston Not LA,” “Flex Your Head,” “Someone Got Their Head Kicked In” and the first two MRR comps, “Not So Quiet On The Western Front” and, especially, “Welcome To 1984.” The latter is one of the greatest international anthologies of all time—Raw Power’s “Fuck Authority” completely blew my head off its shoulders. Those comps were an important entry to sample what was going on in the hardcore universe and I imagine that’s the intent here. This is MRR’s first comp since the not-so-great “They Don’t Get Paid” collection in the early 90s and the crew have done a good job here. A worldwide collection of bands that will be familiar to avid hardcore fans but some of the bands aren’t quite as well known. There’s a heavier emphasis on US bands, with half the bands coming from within this country’s borders so maybe it’s not quite as international as it could be. Also, a few of the songs do sound like leftovers. I’ve heard better Observers and Gorilla Angreb songs, for instance. Still, there’s diversity, from the straight-up hardcore of Look Back and Laugh, Direct Control, Limp Wrist, Career Suicide, Strung Up and Regress (an underrated Chicago band with 80s hardcore veterans). Israelis Smartut Kahol Lavan also deserve to be heard by a larger audience. The more tuneful, punkier side of the spectrum is visited by No Hope For The Kids, Smalltown, Pedestrians and Signal Lost (whose song is a little rougher sounding than in the past and that’s a plus). Regulations connect with their patented snotty punk. Youth crew stalwarts The First Step offer a short, energetic song. Aaritila and Sunday Morning Einsteins bring the Scandinavian aggro. Is it perfection? No, but there’s still plenty to recommend here. (PO Box 460760, SF, CA 94146, www.maximumrocknroll.com)

Suburban Voice blog #32

I’m not an expert on record production or recording quality but I know what I like at this point. I especially think about these things when digging out records/CDs from the late 80s. Why was it necessary for those albums to feature such cavernous, echo-laden (for want of a better term) production, especially on the drums? It’s funny—there’s the infamous Judge “Chung King” sessions album that was released in an ultra-limited quantity of 100 copies as Chung King Can Suck It.” It later got issued as part of the Judge discography CD. It’s not that great a recording, in all honesty—the drums sound like shit--but there’s still something appealing to the roughness of the mix. Of course, the production for “Bringin’ It Down” was cavernous and bombastic. It does make “The Storm” sound pretty fuckin’ powerful, though.

For loud music—whether it was hardcore, metal or something in between, that type of mixing was favored during that time period. In the past few months, I noticed those sonic properties with albums by Wrecking Crew, Wargasm and Wrathchild America (and that’s just some W’s!). It also occurred when older material was remixed for reissue—in particular, I’m thinking about the pointless remixes of the first two Articles of Faith EPs for their “Core” reissue in the late 80s (the same mixes were later used for the Alternative Tentacles reissues, as well) and the absolutely horrendous remixes for Discharge’s “Never Again” anthology. There were remixes for the songs on “Hear Hothing See Nothing Say Nothing,” the “Never Again,” “Decontrol” and “State Violence State Control” 7”s. A disgrace. A disgusting defilation and ruination of classic records. Lest people think I’m being hyperbolic, it’s the goddamned truth. When I asked Discharge member Tezz about the remixes, he said, in a disgusted tone, that it was their (now former) vocalist Cal’s idea. Cal should have been brought up on charges of artistic butchery for what he did to those songs. Unfortunately, the remixes for the 7”s also showed up on the double CD anthology, “Decontrol.” However, I do believe that the original mix is available for “Hear Nothing” and it remains one of the best punk albums of all time. Crushing from start to finish and the “State Violence/Doomsday” 7” is also perfection. Hopefully the original mixes of those EPs will be restored because that’s the way they were MEANT to be heard.

These days, there’s also overproduction for hardcore records. It’s not a style of music that needs to be that slickly recorded. It doesn’t have to sound completely lo-fi either although that can also be highly effective. I love the production (or lack of it) on the EPs by Formaldehyde Junkies and Chronic Seizure, for instance. A lot of the records recorded at Will Killingsworth’s Dead Air studios in Western Mass. have a warm, gripping sound without being overproduced. At least there less of that goddamned echo, these days.

MUSIC REVIEWS

COMPLETE WASTE-s/t (demo)
Five song cassette demo (also available on CD-R) from this Minneapolis hardcore band. Another band who fit the loud/fast thrash mode and screaming out the standard themes of alienation. They sometimes double up on the speed and it may not be a good idea for the guitarist to try a solo, as on “Why Do I Bother.” Not bad and it’s got good production, as well. (Cavan Reilly, 14 Oak Grove St., #306, Minneapolis, MN 55403, brian@tchardcorejournal.com)

FUK/CHAOS UK-split (HG Fact, split CD single)
Two songs apiece from UK band Fuk and expatriates Chaos UK and sharing ¾ of the lineups. An intertangled history, too confusing to detail but Mower and Gabba are both longtime Chaos UK people. Moving on to the music (that’s the point, right?) Fuk have a fast, ferocious sound—I know how to turn a phrase, eh? The Chaos UK’s songs are a medley, essentially, starting with a sample saying “you are free to do as we tell you,” a moment of Japanese music and then careeening into a sound closer to speed metal on “All or Nothing,” although “Hearts Of Noize” has some of the early 80s spirit. Blazing fodder from both bands. (http://www.interq.or.jp/japan/hgfact)

JILTED/BEYOND DESCRIPTION-split (Forest, CD)
VARIOUS-The Path To True Independence (Forest, CD)
A two-way split and a four way split. First, Italian band Jilted tear through their three songs with flail and scream and adequate ferocity. Beyond Description hammer away with a veteran band’s skill—aggressive, rampaging hardcore. They show up again on the four way split, along with Asbestos, Totsugeki Sensya and Destruction. The best band here is Totsugeki Sensya—a raw distorted attack that eschews the metal. Beyond Description introduce more of a metallic side on these songs. They have better releases and there’s the bass-pedal distraction but the songs aren’t bad. The tracks on the split with Jilted are better, though. Asbestos follow with an excessive, overwrought song, both in length and vocally. Once again, they have better material elsewhere. Finally, Destruction’s fast ‘n heavy opus is pretty good and it’s a shame they’re limited to one song here. (c/o Hideyuki Okahara, Ceramica 2 #301, 2-1-37 Minami, Kokubunji, Tokyo, JAPAN, okahara@pop02.odn.ne.jp)

LES HATEPINKS-Tête Malade/Sick In The Head (TKO, CD-EP)
Tres malade, tres bon. Vous écouterez ceci ou vous êtes stupide. I think you can probably figure out what I just typed. If not, all you need to know is this is a fuckin’ cool EP. Les Hatepinks put ’77 punk snot and post-punk into a scintillating mélange, uh, mix. Jabbing songs with a hit ‘n run quality and an edgy quirkiness. “Sweep The Shit” adds a little roche de garage to wind things up. Les Hatepinks had two previous albums and 2005’s “Plastic Bag Ambitions” (also on TKO) is worthy of your time, as well. (8941 Atlanta Ave., #505, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, www.tkorecords.com)

MEHKAGO N.T.-s/t (S.O.Y., CD)
Blazing lower-tuned Swedish-style hardcore-meets-metal (at least to my ears), recorded in a no doubt hot/humid summer environment in Florida. So it’s natural they’d sound mighty agitated. The growly/distorted vocals make me thing of Gordo from Ratos De Porao. Five fast-paced, punishing songs with brutalizing breakdowns. (www.mehkagont.com)

MISS 45-s/t (No Talent, CD)
OOO-WE-OOO-OOO… You hear that a lot on this five songer by Miss 45. Trash punk/rock ‘n roll outta Sweden. The guitar licks are occasionally Thundersy but they aren’t that campy looking. The drummer has a beard, for fuck’s sake. In any case, “High Heeled Bitches” may be a tad puerile in the lyric department but it’s catchy. So is the creatively-titled, rockin’ “(Everything’s More Fun) When You’re High.” “Don’t Wanna Be Like That” takes a quieter turn and, at nearly 5 minutes, isn’t nearly as scintillating. Good, if nothing to make you lose your marbles. (www.notalentrec.com)

NIGHTSTICK JUSTICE-s/t (CD-R)
Pure negativity, anger, outrage—and the music matches the attitude. Four songs of full-tilt thrash without a break. The guitar lines have plenty of sizzle-wizzle without being excessive. I mean, there are only so many ways to describe straight-ahead hardcore punk but I’ll say that this demo begs for a vinyl release. (www.myspace.com/nightstickjusticeba)

OUT WITH A BANG-I’m Against It EP (Fashionable Idiots, 7” EP)
Whoaah. I may tend to overuse the term scorching but it fits here. Out With A Bang, from Italy and featuring the snotty vocals of former Grabbies’ mouth Alessandro, play with a devil-may-care ferocity. A middle finger proudly raised as they bash through these short, adrenalin charged blasts, with no breaks between the songs, except when you pause to flip the record over. Garage, hardcore and punk on a collision course, even getting a tad weirder for “Hurt Yourself.” A little better produced than the Grabbies but still rough. A US pressing of their limited-run 12” and with one extra song. Punk fucking rock. (PO Box 580131, Minneapolis, MN 55458, www.fashionableidiots.com)

RAW RADAR WAR

RAW RADAR WAR-s/t (self-released, CD)
If there’s an intersection of ultra-heavy, thick metallized riffage and hardcore thrash, Raw Radar War have found it. If anything, these guys make me think of the Melvins in terms of the crush factor. The vocalist is Jonah Jenkins, formerly of Only Living Witness, Miltown and Milligram and he unleashes the anger in a ripthroat style hadn’t used before. There’s a brevity to the compositions until the band get to punishing epic “Truckloads Of Ammunition.” A sound to open the terrain and swallow you whole. RRW are a loud, chaotic dynamo live and this disc gives you a pretty good indication of that. (http://rawradarwar.com)

SPLITTING HEADACHE

SPLITTING HEADACHE-Night Terrors (Collapse, LP)
To recap, Splitting Headache include people from Tear It Up, Forward To Death, Dead Nation and Full Speed Ahead. I think that covers it. All that matters is what’s on the turntable anyway, right? And this album has been on there quite a bit since I acquired it. As you’d probably imagine, it’s a loud, aggressive hardcore punk sound. Not blindingly fast, either, although they do stick to a quick pace and there are some hot guitar licks. It’s a common, perhaps simplistic thing to point out but when there’s a punk and rock ‘n roll drive to this style, it works well. The lyrics convey alienation, uncertainty, fear and outrage, looking both inward and outward—for instance, the shattered lives of veterans that is the subject of “Another Headstone.” Lest it get completely heavy, their cover of the Big Boys’ “Narrow View” is an inspired choice and conclusion to this solid effort. (collapserecords@gmail.com)

TOTAL ABUSE-s/t (Drug Money, tape)
A 7” is due from this Texas band pretty soon but, in the meantime, here’s an 8 song cassette. The letter says it includes ex-members of the Snobs, who put out a couple of pretty cool 7”s in the early ‘00s (hard to believe I’m using that term now). Raw, basic hopped-up hardcore punk with aggro and adrenalin. Some early Boston HC, DRI and Poison Idea influences—nowhere near that level yet, of course, and, as usual, the double speed doesn’t always work to their advantage. But they definitely get it right on some songs here. (3703 Werner Ave., Austin, TX 78722, www.geocities.com/drugmoneyrecs)

TOTAL CHAOS-17 Years Of Chaos (SOS, CD)
This anthology disc actually covers 13 years of releases, going back to ‘94’s “Pledge Of Defiance” up until the recent “Freedom Kills” plus a few new and unreleased songs. 100% pure punk, in case you didn’t know—mainly in the UK82-inspired vein, although not strictly following that form. There’s the occasional ’77-styled song, as well, such as “Baby I Hate You.” In fact, most of the songs in that vein come from 1996’s “Anthems From The Alleyway,” where they come across with a Rancid vibe and represented a jump from the spottier “Pledge Of Defiance.” The lyrics get right to the point—painting the sentiments in broad strokes so you can’t possibly misunderstand them. The liner notes are way too tiny for me to read but, glancing at them, it tells the band’s story. The band’s spirited punk style is on the guilty pleasure side and 28 songs at once a bit much but a spiky dose from time to time isn’t such a bad thing. (PO Box 3017, Corona, CA 92878, www.sosrecords.us)

Suburban Voice blog #31

So how y’all doing? Three weeks, this time. Well, it’s better than a month between installments, which occurred last time. And it’s MUCH quicker than how quickly I get the print version out. The last one of those was—oh, never mind. Also, to once again assuage everyone’s concerns, YES, I’m still planning on publishing in the print form. It’s a new year, a fresh start and, besides, it’s too fucking cold outside to want to go out and play, baseball doesn’t start for over a month and there’s only one football game left.

As 2006 turned into 2007, it made me realize a couple of things. I first got into punk rock in 1977 and, in 1982, hardcore also became an integral part of my life. It hasn’t loosened its grip on me, ever since. So it’ll be the 30th anniversary of the first time I heard the Sex Pistols, Clash, Damned, Ramones, DMZ, Dead Boys, Real Kids, etc… There will be 25th anniversaries of shows that completely changed my life. Even though I often felt like an outsider in the local hardcore punk scene (at first, anyway), it was where I belonged. It was the perfect place for someone who didn’t connect with the so-called normal world, who felt different, out of step. I felt even less of an affinity with the people involved in the early Boston punk scene, since I started going to shows awhile after it was well-established. Most of the people involved in the late 70s were a few years older than me, anyway, and it was a tad intimidating. Especially because the few friends I had weren’t into punk rock at all and I was too shy to get to know those who were already involved. But it felt like the right thing, musically. It was exciting and pushed the aggression and energy I liked in my rock ‘n roll to what felt like an extreme, at the time. The fact that it annoyed most people I knew was a big plus.

Fortunately, my girlfriend (now wife) Ellen, who had no familiarity with punk before she started dating me in 1979, was willing to accompany me when I ventured into the clubs. I remember that on my 20th birthday in 1980, she took me to see the Neighborhoods at a club called Jonathan Swift’s in Harvard Square. That may have been one of the first shows we saw together—it was the first I’d gone to in quite awhile because, in April of ‘79, they raised the drinking age from 18 to 20 and didn’t grandfather in those who had already been “legal” after turning 18. So that show was a celebration at my regained entry into the local punk rock demimonde—by the way, there was a show on the MIT station WTBS (now WMBR) called the Demimonde that nurtured my punk obsession, starting around March of 1978 and the mix tapes I made from that show still provide the basis for some of my sets on the radio show.

When I think of that Neighborhoods show, I can still see David Minehan jumping around, with a sinister grin, making scissor kicks with his legs, the guitar angled like a weapon—it was overpowering and their single that came out around then, “Prettiest Girl” b/w (backed with, for those who don’t know) “No Place Like Home,” was damned good but didn’t capture their live sound at all. Still, Ellen loves hearing that single and other records from that time because she says it reminds her of when we were first dating. Certain records from that time period have the same effect on me. I just found a video on YouTube of those two songs, performed live for a Boston TV show and that'll give you an idea of what they were like at the time:

That’s what makes this punk rock thing special to me. Even if that wide-eyed feeling of newness is never going to be completely recaptured, there’s still enough that’s going on now to inspire me and fend off that aging process. Well, somewhat!

And now, some of those newer sounds…

CREATURES OF THE GOLDEN DAWN-An Incident At Owl Creek Bridge (Get Hip, CD)
The band’s first album in over a decade and offering up light garage/psych//beat pop—more melodic than raunchy and that neutralizes the desired buzz. The final track, a cover of the Red Crayola’s “Hurricane Fighter Plane” does have a higher energy level and I wish the rest had that much “oomph” to it. Listenable, but with more sting, I have a feeling it could have been killer (PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, www.gethip.com)

DEADFALL-Mass Destruction (Six Weeks, CD)
Collecting all the 7”s, comp tracks and a rough-sounding demo track. Bay Area thrash—raw and unadorned, angry, etc. Early DRI is a clear influence —short, fast songs and it might be a tad more effective if they eased up on the ultra-fast speed from time to time. The occasional curve-ball, such as the surf-flavored “What A Bogus.” You get your bile’s worth, here and don’t expect a lot of melody, just fury. (225 Lincoln Ave., Cotati, CA 94931, www.sixweeksrecords.com)

GENERATIONS-Our Times (Mankind, CD-EP)
I hate to say it but this is pretty laughable. That’s what pops into my head while playing 5 song plus an intro CD. An earnest, emotional vocal delivery, gang backups, sweeping riffs, floorpunchin’ breakdowns and this Connecticut band also add a melodic quotient. OK, as simple as the lyrics are, I’ll give ‘em credit for the critique of government policy on “Perdition” but the rest is edge boilerplate. (PO Box 265, Bellflower, CA 90707, www.mankindrecords.com)

GOLDBLADE-Punk Rockers In The Dance Hall (SOS, CD)
Jack of all trades, master of… well, you probably know the rest. If not, this is a wide-ranging collection (a compilation of their previous four albums) incorporating everything from Clash-ized punk to Hellacopters-inspired rawk to soul to reggae to pop. Goldblade play with enthusiasm—punchy production, a certain tunefulness but it doesn’t do a thing for me. It’s more like a revue than punk rock—there’s something cheesy about it and not in a particularly good way. (www.sosrecords.us)

MIDNIGHT RESURRECTOR-Life and Definition (HG Fact, CD)
M-E-T-A-L! The real stuff, man. Well, thrash/power metal and Midnight Resurrector haven’t completely left hardcore behind. “Revert To The Brains” is a sub-minute blast. Kid brays out the vocals in a hoarse cadence—some of the enunciation reminds me of Tom G. Warrior. The axeman, Daisuke Yamaguchi wields an impressive Flying-V. There’s even an acoustic interlude that avoids pretentiousness (not an easy feat). The English lyrics do seem clumsy and it may have made more sense to sing in their native language but, in all honesty, it’s more a way they read than sound. At least he encourages knowledge, chiding people with “Intellect-Phobia.” Maybe they’re inventing their own language. Midnight Resurrector aren’t writing a new musical language but it’s a scorching one, nonetheless. (www.interq.or.jp/hgfact)

PULLING TEETH-Vicious Skin (A389, 10”/Chainsaw Safety, CD)
Vocalist Mike Riley logged time as the vocalist of the Spark and this band is decidedly more metal sounding, while hanging on to some of the hardcore influence. But there’s a Slayer-like charge to “Prepare For The Worst,” especially the opening segment which takes a few notes from “Piece By Piece.” That’s not the only Slayer-esque moment, either. Plenty of adrenlain and the metal is convincing, instead of some lunkheaded chug chug approximation. The 10” comes with a huge fold-out poster that replicates the cover art. (A389: PO Box 12058, Baltimore, MD 21281, www.a389records.com/Chainsaw Safety: PO Box 260318, Bellerose, NY 11426, www.chainsawsafetyrecords.com)

SHORT FUSE

SHORT FUSE-s/t (Assault/Underestimated, LP)
This album’s been out for awhile but I just got a copy and it’s been on the ‘ol turntable quite a bit since then. Short Fuse are from Germany but have a decidedly US hardcore approach. The sharp, back-to-basics sound with a clean, slashing guitar tone and agitated vocals. And while the sound is familiar, sometimes a chaotic element is added to a guitar or bass riff. “Confused,” for instance, has a bumblebee bass line that instantly brings Void’s “Explode” to mind. I’m going to stop overanalyzing now. Confrontational music, confrontational lyrics—for one thing, they’re not fans of Turbojugend (Turbonegro)…and they don’t hold back. (1349 N. Bell, Chicago, IL 60622, underestimatedrecords@gmail.com)

SICK ON THE BUS-Go To Hell (SOS, CD)
You know, Sick On The Bus need a little less subtlety in their lyrics. I mean, there’s a poetic quality to the opening line “So Jesus is coming to save me, well he can suck my cock.” Abstract words from a sensitive muse. You can stop laughing now. Punk/thrash/metal crossin’ over and back from this grizzled unit. The album was originally released in 2002 and catches SOTB in high energy mode. A whole lotta GBH and Broken Bones in the sound—especially the warped wit of the former. It won’t make you forget either band, though. (www.sosrecords.us)

TERMINAL YOUTH-s/t (To Live A Lie/DeRok/Give Praise, LP)
With their first album, Terminal Youth have taken it up a notch. Hammering thrash and grind/powerviolence moves that don’t overwhelm things. Tight playing, easily able to navigate the tempo transitions and the addition of a second guitarist adds to the band’s overpowering qualities, as well. Elements of early Dropdead, Crossed Out, while the songs that close each side of the LP have more of an anthemic, mid-paced style that bring 9 Shocks Terror to mind. Will Killingsworth’s recording is full-sounding without being too slick. Terminal Youth have evolved into a raging band. (www.terminalyouth.tk)

TERMINAL YOUTH

VIOLENT ARREST-s/t (Deranged, LP)
When I first played this record on my radio show, I said the members of Violent Arrest were grizzled UK veterans and that’s an apt description. I could list some of the pedigrees here—Excrement Of War, Heresy, Ripcord—three quarters of the band, here—and a couple of ‘em were in Dumbstruck a few years back. As you’d guess, these guys play it loud and fast but there’s an inherent tunefulness—well, in a hardcore punk framework. Work with me here. They’re not completely reliant on speed, either—“Cannon Fodder” pounds away at a more measured pace. “Leavin’ With Fuck All,” meantime, has more of a DisScandiThrash (© Quint, 2007) feel. I’m around the same age as these guys (maybe a little older) and it’s always good to see that, for some, the urge to rage, the need to have an outlet to exorcise life’s frustrations, irritations and disappointments doesn’t end when you hit 25 or 30. People who scoff at those sentiments are invited to go fuck themselves. Good job by these chaps. (www.derangedrecords.com)

Suburban Voice blog #30

Happy New Year! Sorry for taking so fucking long this time. I won’t let this blog turn into the print version of SV, where it disappears for long stretches of time. And, yes, I’m still doing a print version. Eventually. Don’t know when. I’ll let you know.

In any case, here’s my wrap-up of 2006. Well, a musical roundup. For a personal roundup, please refer to my MySpace blog (http://blog.myspace.com/poisonidea82) Let’s just say, in addition to the support of my wife and friends, music once again helped me through it, although there have been stronger years for releases. I probably played the Black SS album more than any other this past year. Blowfly’s cover of a certain Ramones song, re-titled “I Wanna Be Fellated” deserves song of the year honors. Maybe not but, the first time I heard it, I literally couldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes. When I played it on the radio show for the first time, I had to take a break until I stopped laughing. There are only a few other truly memorable songs on the album but it earns its way on the list, anyway.

It seems as though I’m always writing about how alternative spaces for shows come and go around here, although seems to be a slight improvement lately. On the other hand, the bad news is that Regeneration Records has shut its doors. It was a record store/tattoo parlor/show space. They had to stop doing shows in late June after receiving a noise complaint. Sue, one of the store’s co-owners, posted this on a local message board: “After the shows ended in June, the record store suffered, as well as the finances. The tattoo shop carried the store and it was in bad shape; falling apart, needing new paint, fixtures, etc. We decided to remove the records and put money into adding more tattoo booths and fixing up the place, which would cost an insane amount of money, which we don’t have. Ross and I are just burned out, broke and ready to end this before it destroys us.
Thank you, everyone for you support and kindness.” Regen was only one part of Boston’s DIY punk scene but it’s still a loss. Sue and Ross deserve a lot of credit for what they did.

LA PIOVRA

I still haven’t been making out to that many shows of late but there were a couple in mid to late December worth mentioning. First, at the Cambridge Elks, Italian band La Pivora were mesmerizing. I still need to scribble a review of their 12” but that record and their new 7” on Punks Before Profits both kick ass. They have the presentation of fellow Italians Raw Power, with “the moves,” so to speak, but the sound merges thrash, garage and rock ‘n roll. A lot of bands do that, I know, but La Piovra totally brought it. As for the other bands, hit and miss. Crusty Craig Lewis’ new band Weapons Grade don’t really grab me, at this point, like his last couple of bands (Keep Laughing and Melee) but it’s a different type of sound, varying from fast punk to slightly more brooding material. I’ll give ‘em time. Fruit Salad, as always, dished out a cacophonous assault. Raw Radar War, with former Only Living Witness vocalist Jonah Jenkins, have a loud, heavy sound that fuses crushing, distorted heaviness with hardcore aggression. Showing some crusty roots with a Doom cover and Boston hardcore tribute with a Jerry’s Kids cover. Glad I had my earplugs ‘cause they were LOUD.

TERMINAL YOUTH

The final show I saw in 2006 was at Castle Greyskull, the current basement space in Allston that’s been hosting a fair number of shows lately. This one, with Terminal Youth, Aerosols and Civil Crisis, was off the hook. Maybe a little too off the hook, since the thrashing throngs nearly pulled down the overhead pipe and some asbestos dust did sprinkle over our heads. Yep, we’re doomed. In any case, Civil Crisis, from the ‘boibs (Chelmsford, to be exact) rip out fast hardcore with youthful energy. The Aerosols, from Amherst, play whirlwind hardcore ala Das Oath and that’s where the audience mayhem began. The same sort of mayhem for Terminal Youth, who were celebrating the release of their album and the start of a tour. The double-speed attack remains but other songs are at a more reasonable pace and the band sound more focused. Craziest response I’ve ever seen them get and it could have been partially due to the close quarters. In any case, after they played, the show had to be stopped because a cop car was slowly cruising up the street. That meant that Social Circkle didn’t get to play—and that sucks—but it was still a raging way to end the year.

Without further ado, I present the best of 2006, all sections in alphabetical order:

BEST LIVE BANDS:

Brutal Knights (practice space show in Boston)
Fucked Up (Regeneration Records, Boston)
Government Warning/Pissed Jeans (Pointless Fest, Philly)
Hero Dishonest (basement show in Boston)
Kohu-63 (basement show in Boston)
Limp Wrist (Redrum loft space, Providence)
Look Back and Laugh and Army of Jesus (last show at Regeneration Records)
New Bomb Turks (Abbey Lounge, Somerville, MA)
Nine Shocks Terror, Black SS, The Jury (Valentine’s, Albany)
No Hope for The Kids (Millcreek Tavern, Philly)
Out Cold (Regeneration Records, Boston)
La Piovra (Elks Lodge, Cambridge, MA)
Victims (Democracy Center, Cambridge, MA)

LP’S/CD’S/12”:

BLACK SS-Foreign Object
BLANK ITS-Happy Accidents
BLOWFLY-Blowfly’s Punk Rock Party
CAUSTIC CHRIST-Lycanthropy
GOVERNMENT WARNING-No Moderation
HERO DISHONEST-When The Shit Hits The Man
LA PIOVRA-one sided 12”
MIKA MIKO-C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.
POISON IDEA-Latest Will And Testament
REPOS-Hearts and Heads Explode
SHELL SHOCK-Born To Kill
SLAYER-Christ Illusion
SMARTUT KAHOL LAVAN-Spontaneous Violence
THE SPARK-Nobody’s Laughing
STATE-All Wrong
STRAIGHT TO HELL-Commence The Apocalypse
WITCH HUNT-Blood-Red States
WORLD BURNS TO DEATH-Totalitarian Sodomy

7”:

ARMY OF JESUS-Book Bomb
BLANK STARE-both s/t EPs
CARDIAC ARREST-Life’s A Dead End
CHRONIC SEIZURE-Brainsick and s/t EPs
CLOAK/DAGGER-Pinata
CONVERSIONS/WITCHES WITH DICKS-split
CONVERSIONS-s/t
DEEP SLEEP-You’re Screwed
FORMALDEHYDE JUNKIES-s/t
HOMOSTUPIDS-The Glow
THE JURY-I Hate The Future
KIELTOLAKI-s/t
LIMP WRIST-Just Like You
LOOK BACK AND LAUGH-Street Terrorism
TODAY’S OVERDOSE-s/t
VOLENDAM DISEASE-At War With God
WASTED TIME-s/t

Demos:

CIVIL CRISIS
POISON CONTROL
THE YOUTHS

… AND NOW, THE REGULAR REVIEW SECTION…

AMERICA’S DIRTY THIRTYS-Movement For Tomorrow (Yellow Dog, CD)
OK—there aren’t any surprises here. Hailing from the Bay Area, cut from the mold of Discharge or Varukers or Final Conflict, with a vocalist who affects a British accent (if he is British, my apologies). In other words, this is utterly generic, cookie-cutter, etc. That said, I kind of like it—I’ll always be a sucker for this style of punk. So, um, up da punx and turn it up. They’ve recently changed their name to ADT (Attack Disarm Takeover). (PO Box 550208, 10372 Berlin, GERMANY, www.yellowdog.de)

BLACK BEAUTIES-Catch A Beat (Full Breach Kicks, CD)
The power pop revival continues. Well, power pop with a punk snottiness and also including glam-rock touches, without it being a completely dominant factor. Candy Canderson aims to exude bravado and cool, even though he does that with a higher, yelping voice. Sure, the guitar sound has the standard 70s influence (rock ‘n roll, not histrionics) but it gets the job more than done and the bass-lines are the underrated element here—supporting the songs and adding its own melodic dynamic. In other words, it makes the songs move—gets ‘ya bouncing around. I’m still bouncing here. Enjoyable cheez-whiz without getting overly sugary—most of the time. (2060 N. Carolina Ave., Chicago, IL 60647, www.fullbreach77.com)

GEE STRINGS-A Bunch Of Bugs (Dead Beat, CD)
Completely enjoyable garage/punk/rock ‘n roll. The German-accented vocals from Ingi are endearing, as are the snappy tunes. While every record in this style seems to have at least one cover version, the Gee Strings’ choice of the Nervous Eaters’ “Just Head” is inspired. And when I hear the opening guitar chords to “Go Skid Rock,” it makes me want to shake it for all it’s worth, even though it probably shouldn’t be shaken at this point. “Let’s Make Up & Screw” is a title you’re likely to remember and I won’t snitch and say the first guitar lick sounds quite a bit like New Bomb Turks’ “Professional Againster.” The album ends with two more melodic songs—“Love Shock” still packs a punch but “So Messed Up,” while tough, isn’t that mesmerizing a conclusion, even with its Dead Boys inspiration. In any case, this is still plenty satisfying. (PO Box 361392, Cleveland, OH 44136, www.dead-beat-records.com)

HERO DISHONEST-When The Shit Hits The Man (ACME, CD)
When Hero Dishonest played a basement show in Boston in late ’06, it wasn’t necessary shit flying but there was plenty of dust ‘n dirt. Flailing hardcore punk from the veteran Finnish crew, but with nuance. Not just thrash-a-mania. Since the last album, “Let Your Poison Scream,” Hero Dishonest have shed a vocalist (it used to be a dual screamer set-up) but the sound remains as boisterous as ever. Fast, tight and navigating some wild twists and turns—for instance, there’s a rhythmic tribal flavor to “Road To The Arctic Ocean.” One also hears a hint of Black Flag guitar strafe—in fact, these guys have a substantial US hardcore influence. There’s the obligatory cover version and it’s Deep Wound’s “I Saw It”—not a band everyone covers, though. The lyrics, mainly in English, have a sarcastic bent, especially when discussing certain elements of punk rock. I get the feeling they don’t have a lot of patience for some folks’ stridency of belief or humorlessness—kind of summed up on “Bring Your Own Toilet Paper: with “no no no, don’t believe the crust/life ain’t that bad, the sky won’t fall/it’s just too much d-beat, broken toilets, bad attitude and a wrong diet.” Hero Dishonest don’t merely try to fit a certain mold, opting instead to create an atmosphere of pure burn. (PO Box 441, Dracut, MA 01826, www.acmerecords.net)

PEDESTRIANS-Ideal Divide (A Wrench In The Gears, 12” EP)
Someone recently joked that Pedestrians only know one tempo but play it very well. That’s true. This band stick to a medium speed but imbue it with plenty of punch and catchiness. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, their songs have that tuneful yet brawny punk sound that’s been a Chicago tradition for the past two decades. While there’s a political angle in the lyrics, they don’t hit you over the head with it although Jordan’s vocals are far from passive-sounding. Bright, bristling guitars and a floor-stomping bass-drums tandem that really propel things. (PO Box 476903, Chicago, IL 60647)

SOCIAL CIRCKLE-Static Eyes (No Way, 7” EP)
Debut vinyl for Boston’s Social Circkle and it’s sharp, catchy punk rock. I imagine that’s a catch-all, vague description. Influenced by an older west coast punk sound—think of what the Regulations or No Hope For The Kids are doing, although with a little more snottiness and not as poppy. “USSA” and “Cut Loose” have more of a UK style to them. Some hot bands have emerged around here over the past year or so and Social Circkle are definitely one of those. (www.nowayrecords.com)

THIN THE HERD-Mournful and Overcast (A Wrench In The Gears, LP)
Tune it low, bash it out, with crusty aplomb. A Swedish-influenced blast, accompanied by howling from a pair of vocalists (one of ‘em doubles on guitar) and it’s a pretty powerful assault. Only 7 songs here so it’s stretched out a bit but doesn’t become ponderous. Mournful and overcast fits the mood—the guitars kind of hang over everything like a thick dark cloud and the lyrics, railing against a decaying world (as you’d expect) complement the heaviness. Sometimes, such as on “Bitter Ashes,” there’s no buildup, just an immediate speed-driven pillage. Quite an impressive package, too, with a gatefold sleeve, haunting artwork and fold-out poster. You can’t get THAT from an MP3 download! (PO Box 476903, Chicago, IL 60647)

VALSE TRISTE-Madon Luku (If Society, CD)
Bass-driven as fuck—that’s the instrument that’s dominant here, although there’s also some six-string mangling, as it’s described on the case. Bottom-heavy aggro from this long-time Finnish band. Comparisons to NoMeansNo are kind of inevitable, given that bass-dominance, but Valse Triste favor a pure attack—not much ebb and flow or subtle shadings. These guys go from straight-ahead speed bombs to rhythmically complex arrangements. One constant is the ranting dual vocals that have the harsh inflection that’s been a mainstay of Finnish hardcore. Pumping up the thunder. (PO Box 6, 00511 Helsinki, FINLAND, www.ifsociety.com)

VARIOUS-Battle Of The Worst Bands (Noncommercial, LP)
It comes down to this—hardcore punk rock was meant to be angry, meant to be anti-social. Sure, there’s room for positivity, community, etc etc but there’s community in a bunch of misfits gathering together to blow off steam, to let out the rage. The Cleveland bands on this LP understood that and came around at a time in the 90s when this kind of fuzz-blare wasn’t in style. The H-100s and, later, 9 Shocks Terror also drew from that well. A 12” pressing of three 7” EPs from the Darvocets (their tracks also appear on their recent Gloom CD anthology), Cider and the Ruiners. Brainwashed Youth’s songs weren’t released on vinyl, previously. The commonality here is the raw, in your face sound and raspy vocals, affecting an English accent for the BY and Cider songs. The first BY song is called “I Don’t Really Like You” and that’s an understatement. Cider and BY both have an oi-inspired sound strained through mid-western hardcore nastiness. The Ruiners opt for more of a pure hardcore approach while the Darvocets are the semi-oddballs in the bunch, especially with Larry’s higher-pitched vocals. You won’t forget the “I’m a little teacup” exultation at the start of their cover of the Authorities’ “Radiationmasturbation” and KBD punk is part of the equation here. Damn—if I’d heard these bands earlier, there’s a good chance I would have been weaned off some regrettable ‘90s musical pursuits. This record will hopefully wean people off ‘00s lameness. Well, 300 of ‘em because that’s all there are. (1028 Kenilworth Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113, www.noncommercialrecords.com)

WORLD BURNS TO DEATH-Totalitarian Sodomy (Hardcore Holocaust, LP)
Intense in every facet—the music, the lyrics, the descriptions and, especially, the cover art, drawn by Sakevi from GISM. The latter element caused a delay for the album’s release, since one company refused to print the cover. A demonic Bush at the center, surrounded by all sorts of chaotic imagery of fire, dead bodies, nudity, photos of Cheney, Kissinger, Anne Frank, an Israeli flag, the twin towers. A lot to take in, as are the wrenching essays that accompany the songs’ lyrics in the booklet. Someone I used to work with would always mention “man’s inhumanity to man” and these songs are a historical document of it—Rwanda, Armenia, China, Bosnia—the list, sadly, continues to grow. Musically, WBTD keep some of the bruising Swedish-inspired elements but there’s more metal in the engine and “All The Young Turks” is a fuckin’ speed metal anthem , albeit with the band’s own twist on it. Hell, the concluding song “Pigs Get Fat While Hogs Get Slaughtered” is damn near catchy, riff wise—if a World Burns To Death song could ever be that way, although the hammer gets laid down as the song progresses. Jack Control’s vocals convey the venom in the hoarse, angry cadence you’d expect. Worth the wait. (www.hardcoreholocaust.com)

Suburban Voice blog #29

REAGAN YOUTH

I finally got out to a show again. There were a few gigs here and there that I could have attended but didn’t make it for one reason or another. In any case, Reagan Youth played the Cambridge Elks on December 2. As with any reunion, there’s always skepticism, a question about motivation. Plus, in Reagan Youth’s case, they’re doing it without their original vocalist, the late Dave Insurgent. Some people say—the Dead Kennedys without Jello? The Germs without Darby? etc etc... so the new mouth for the reconstituted Reagan Youth is 27 year old Pat Distraction and he did a decent job—he did sound a bit like Dave, at times. No new stuff, just songs from the first two albums. Sloppy from time to time but it was still a good time. The audience was 90% youngsters, too—not a lot of us “old-timers.” They were preceded by a completely raging set from Mouth Sewn Shut, who threw in two Toxic Narcotic songs. Bile-filled rawness and the reggae-oriented songs pack just as much anger. As with Bill and Will’s other band (that’s TN, in case you weren’t paying attention), it’s the release of pure anger that makes it enjoyable.

If you read this before December 17, there’s a show to tell you about, also at the Elks (located at 55 Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge) featuring Italian band La Piovra, plus the Epidemic, Fruit Salad, Skulls With Wings, Weapons Grade (my man Crusty Craig’s new band) and Raw Radar War. $10, 3 PM...

MUSIC REVIEWS:

BEAT BEAT BEAT-Living In The Future (Dirtnap, CD)
There are only so many ways to describe bands who write catchy songs and hit the pop/punk/rock ‘n roll sweet spot. In any case, that’s what Beat Beat Beat are all about. The openings to just about every song here make an immediate impression—the pop joy of “Don’t Tell Me Now,” the ringing notes of “Sinking Slow” that echo the Exploding Hearts’ “Making Teenage Faces,” the tough drive of “Leave Me Out.” The earlier 7” I have by them is rougher and better conveys their brashness—it’s better, in all honesty, but I’m not complaining too much about the cleaned-up production here, since the songs carry it. (2615 SE Clinton, Portland, OR 97202, http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/)

BORROWED TIME-No Escape From This Life (Reaper, CD)
The stern faces stare at you from the jewel box tray. The songs are chuggy, the vocals stentorian, the tempos mainly lumbering. 100% tough-guy hardcore perfect for a beatdown. Something I’m hoping to avoid when I say this heavy metallic style bores the living hell out of me. (PO Box 2935, Liverpool, NY 13089, http://www.reaperhardcore.com/)

CHEATS-Life’s Short (Da’ Core, CD)
As an old friend used to say, this CD is “wicked average.” Wicked is a MassHole modifier. Straightforward boisterous street punk, throwing all the classic rock ‘n roll licks along with the hearty punk attitude. Todd’s vocals are a combination of Mark Lind from the Ducky Boys and B.A. from Sloppy Seconds. There are a few cover versions and it makes me wonder--does the world need yet another cover of Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”? I mean, the Tricksters have a wider catalog to choose from. There’s a Pabst can on the back and I imagine that’s what their audience is swilling while watching the Cheats rock out live. Maybe if I drank more, I’d like it better. (4407 Bowes Ave., West Mifflin, PA 15122, http://www.myspace.com/dacorerecords)

COBRA NOIR-Barricades (Chainsaw Safety, CD)
The second missive from Cobra Noir. Dark, howling and heavy, but there’s also an affecting warmth here, an enveloping quality on the slower songs. The lyrics are fragmentary, expressing feelings of helplessness in a decaying world. OK, that sounds kind of pretentious—I suppose it’s a different way of saying, holy shit, the world is fucked up and the doominess of the music captures that mood. A reliance on speed on several tracks, although the mid-tempo pound of “Monuments” stands out here. I’m not always into this heavier sound but these guys make it memorable. (PO Box 260318, Bellrose, NY 11426, http://www.chainsawsafetyrecords.com/)

EXPLODING HEARTS-Shattered (Dirtnap, CD)
Kind of a chilling title for the album (even though it’s the title of one of the songs here), since three-quarters of this band were killed in a van accident in 2003, all of them in their early 20s. “Shattered” is a collection of unreleased, single and comp tracks. There’s no way to describe the Exploding Hearts’ music other than power-pop and there are echoes of early 70s glam/rock ‘n roll, as well. Sometimes, it’s a little too sugary than I like. But, man, when a song like “Making Teenage Faces” comes on, it’s hard to resist that guitar line or sing along to the chorus, although there’s no way I can sing in that high a voice. Also, the less-produced demo songs and alternate takes have a tougher musical ambiance. That means it rocks a bit harder. The Hearts seemed on the verge of a huge breakthrough.. There’s a video on the disc with five songs recorded live three days before Adam Cox, Matt Fitzgerald and Jeremy Gage were killed and they come across much harder-edged live. The whole “fuck, I wish I’d seen them” situation, even though the one time they made it to my area, it was a college gig that I never even heard about. It’s pointless to speculate how far they would have gone. Very sad—what else can be said? (2615 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202, http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/)

MACHINE GUN ROMANTICS-Everything So Far (625, CD)
Slightly more reasonably-paced grindcore though still hitting the blast zone and shrieking vocals. They’ll toss in a few unexpected twists and turns, such as the Rorschach-like “Death... and Other Problems.” There’s some self-referential humor with “Where’s The Breakdowns” and there are a few in there, including a catchy one where there’s actually some singing. Tight playing and not taking themselves too seriously, although recommended only for the blast-heads. Oh yeah---includes their EP, tour CD, demo and a live set. (http://www.625thrash.com/)

MODERAT LIKVIDATION-Nitad/Marionett I Kedjor/Köttahuva (Havoc, 7” EPs)
So what we have are three 7” EPs from this early 80s Swedish hardcore band—the “Nitad” EP was pressed on vinyl in ’83, “Marionett” was originally a tape demo and “Köttahuva” was also a tape-only release recorded by Swedish Public Service radio. Somehow, I can’t image NPR recording this kind of band and, if they did, all the Republipukes plus Joe Lieberman would be calling it filth and want to zero-fund it yet again. Anyway, all three of these EPs are also combined onto a CD. So what’s it sound like, you ask? Raw hardcore inspired by Discharge and the other UK suspects and they mix the tempos a bit. “Enola Gay,” for instance, is slow and brooding and “Anti Fag” (an anti-smoking song) has a similar tempo to Discharge’s “Protest and Survive,” albeit without the guitar pyrotechnics. The Finnish bands also drew inspiration from similar influences but the vocals here have a rougher cadence. “Marionnet” is my favorite of the three—the rougher sound works to its advantage. Taken together, it’ll provide the minimum daily rippin’ requirement. (PO Box 8585, Minneapolis, MN 55408, http://www.havocrex.com/)

SHOCK NAGASAKI-Year Of The Spy (TKO, CD)
The opening line for “Year Of The Spy” is a dead ringer for the Sex Pistols’ “God Save The Queen” and there’s no question that’s a huge influence. Actually, it’s more like the Professionals than the Pistols, since the punk is fused to a poppier approach, along with a little glam (the song “Shock Nagasaki”) and some street punk, mainly in the boisterous vocals. Some appealing songs here. (8941 Atlanta Ave., Suite 505, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, http://www.tkorecords.com/)

THE SPARK-Nobody’s Laughing (Mike Fitzgerald, LP)
There are clowns lowering a casket into the ground in the cover illustration and this is the Spark’s burial party. On this 12” release, it’s more of the band’s fast, energetic hardcore punk. They admit up front, on “Same Old Story,” “we’re not out to break new ground, don’t wanna be the next big thing/we just play our hearts out every night, and we’re still fucking pissed.” Some may chuckle at those lines, a smarmy grin on their faces. That is an accurate description for this band, it’s a sentiment simply stated but the enthusiasm in the playing and direct lyrics make for an enjoyable combination. “To The Lions” takes on so-called “conservative punk,” lamenting the replacement of content with image. I do have to say that this style of hardcore is something of a conservative approach, fitting a pattern and for some people, it’s been about image, looking a certain way. Still, it’s an approach that continues to appeal to this grizzled, jaded music fan. (653 Evelyn Ave., East Meadow, NY 11554-5427)

SWELL MAPS-Wastrels and Whippersnappers (Overground, CD)
Swell Maps were always a haphazard proposition and this disc of home recordings, created from ’74 to ’77, is no different. There was a penchant for both conventionality (relatively speaking) and unconventiality. In the liner notes, Nikki Sudden (who passed away in ’06) writes about the different influences, from the glam rock of Bowie, T.Rex, Mott et al and the more experimental sounds of Can, for instance. There are a few songs here that rock out in more or less a “conventional” fashion—“Dresden Style” is rough and so is “Full Moon-Blam-Full Moon.” Both of these songs were released later on in studio-recorded versions but the grittiness here, particularly for the latter song, has a winning primitivism. I suppose I should use the “for fans only” caveat. The casual listener is likely to have a “what the fuck?” reaction to a good amount of the material here. (distr. by Get Hip, PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, http://www.gethip.com/)

Suburban Voice blog #28

A long time ago, my next-door neighbor in my junior year dorm at Boston University said that every band had one good song, no matter how crappy they might be otherwise. I don’t know if that’s completely true—I mean, if Panic! At The Disco or Taking Back Sunday or Fall Out Boy have one worthwhile song, I haven’t heard it yet and I seriously doubt it exists. But the bands I’m going to list here have one essential, knockout song that I keep going back to and there ain’t much more, if anything, I desire to hear by them. Oh, there may be some other listenable music from the artist in question, but this is the ONE song that stands head and shoulders above anything else they do/did.

I got the idea to write about this when listening to “King Of Cha-Cha” by the Slammin’ Watusis on my MP3 player today. Who, you ask? They were a Chicago punk/blues/jazz skronk band from the late 80s and they somehow ended up on Epic Records and released not one, but two albums. This song comes from their 1988 debut. A bit of google-ing reveals they actually recorded demos for a third album with Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick producing but it wasn’t released. I was curious about how they got signed, since I’d never heard of them before, and a friend of mine at the time said something to the effect of they knew the right people or got a break. I forget exactly what it was. I first heard of them by seeing a video for that song on MTV’s “120 Minutes.” Vocalist Frank Raven doubled on sax but he switched to harmonica for that particular song and it has a hard-edged raunchier sound. It checks in at under two minutes and it’s the only song you probably ever need to hear from that band. I have it on BOTH CD and LP, motherfucker! There’s the classic band that has one great song. Here are a few others I thought up off the top of my head.

SECRET AFFAIR, “Let Your Heart Dance.” This song appeared on Secret Affair’s debut album “Glory Boys.” Ian Page (aka Paine) and David Cairns were previously in the punk band New Hearts, whose single “Just Another Teenage Anthem” is a lost gem. Then they caught the mod revival bug, put on suits and scowls and dismissed their punk rock past. Page was only 19 or so when cutting this song. It’s introduced with a booming drumbeat and then the horns kick in for this soulful R&B stomp. I didn’t even really like this song when I first heard it in 1980 but it grew on me over the years and the whole song is so goddamned catchy, it gets into your head without fail. Nothing else came close to measuring up to this song.

DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS, “Dance Stance.” The single version of this song was called “Burn It Down” but I like the album version a lot better. It’s on Dexy’s debut album, “Searching For The Young Soul Rebels” and it was a different sound before vocalist Kevin Rowland got rid of his bandmates, put together another lineup and turned to Celtic music for “Come On Eileen,” et al a few years later. Rowland was another guy with a punk background (Killjoys) who turned his back on that and also cultivated a chip-on-shoulder attitude. There’s something ingratiating about how he sneers “shut your fuckin’ mouth” during the middle of the song. Punchy horns and Rowland’s voice really carries the chorus hook.

SLAPSTICK, “Not Tonight.” Goddamn did third wave ska suck. It was just awful. Slapstick were part of that whole thing but, right in the middle of the album of theirs that I have is this tuneful punk scorcher. No horns, no skank beat, just one minute and six seconds of joyous energy. People were surprised when I played this on my radio show recently—“you played Slapstick??!!” but I explained the reason—this band’s one good song.

THE BUOYS, “Timothy.” This may also be one of the greatest “one hit wonder” records, as well. From 1971 and a song about cannibalism. That’s right. I’ve discussed this song before but it’s about an accident with three guys “caught in a mine that had caved in” and when they’re rescued, only two of them are left. Sweeping horns and strings melded to a killer pop hook. I have the LP. Trust me—just the single will suffice, even with the album’s cool gatefold sleeve and the picture on the back cover of the band dining with “Dinner Music” emblazoned in the lower left corner.

THAT PETROL EMOTION, “Can’t Stop.” The O’Neill brothers from the Undertones were in this band and TPE were around for quite awhile. David Hannigan, my former co-worker at Rockit Records, tipped me off to this band. While there are a few other OK songs on their debut album “Manic Pop Thrill,” “Can’t Stop” completely and unequivocally blows anything else they ever did out of the water. A nervy 2:50 of manic pop (sorry) grandness, punctuated by Buzzcocksian guitar lines. These guys had a mainly post-punk meets dance pop sound and, as I said, it wasn’t all shit, not as dramatic a case of black and white as the other bands here but “Can’t Stop” is unbelievable.

SLAMBOOK, “Hollywood Ten.” From 1995, indy/math rock following the soft/loud dynamic. Not all of it that bad, either, but this slice of tense Wire-inspired rock really hits home. A throbbing bass and fuzzed out guitar line, a sturdy beat underneath, and the chorus envelops the ears with warmth—but there’s also an assaultive mid-section to shake things up, before fading off into a gentle conclusion. A great late-night song.

SHIRTS, “Poe.” Somehow, this mainly crappy NYC band got lumped in with the punk/new wave thing even though most of The Shirts’ first album was wimpy swill. “Poe,” the album’s closer is the exception. This is the most punk-sounding song they ever did, even throwing in some hearty “hey hey heys.” The vocals hardly have any sneer in them but the mesh of guitar and keyboards work great. In this band’s case, it’s definitely the only song I’d want to hear.

That’ll do for now. I’d like to know if you folks have any songs that fit that description for you. I may revisit this topic at a future date but let’s move on to the reviews...

MUSIC REVIEWS

A GLOBAL THREAT-Where The Sun Never Sets (BYO, CD)
I sat on this one awhile—almost broke it too. Shut up. The coffee hasn’t had its desired effect yet. Getting to the album, it’s a good effort. Not life-changing but decent overall. That may not seem like a strong recommendation—the album doesn’t elicit a strong response but some of these songs catch the ear. AGT have moved away from the shadow of the Unseen (in spite of that band’s vocalist Mark’s appearance here) and found a sound that incorporates fired-up, sometimes melodic punk and also has a hardcore edge at times. That may be due to the fact that Bryan’s voice makes me think of a less-rabid version of Mark from Out Cold and the stripped-down energy of “Scalped By Pop” and “Making Energy” fit that description. That’s where AGT are at their best, here. (PO Box 67609, LA, CA 90067, http://www.byorecords.com/)

ANOTHER BREATH-Mill City (Rivalry, CD)
Recorded about 10 minutes from my house, in Salem, in Kurt Ballou’s studio, so it’s a good-sounding album. Maybe too good sounding. As I’ve said in the past, overproduction may increase the dramatic effect, but the rawness is lost in the translation. Another Breath don’t have much to do with the older hardcore sound, anyway. It’s a more modern approach—fast, heavy, melodic at times and with a howling emotionalism in the vocals. Stone-faced. Overly serious. In other words, a little of their angst goes a long way. (http://www.rivalryrecords.com/)

A WARM GUN-Panic In The Face Of Time (Yellow Dog, CD)
Hammering hardcore/metal/grind, suffering from mono-rhythm syndrome on the faster parts. The type of band people will go “BRUTAL!” There are some hot riffs—the Slayer-ish “Running Into Walls,” for instance. It’s the standard lament—less grind and it’d work better, at least for me. (PO Box 55028, 10372 Berlin, GERMANY, http://www.yellowdog.de/)

BAD BRAINS-Live At CBGB 1982 (MVD, DVD)
One of my favorite stories to tell the young’uns is about how I saw the Bad Brains in the spring of ’82 at a tiny club called Maverick’s. Don’t go looking for it, it’s not there (thank you Marty DiBergi—look it up, if you don’t know what I’m talking about). They show up close to last call, set up, plug in and play one of the greatest sets I’ve ever seen in my life. 15-20 minutes of all hardcore. No rose-colored glasses. Seeing the performances on the DVD, recorded at three shows around Christmas of ’82, proves my point. Even with the occasional bad camera angles, lights going out, sound issues, the chaos is captured. In fact, it’s apropos for that to happen because that’s an accurate reflection of a Bad Brains show, at that point, anyway. I’m still not a fan of their reggae songs but that’s what the skip button on the remote is for—OK, I DID watch a bit of the reggae but, sorry, it remains boring. The Brains were in peak form. Incredible musicianship—Earl flailing away with precision even at the high velocity, thundering bass-lines from the invisible Darryl Jennifer (I don’t think he’s in the shot at anytime) and Dr. Know knocking out sick power-chords and lead runs, looking as if he’s having the time of his life playing those riffs. HR, of course, moves around like a maniac, sings out the words at a rapid-fire clip and works himself into a frenzy. I’m using hyperbole here—maybe overdoing it but, damn, it’s killer and one of the coolest things is to see the faces of the people in the audience, dancing, diving, singing along—then there’s one kid playing air drums on the side of the stage. Not too many extras—just a brief interview segment with a few fans. In any case, this is an essential release. A document, not a documentary and just seeing the source material, without commentary, is a better experience. (PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456, http://www.musicvideodistributors.com/)

BURIAL-Hungry Wolves (HeartFirst, 7” EP)
The latest from the powerhouse known as Burial. Bruising songs with angrily spat out vocals and a tandem of hardcore, crust and some metal—kind of a modern-day Japanese hardcore sound, if I had to pinpoint it. In any case, the rampaging qualities are in full effect and the cowbell for “Insanity” is a cool touch. (Landsberger Str. 146, 80339, München GERMANY, http://www.heartfirst.net/)

DT’S-Nice ‘N’ Ruff—Hard Soul Hits Vol. 1 (Get Hip, CD)
Rocked-up cover versions of not just soul songs but CCR, AC/DC and Roky Erickson. Diana Young-Blanchard is an over-the-top, gritty shouter and the band competently play through the songs with strong musicianship. One of the people in this band is Dave Crider, late of the Mono Men. Those are the facts—the reality is I’d rather hear the originals although the opposite gender take on AC/DC’s “What’s Next To The Moon” is momentarily interesting. It gives me the same feeling as the Bell-Rays, another hard rock/soulful outfit with a dominant female vocalist—well played but a dirtier, nastier sound with more musical and vocal snarl would be much better. (PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, http://www.gethip.com/)

FPO-Giving Birth In Order To Kill (Third Party, 7” EP)
The problem with FPO, who hail from Macedonia, is they have some great slower riffs that are wasted when the blast comes in. A common malady for this kind of hardcore. “You Call It Life,” for instance, flows from moody quietude into double-speed mayhem. Once and for all, CONTROL THE SPEED... slow down a bit. It works a lot better. (21 Nancy Lane, Amherst, NY 14228, http://www.thirdxparty.com/)

PERMANENT TRIP-s/t (Shock To The System, 7” EP)
The vinyl debut for Albany’s Permanent Trip and the last recording with guitarist Nate Wilson. Jason Krak voices the words (warning—alliteration alert) like a bear with his paw caught in a trap. Twists and turns—“Divider” starts as a dirge and ends with some double-speed thrash. “Losing Ground” begins with hammering stop/start riffing and then settles in a mid-tempo jam with wah-wah (is it?) on the guitar—maybe it’s weed-induced because the only thank yous on the list are the guy who put out the record and marijuana. “Stasi” takes on more of a mid-to-fast attack. Not the catchiest songs but they have presence. (PO Box 300991, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, http://www.shocktothesystemrecords.com/)

RABIES-Disease Core (Sorry State, 7” EP)
Skate-thrash-punk and repeat. Actually, these guys have a “Jealous Again” period Black Flag feel, as well and let’s not forget the bass calisthenics for “The Man With The Flute (Is Drilling My Head)”—huh? That’s about as poetic as they get—otherwise, you have sentiments such as “I have RABIES and I fucked you mom.” I remember how snotty some of those skate punk kids could be and carry it over into whatever band they chose to start. Rabies fit that bill and fit it well. (1102 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro, NC 27510, http://www.deepfrybonanza.com/sorrystate)

RATOS DE PORAO-Homem Inimigo Do Homem (Alternative, Tentacles, CD)
Well, I tried to find the English lyrics on-line, but no luck. It doesn’t really matter. You see words like pedofilia, involuntario, apocalipse and forca in the titles, the subject matter isn’t hard to figure out. Neither is the music. RDP went back to the hardcore roots, in recent years, while hanging onto the metal/crossover thing as well. Some of the guitar riffs here conjure up Die Kreuzen and Voivod (and Away from Voivod once told me they got their guitar sound from Die Kreuzen). Gordo still growls as if he’s permanently consptipated, accompanied by the band’s murderous assault. And they look so content in a field of flowers on the back cover. I imagine the machetes are hidden away for later use. Maybe on the audience. (PO Box 419092, SF, CA 94141, http://www.alternativetentacles.com/)

RIBZY-’81-’85 Recordings (Vinehell, CD)
This San Jose band didn’t release much during its tenure but here’s a collection of 30 songs, including one recorded in 2004 and it doesn’t sound dissimilar to the 80s era material. The band were originally called Ribsy. They made an appearance on the “Not So Quiet On The Western Front,” but there’s a different version of that song, “Collapse,” featured here. Snarly skate punk that was certainly influenced by Black Flag to an extent. Interestingly, the band changed vocalists around ’82 and the two voices (Derek Csimma, followed by Dion Trottier) don’t sound radically different from each other—adolescent snot ‘n rant.. Standard west coast punk although they could branch out on occasion—“Sugar Sugar” (not the Archies song) was gloomier sounding, for instance. A punk rock footnote and that’s meant in a positive sense. (PO Box 36131, San Jose, CA 95158, http://www.vinehell.com/)

RIVER CITY TANLINES-I’m Your Negative (Dirtnap, CD)
Another band including Alicja Trout (Lost Sounds, etc) and a wide-ranging array of material—foot stomping boogie/bluesy rock on the first two tracks, taking a poppier direction for “Shoot The Eye Out” and “No Gonna Think About It Anymore,” dabbling in hardcore (not very well) for “Whenever I Rot” and adding a nervier edge for “My Reflection” and “Drowning Dreams.” A lack of predictability and, while not every song is a success—the Richard Hell-ish strut of “Cryin’ Bleedin’ Dyin’” drags a bit—there’s some solid fired-up rock here. (2615 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202, http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/)

RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA-De Ana Vez (Thought Crime, 7” EP)
Heart-racing hardcore. Fast all the way through, with the occasional slowdown. The rabid vocals are along the same lines as Saira from Detestation, except angrier sounding and trading off with a male counterpart. The band is from Austria but the lyrics in Spanish and two of the members are from Chile, originally. Literally no space between songs, one rager after another, applied lethally. (Thomas Franke, Muskauer Strasse 19, 10997 Berlin GERMANY, distributed by HeartFirst, http://www.heartfirst.net/)

SGT. SLAUGHTER-s/t (demo)
There are some good bands hiding in the outlying burbs of Boston and Sgt. Slaughter is one of them. Four songs of raw hardcore influenced by early Boston stuff and Poison Idea, though that’s not the entire story. “Home On The Strange,” the song that leads off this tape, has an ominous intro to get the blood flowing and then it kicks into high gear, where it stays. Good thrashin’ hardcore with hot riffing and string-scraping leads. (PO Box 696, Carlisle, MA 01741, commuterxman@yahoo.com)

SOLID DECLINE-Adorning The Void (HeartFirst, dbl. 7” EP)
10 songs spread over two 7”s and packaged in a triple panel foldout for this German band’s latest release. Three of the guys from Solid Decline used to be in Y and I like this band a lot more. The band’s speed is better controlled and there are some killer melodic guitar lines to go along with the burn. The 80s-era German band Inferno used to do something similar—aggression but also managing to add, for want of a better term, a tuneful sting. In any case, it’s impressive. (Landsberger Str. 146, 80339, München GERMANY, http://www.heartfirst.net/)

VERSE-From Anger and Rage (Rivalry, CD)
There’s an “epic” element to Verse’s music. It got me thinking that the term “epi-crust” has come into usage in the past few years, usually referring to bands that stretch out their songs through melodic passages, along with the heaviness and faster elements. There are differences, though. Bands like Verse come from more of a newer-style hardcore realm (i.e. devoid of a punk influence, at least musically) while the crustier bands take their cue from the Scandinavian hardcore punk bands. I tend to gravitate towards the latter because the punk element fuels the whole package. In any case, Verse express strong sentiments about a crumbling world from a personalized perspective, along with a recommended reading/web/viewing list that covers the standard works of Chomsky, Zinn, Leonard Peletier et al. It’s kind of unusual for bands from this side of the hardcore aisle to offer much political analysis, so that’s commendable. But this musical approach leaves me cold. (http://www.rivalryrecords.com/)