| SNOTTYNESS... Punk Rock Classic - World Contender - Worth A Listen - Average - Plastic - No Future |
| DAMNATION 'The Unholy Sounds Of Damnation' (071-2) CD August 2003 Los Angeles sporns some crazy muvvafukkers and Damnation seem to fit the bill or at least that's what they want us to think. They leer under the banner of Horror Punk shockers. But I'm afraid I'm still waiting for that killer shock? They do create an intense kinda Horrorful racket though with plenty of energy, but it sounds a wee bit contrived. The lyrics sound hilarious. I doubt they'll be changing anyone's views on world power or the state of the nation, this is purely gore for hounds of the night. For subject matter they sing songs about getting drunk and driving fast (wow wee), taking drugs (smart boys), death (again!). And lets not forget 'mayhem' which is always a clever phrase to use in press releases. Last but by no means least lets hear a drum roll for... S-A-T-A-N-I-C...'Fuel Injected Priests' ha! ha! ha! Which is a full on ecclesiastical romp that gets this 13 song set rolling. These headbangers have elements of the Dwarves (who's lead singer produced this album) plus some Misfits to make up that darkly cocktail of black humoured punk rock 'n' roll. Damnation are more pantomime baddie than seriously evil and to tell you the truth I suspect that's what they'll settle for all along. I did enjoy some of their heads down no messin crunchy riffs supplied by axe wielding Tod Surridge. He's joined in his ill gotten gains by a hyperactive singer in Robert Shawn. His credibility ratings soared when I heard he was sacked from his first band Hello Disaster (I wonder why?) He does give the songs a lot of character, which leaves an impression, particularly on their neat cover of the Mama's And Papas hippie anthem 'Californian Dreams'. It gets defiled by the band and given a new lease of life as 'Californian Demons'. 'They even submit a neat but macabre leather 'n' whips love song in the poppy 'Spell On Me'. But this band is all about bloodlust and cults as '66613' enters the fray and becomes this albums cryptic anthem. It greets us with has an Adam And The Ants circa 'Kings of The Wild Frontier' vibe, especially on that chant filled intro which sounds great, before degenerating into just another speed metal thrash. Their best song 'Blood junkies' which may or may not get em noticed as it roams the speakers of their never world, sounds very good on record. Great vocal with chugging guitars. Followed closely by 'Shut The Hell Up' with it's pissed off "get Fucked, Shut the hell up!" chorus was also one to look out for. They finish off with two bonus live tracks which shows the band can produce the goods on stage. This album is definitely a speedy release, clocking in at only 20 minutes for 13 tracks, so some of you may feel cheated or raped at the alter!!! AVERAGE I Used To Fuck People Like You in Prison Records |
| ADAM WEST 'Gods Gift To Women' (067-2) CD August 2003 Adam West first donned their greasy overalls in early 90's Washington DC and are "garage" INC. What makes garage even worse is a shitty singer! Sadly Adam West give us the hideous semi-crooning rock outs of Jake Starr. Mr Starr by name and by nature most likely, sounds like he wants to front a Led Zepp tribute instead of these DC mechanics. Adam West seem to steal all their ideas and riffs from under everyone else's bonnet. Leaving us with a third rate history lesson. The ill informed out there may call it speed rock but its not that fast and reminds me of the dreaded UK 'pub rock' circa '76. This may send some of you vets into an oily kinda overdrive, but not me. I've never been a big fan of anything garage or pub rock or any of those other hateful wings of safe steady music. It' just too fucking rock 'n' roll, too predictable and too fucking bland for guttersnipes who use public transport. This could've been recorded before punk ever happened, it's that retro in feel and sound. Adam West (named after the 60's camp caped crusader who was lot more entertaining than these jokers) has more to do with mainstream rock than punk. Lead guitarist Dan-o-Deckelman seems to be the only wasted and talented entity in this bag of grease monkeys. But to be fair they've picked up awards left right and centre from their local Washington Music scene and toured the States and Europe 3 times! They've also put out a phenomenal amount of records, something like 20 singles and 5 CD's!!! So maybe they're very good at what they do, but I'm afraid what they DO or their blinding credentials don't impress me. When Joe Strummer sang "were a garage band and we come from garage land" he certainly didn't mean this CRUD!!! 'Gods Gift To Women' is parked safely back in the garage revving it's motors but with nowhere left to go. I much prefer my punk rock going down the basement if you know what I mean? PLASTIC I Used To Fuck People Like You in Prison Records |
| NARCOLEPTIC YOUTH 'How To Fake Your Death' (LMR13813) CD Summer 2003 At long last the latest set of putdowns from these Carona, CA punks. A band who supply us with a sniff of the Dead Kennedy's, alongside the demented yuma of the Dickies in this their full on, energetic 2003 sound. Narcoleptic Youth have awoken from their 5 year sleep to bring us a well primed, wide awake new album. Lead singer Joey Bondage has slid into Biafra's vacant vocal slot with ease as they project 13 (unlucky for some) sonnets on killing yerself. Lawsuits look set to follow this album around like ambulance crews after a suicide bomb in Tel Aviv. 'Raw Nerve' gets us off to a ripping start on this anger management track before squeezing the brakes so Mr Bondage can inform us in his most snidey way..."She says I scare her when I act this way!" The geezer who supplies the inflammatory riffs is Binky and he knows how to create a song you'll remember. But this is a band effort, which songs like 'Visions Of Gun' proves, as it slyly borrows the riff from the Dickies 'Give It Back'. They slow it down a gear before turning it into a "crooked necktie" of a killer track that'll leave you squirming in the middle of the road at closing time. A lot of older punk vets reckon the new breed of punks today ain't got it! And I've been known to say it myself on more than one occasion, but with younger loose cannons like Narcoleptic Youth making a mess in the scene, that statement gets thrown off the nearest tower block!. Along with bags of energy NY have got an unhealthy supply of tunes to boost their use of props on stage!!! Props I hear you say?...brings to mind an element of show biz! Show biz being a cardinal sin in some devout hardcore punk circles, hmmmm they could be suspect? But ain't that what made punk fun and entertaining in the first place? So have no fear, coz NY adopt a slightly sinister vaudeville approach to their punk, leaving us with a deep-seated twisted kinda vibe. And for me that just adds to their appeal. They certainly don't bore ya to death with repetetive drones! 'Class Of 99' gets a reprise from their 2000 split 45 with another good outfit the Voids. This still sounds good, but comes with a bigger beefier feel and is way more streamline, as they sneer at the "blind leading the blind". You have to give Vet lead guitarist Binky another mention here, coz I can tell on this outing he's given the band a sound all of their own (despite some clever lifting here 'n' there). As 'Snot Nosed Brat' squirms into the playpen, a song aimed at the peers of the bands growing teenage punk audience. It could also be aimed at certain local club owners who have 'banned' em for attracting over enthusiastic audiences! Now c'mon, If a band brings in a crowd they're doin something good! Another snot nosed dose of punk is paraded on the bass driven 'Personnel Experience', that mirrors school shootings in subject matter. A song their younger audience can appreciate, but lets hope it ain't literally. 'Don't Belong' is the only filler track on this album, so much so even the band hate it and won't play it live ha! But although it lacks the presence of the other tracks some bands in the scene would be more than happy to have written it. However put alongside the superior 'Headcase' which is the killer track on this CD, there's a vast chasm. 'Headcase' features all the best elements of Narcoleptic Youth. It's got snotty vocals, sussed lyrics and some splendid arrangements..as we sit with Suzy in the back of the Malibu as she's rolling "back 'n' forth and back 'n' forth" guided by a riff that'll get ya sea sick if you ain't careful. Don'tcha just "love" songs about mad birds? Followed closely by the atmospheric 'Practicing For Suicide' showing the band can handle dynamics a lot better than depression. This stylish mid-paced anthem for the dejected is another reason to hear this set. They finally flip out and merge into the instrumental last track 'Leather Rinse Repeat', a track which has definite touches of the Subhumans (UK) when they go off on one of their epic guitar tangents...but wait there's one hidden 17 min. bonus track that sounds like they left the tape running in the studio as the band go into a major fuck around mode that has echoes of the Pistols/death metal/christian rock and rap. I won't spoil it for ya with the gritty details just get hold of a copy for yerself, only 300 in existence.Don't panic I hear more are coming soon. Come's complete with a side splitting cover and lyric sheet too. US CONTENDER www.narcolepticyouth.com |
| THE BRIEFS 'Off The Charts' (zzz31) CD 2003 I was well impressed with these chirpy Seattle punks. I'd heard rumours about their explosive live shows via LA punks, and Joey Bondage gimme a wink in their direction recently. So here I am via Roy (Pogo Till I Drop). 'Off The Charts' is their second album and latest 11 track blast on the Dirtnap label. It's a very brief (23 minutes in all) devil may care but ultra addictive first encounter, and well worth your attention if you aint already been debriefed (couldn't help that one). From the quirky opening track of 'Outer Space Don't Care About You' to the black humoured 'Soozy' this hyperactive bunch of American fuck ups don't let up and entertain us with glee. Either 'whizz' in Seattle is seeping into into the main water supply or these hyperactive pogo merchants have more pent up energy than is good for em? Imagine a Yank Toy Dolls crossed with the Derita Sisters and your close. The slick addictive arrangements come with enough snot to keep em well outta the far safer and inferior Blink 182 scene. So please don't think for one minute these snot buckets are anyway similar. The Briefs are real, they mix the raw 70's with some sly environmental issues alongside just plain zany outbursts. Loads of tongue in cheek delivery's litter this album. Take the anthem like 'Aint It The Truth' with a cheesy guitar and gang core backing vocals. Some of the dumb vocals belie very witty lyrics bringing us crazy takes on the world today. The Briefs maybe seen in some pious hardcore circles as a joke band! But gimme some well played escapist punk any day of the week, coz this is just as essential in our audio diet as any bitter, true grit reality punk!!! These geezers are literally pissing themselves with superior tuneage and even throw in some rare Hammond organ spurts where required. Like on the unlucky in love 'Tear In Two' which sits nicely amongst that laid-back guitar and..."I met you on a Tuesday, you'd only just been released/ You told me bout your ex-boyfriend who was recently deceased!" The clever sarcy lyrics are dotted with yuma but beneath the giggles there's a real view on life which I think has more impact deployed in this way sometimes. I like a band who can take the piss outta of everyone, including themselves and their homeland. Their finest moment came in the form of 'We Americans' which should get em MTV circulation for all eternity, or failing that if George Bush heard it a cell in Guantanamo Bay. This song is that good! I bet it's got the kids in the malls singing and their parents screaming. It's gotta be their anthem and one to be remembered for a very long time. The slow paced but moody 'Ludlow St.' shows another string to their multi-dimensional bow. It's sorta psychedelic in a Beach Boys meets 999 (circa 'Homicide') kinda way and stays in your brain. The Briefs maybe treading a well routed style made famous by the more pop punkers of lore, but these boys have still got the snot dripping off their sleeves and have enough amp ammo in their underwear to blow the chunks out the mainstream scene for a long time to come. Check em out NOW! US CONTENDER THE BRIEFS |
| DISTURBANCE 'Malice In Slumberland' CD (street0025) April 2003 By a strange coincidence I happened to meet up with members of Disturbance at Morecambe HITS in a bar recently. Rob Disturbance, the Mohican lead singer's attitude is fuckin spot on...a fucking good laff too. Disturbance deliver on 'Malice In Slumberland' 12 Rotterdam street punk standards. It's an enthusiastic debut album by a band who sound like they took the Anti from local heroes Antidote and mixed it up with some early GBH/Exploited workouts. They do give us loads of formularised hardcore duel vocal rants, sung with a strange West Country (UK) twang! But you can see in this formative stage that these Dutch fuckers are capable of so much more. The overall production on this record is clean and chunky, so full marks for that. However sometimes their well trodden hardcore attack leaves you feeling slightly cheated, but you have to stick around for the full 12 tracks to fully appreciate their sound. They do suffer from 'production line' pogo beats in their delivery, but like a lotta good basic stuff, Disturbance have a disturbing knack for creeping into your brain. Dim's guitar work looks set to expand with each release, so look out for more involved salvoes next time out. Songs like 'Generation X'' and it's applaudable statement of...."coz we live our life the way we want" is an in your face buzz saw fuck-off to authority. Another good un is the Ramones riffing opus called 'God Pulled The Chain'. This song drops a brick on all who stand in it's way. Disturbance who formed back in the mid-90's do have some good ideas to offer their rifferama guitar approach. They even slow things down incorporating some clever dropouts on songs like 'Live On To Decline' which shows suss. This is a band who ain't scared to be adventurous on their gravel coated snot, so they won't bore ya to death. Other songs of note are 'Constable Cockney', 'No Enemy' and 'Fuck Politics'. By all accounts they're sending the pulse ratings high for the new breed of studded Dutch punk hordes out there, so well worthy of your attention. I gotta say this ain't the early 80's no more and this album ain't offering a new direction for the 21st century punks, but if bands like the GBH/Exploited can still keep the crowds excited, then why not add some fresh blood to the scene? The packaging on this release is very well done. It comes in a neat cartoon colour package plus lyrics and pix of the band in action. WORTH A LISTEN! www.disturbance.nl www.streetmusic.de |
| H8-TARGET Demo CD 2003 Latest hardcore noise merchants to emerge from the sunny glade of Kings Heath, Birmingham, UK. H8-Target have got that duel guitar and a heavy pounding sound down to a tee, complete with gruff tuff vocals and mid-paced workouts. First track and best of the bunch is called 'To The Brink', which has a neat duel guitar solo in the middle. I wanted to hear more of this but the band never quite captured that moment again. H8- Target produce predictable hardcore bordering on metal, which must be fashionable these days, coz there's fuckin loads of outfits out there all sounding the same. This genre seems to be BIG in the Midlands these days, but I'm afraid it always fails to ignite me. This debut 4-track demo comes complete with some neat samples to introduce each song. And the best one being the Charlie Bronson (Britain's longest serving prison inmate) voice over on the less impressive 'Living Hell'. Seems Mr Bronson has become a patron saint for the UK hardcore community of late. Funny thing is, if he ever got out of jail most of these cunts would run a mile, and I wouldn't fuckin blame em either! H8-Target seem a politically motivated angst ridden band, but who or what they're hating is lost amidst those bland sawdust vocals and metal core beats. 4 tracks was more than enough for me. This kinda punk don't really get me excited, in fact it's not my thing at all but these geezers play it well and it comes with a good production. So if your into hard 'n' heavy stop/start hardcore you'd like these. AVERAGE! davesw@ukonline.co.uk |
| PUBLIC EXECUTION 'Eye For An Eye' CDEP 2003 Word had been spreading through the UK Anarcho ghettos about this new London protest punk band. And It just so happens I got this CDEP in from the Smoke, asking for a review in my old 'Spunk' newsletter. Well considering 'Spunk' bit the dust back in 1999 I hope a slot on Punk Rocker ain't too much of a disappointment? I love the name of this band, it conjures up that old punk spirit and shows a bit of imagination. However the bones of centention on this 5 track EP are aimed at predictable targets like Tony Blair, Religion, Holocaust et all. I don't think Public Execution are gonna make a massive dent on the scene with this their debut release. Compared with say Active Slaughter who I suspect are close allies and the impressive Incitors...Public Execution have indeed quite a long way to go. But I suspect these will gain momentum as they play more gigs and tighten up the spiel. The sound they produce is basic heads down riffing guitars that slow down in places hinting at ideas in progress. The lead female vocals are by The Executioner, who will gladly take you by the hand to the scaffold, but needs a load more angst and attack to make us think she really means it maaan! A way more potent delivery is required to really propel the lyrics along. Best track for me was 'Funeral March', which breaks down between rifferama guitars and a bit of skanking, to give it more interest as state funerals get their come uppance. Also the energetic 'Why Does It' charges in at a close second. Comes with a striking fold out cover, which would've been splendid in colour, plus lyrics and graphic artwork depicting the song titles and the bands current train of thought. AVERAGE! For further information contact Spike, 15 Hale Rd, Tottenham, London, N17-9LB, UK. |
| DENNIS MOST & THE INSTIGATORS 'Wire My Jaw' (ba1186) CD 2003 Despite the vintage era cover photos and those ridiculous moustouces, this late 70's American version of the Instigators is one of those albums that you'd expect to laugh outta the scene before you could say "prog rock". But here at Punk Rocker I like to think we don't judge an album by it's cover. The recently recorded (2002) 'Wire My Jaw' session gets things off to a very good start and comes with a clean bright production. This album is dominated by power chord guitar workouts courtesy of Peter Poulos. He's a guitarist who over the years has thankfully shortened his over the top twiddling solo's in favour of more power which proves a big attraction. But this baby definitely belongs to chief instigator Dennis Most, who resembles a slimmer version of Hank outta Turbo Negro but comes at us with a slightly snotty Indiana nasal croon. The first 5 tracks from the latest incarnation of the band was the best on show. Songs like the energetic 'Tough Break' , the atmospheric 'Cleareyed Man' or the riffing monster of 'Three's A Crowd' were good. But it was the album title track the cocky 'Wire My Jaw' which shows this bunch of middle aged vets have still got a load more to grit to offer today's scene. Dennis Most is amongst other things chief songwriter, arranger and producer for most of the way. He maybe known to a few Americans amongst us as being in Audio Love who were kicking up a minor mess back in '76. And from that period we get a couple of live Audio Love songs, which suffer from way too much prog rock preening for my liking especially on 'Penetrate' that had echoes of the Stooges but without the Ig snarl. However their driving 'Excuse My Spunk' track reminds me of a Black Sabbath/Dead Boys crossover, which was good. Maybe that's why it's a collectors item in underground punk circles? The album loses it's early appeal during the middle slump before finally picking up again on 'Gruesome Stories'. A track where Mr Most's atmospheric workouts carry this gruesome track along. He's even got a Jim Morrison baritone on his vocal as it's chuggs on into the early 80's. By 1994 the band sound their most snottiest on the funny but ultra catchy 'Sex Is An Art form'. Bu the screwy 'Don't Take Me For Granted Janet' song has gotta be one of the most corniest song titles I've ever heard...it's fuckin hilarious! They end on high with the buzzsaw but poppy 'Fallout Shelter' which owns a classic punk rock riff, complete with catchy vocals. The whole package comes with band sleeve notes by Dennis himself. WORTH A LISTEN for the recent tracks. Now available on the highly rated Californian label Dionysus Records. You can check out Dennis &The Instigators for yourself at www.dennismostinstigator.com ACTIVE SLAUGHTER 'Ave A Butchers' (ACAB 01) CD August 2003 Finally released on the bands own Slaughtered Records 'Ave A Butchers comes complete with lyric sheet and professional colour montage artwork.This long awaited debut album from North London's angriest Anarcho mob since Conflict discovered Armarni is well worth a butchers. Although some of the 13 tracks on show require more fine tuning and touring to reach a more potent standard. You can only feel utter contempt for their targets. First thing you notice is their older songs re-recorded here have matured into a tighter more concentrated assault. Another thing 'Ave A Butchers' definitely succeeds on throughout is the anger! They positively regurgitate it!!! These fuckers are not a happy bunch of punks at all, but can you blame em in today's paranoid world. Active Slaughter's teeth are firmly clenched, and with guitars glaring we get a real street view on the state of the nation (UK) today. Maybe some of the targets are predictable with cruel Vivisectionists, corrupt Labour or hypocritical Religion taking the lions share. But this is a band who live it as well as preach it. First thing to hit home is the growing power chord sound JJ conjures up. This CD has really improved from last years debut single. The Active Slaughter sound today is a cross between heavy duty Sham and early Conflict, but with a 21st century skew. I like em best when they diversify in their rants. They have a very competent rhythm section (Trev and Joe take a bow), while their juggernaut sound rolls along. A knack that'll serve em well and give em plenty of scope to pinpoint future attacks. Jake's delivery is very potent, but I suspect he ain't given as much time to deliver the knockout verbal just how he'd like during some of the more blood splattered outbursts. The all out attack of the lyrics really do state the play, but could do with some slight cosmetic surgery just to flow more with the tunes. However this is a band who won't sacrifice their message for the sake of clarity. Not even for out of touch cunts like me ha! 'Macho Maggot' about bully's at gigs is one of their strongest tracks. Armed with it's semi skank attack it recoils into that big anti macho chorus. I was always one for a guitar sound where you can hear the slide of chord changes being made, it's gives em character. Next up is the atmospheric 'Labour Lied, Barry Died' about Barry Horne, the ALF martyr who died on hunger strike in prison. Barry gets a fitting epitaph as A.S. shine a spotlight on Tony Blair's bureaucratic deceit. Active Slaughter are a very British band whether they like it or not, so some of their rage and dialogue might go over non UK punks? Although this won't stop their utter disgust or contempt for the system sinking right in. This is an album full of big rallying chorus's and one to get you primed for direct action, no doubt! They know their stuff and know how to really turn the screw and expose the deception! Jake's gutsy attack is aided and abetted by JJ's duel protests, which makes for an incendiary package. But one thing missing, and more than noticeable by its absence is humour? We do get one laff from Alan Partridge in a sound bite introducing 'My Foot In Your Mouth' which was hilarious. But not a sniff of it amongst the songs? I've met Active Slaughter and I know they like a laff, as well as the next. But I think that's one thing they could maybe deploy more often in future. A bit of sly satire especially at the expense of the enemy, never done Crass any harm. Their signatune 'Active Slaughter' shows em getting more adventurous in their playing, with neat dropouts. This track gives each member a brief expose on their musical prowess. This is a band with no ego's over shadowing their prime directive...PROTEST! The straight in, no messin 'Rapist 666' adopts a thick, chunky guitar sound midway through, as we stand back while the duel vocals consider the best way to dole out the punishment to nonce cases (snigger). Whilst 'Pride And Prejudice' is a direct attack on British ignorance. This song boasts a nifty guitar solo, which gave the song a load more substance. Lastly 'Paedophile Priest' possibly my current favourite has a sinister clinical guitar lick that'll stick with ya as the sirens wail, the vestry gets ransacked and the clergy get defrocked! Say no more!!! 'Ave A Butchers' comes with a brutal production to match the hard-hitting sentiments. Although this may not capture em in a live setting, it's a definite progression in this bands sound. If I had these fuckers on my case I'd be very wary indeed. So take a look before we all get exposed! WORTH A LISTEN Active Slaughter |
| RANCID 'Indestructible' CD 2003 Rancid have been relatively quiet since their last hardcore debacle 'Rancid' in 2000, and who could blame em after that? They make a come back promising something new to retain their reputation as one of the planets biggest punk bands. One thing you come to expect with Rancid is your gonna get a good varied dose of songs in style and content, and this time around we get 19 tracks. I was hoping they'd change direction from probably the worst album of their career and thankfully they have. 'Indestructible' ain't as one dimensional or as mundane as it's predecessor. It's definitely going in the right direction of their blinding '...Out Come he Wolves', but falls well short of that classic session. And which answers the question on their recent tour why their set was dominated by '... Wolves' tracks! Well enough side tracks onto the main course. Track one 'Indestructible' harks back to their no messin hungry 'Let's Go' period, with it's upbeat energetic and positive outlook. But what I notice about Rancid is they never sound totally convincing and this track has that feel. Tim Armstrong lead singer/guitarist of the band calls Poetry his only weapon! Punks who turn poetic have a nasty knack of taking themselves way too seriously. His subject matter may have different titles but doesn't stray far from the sickly band brotherhood, homelessness and being an international punk. However it does sound fake after 6 albums! It's hard to swallow songs of living rough in freezin squats when your a platinum album seller. But their hearts are in the right place I reckon. 'Red Hot Moon' is a skanking tale of a young punkette's demise on the streets of East Bay. Now this is where Tim Armstrong excels in the lyrical department, he's on his own turf and knows the score full well. Rancid are easily the best 21st century answer to the Specials. But where they obviously glamorize their subject like on the British gangster salute to the over hyped 'David Courtney'. It was so tragic it was funny, in a Hollywood kinda way. An overawed Lars Frederiksen guitarist/vocalist continues his romanticised fascination with all things British or should I say London. Mr Courtney's suprise appearance on a punk album came after the band met him backstage at the Reading festival. Hey I met Tim and Lars in Birmingham in '95, so where's my song? (snigger) The bass driven 'Out Of Control' pumps up the punk ante impressively with a sinister riff as Lars spits out glimpses of impending Armageddon. This is followed by probably my fave track 'Django', with it's swashbuckling guitar runs and substance abuse merry go round. This shows Rancid firing on all cylinders. But I still find Tim's wigger vocal raps annoying, even though he does give the band a certain charismatic focal point. However what's even worse than the (c)rap is when he's pouring his heart out pretending to be all vulnerable ha! Still considering his recent marriage breakup there's not too much of that in evidence. 'Travis Buckle' on the other hand was another superior punk rock workout with a great organ backdrop as they pay tribute to our favourite NY vigilante. They continue the punk anthems with 'Spirit Of 87' which is where Rancid come into their own. Their tales of punk hangouts and punkers revelling in being misunderstood is always the best way to hear/feel Rancid coz they have seen it, and done it and that's why their best songs are always the honest ones! They only lose it completely when they start delving into other sub-cultures and situations on the strength of second hand info. They fall open to ridicule and it shows they ain't half as sussed as we once thought. Don't believe everything you hear boys! The 'Tropical London' track is important not coz it's a standout, but because it was written about the much publicised split between Tim and his Auzzie Distiller and ex-wife, Brody. She sacked him on the 'dog & bone' whilst he was making this album tee hee! Now writing a song about a broken heart is one way of getting over being dumped I spose. But funnily enough even though Tim's heart has been "ripped wide open" I don't think he's gonna find much respite in the arms of Kelly Osbourne, do you? Tales of love, death and the cold, cold nights sums up yet another Rancid album. And with Rancid being the saviours of dark, street dwellin, destitute punks all over the world they could do with way more spunk if they wanna remain super human on a gutter level. The punks they sing about probably won't be able afford to buy this album, but that ain't stopping you fuckers! WORTH A LISTEN www.rancidrancid.com |
| SPECTOR 45 '16 With A Bullet' CD 2003 'Made in Texas by Texans'...as these young Dallas punks proudly proclaim from their sleeve. From the opening drum roll of the addictive 'AOK' they begin as they mean to go on by playing simple but energised punk, with tunes, melody and some nifty ideas included along the way. Lead singer/guitarist Frankie Campagna has a youthful clean vocal that compliments the raw dirty guitar licks on their better tracks. They break all the young punk rules by playing their punk with a rare maturity! And gain from an original inspiration, with more than a nod back to other eras. You won't find no hardcore stop/start blasts here, no West Coast skate rock or mindless mohawkish bland uniformity either! But having said that I think they should loose the suits pronto! These kids wouldn't have been outta place playing the local Hot Club back in the day. They definitely got style and being young and hungry deserve some recognition. 'Sixteen With A Bullet' boasts a promising introduction despite a few teething problems and the band getting out of their depth once or twice. But the prowling 'Ms Price' is my fave track of the whole bunch, with it's espionage styled guitar solo that sounds like it could've emerged from outta the 60's. They rip to shreds their 3rd grade school teacher's wigged out reputation without mercy. Bet she'd love this track! But with great tracks like that they do falter on the cover of 'Peggy Sue' as Frankie whines away off key before going into a mindless thrash out, which was a bad move, but we were all young once. Considering they've only been together since the start of 2003 I'm sure they're fast learners and will be dropping numbers like this as they progress onto more impressive compositions. 16 tracks was a brave attempt for the bands debut release. I reckon an EP would've made more sense, but I spose they were eager to give their fan base (this record reached number 2 in a local record store chart) something to chew on. Hope jumping in at the deep end don't backfire on em, coz they've inevitably included some suspect fillers like the retro 'Grease Tribute' complete with a cringe worthy "doo... wap" plus 'I don't Know' which boasted a chunky 'Teenage Kicks' inspired riff and untamed solo, but was badly sabotaged by more dodgy out of tune crooning. They end on a high though with a cover of local legends Nervebreakers 'My Girlfriends In Iraq', which shows very bad taste for kids so young (Hurrah! for bad taste!) And finally their own 'Wake Up' with an impressive intro arrangement and good backup vocals giving it atmosphere. Spector 45 show a lotta promise and confidence. They just played some prestige support slots with touring international punk bands, and gained positive feedback from the likes of Wattie! So If these kids can produce more of the quality tracks next time out the traps, I'm sure they'll be a fresh band to watch out for in Texas and beyond! WORTH A LISTEN www.spector45.com |
| THE SUSPECTS DC 'Courtesy Flush Version1.0' (PPP-CDOO3) 2003 I spotted these outsiders at the recent Birmingham punks picnic where they went down like a lead balloon. The following morning as I viewed the wreckage of my pockets I spotted this disc amongst the grotty flyers and loose change. All I got is the track lists on the label, a blurry unimpressive recollection from the previous nights performance and a web address that dont work? Which don't exactly give you any more clues? What I do know is The Suspects DC hail from Washington DC (never!!!) and deliver 11 no thrills buzz saw punk ditty's that show little imagination and flair in today's multi facetted scene. If this band dripped mohawks and studs they'd probably get a minor cult following, but as they don't and have to rely on their music alone thing's don't look too bright for em! The singers gotta kinda funny growl to his unstable vocals, but their one big innovation on this demo was a peculiar use of a haunting synth, adding a synthetic string sound to the background rhythm track. It sounded like Ultravox's electric violin which IS very novel in today's punk scene, but I somehow don't think the kids are gonna get too excited about that these days! The Suspects DC still sound very much in the demo stage, even on the 7 non-demo tracks! So if they do get anything out properly I hope it's way more produced than this. The drums are way too loud in the mix, and the guitars are too low most of the way. They cover the Ramones 'Suzy Is A Headbanger' showing I suspect their major influence. The bands signatune 'Were The Suspects' carry's on that short, sharp, shock treatment complete with the ever present surreal synth. Their best track easily of the 11 on show was 'Dirty Punk'. Now this mid-paced stomper did show promise with a good snotty chorus..."gonna get me a BIG BIG BIG car, driving so far up your boulevard". They could certainly make a way bigger impact on the punk scene with more songs of this calibre so fill her up Jacko! AVERAGE www.stormpages.com/thesuspects |
