| DECONTROL 'Yer Granny's Fireside Favourites' CD (Self Release) 2007 Fraserburgh's Snaba is the best known punk ligger that Scotland's spit out since the fat fucker who wrote Product fanzine. He also once upon time broke bass strings for early 80s Scottish punk band Red Brigade. So whats a seasoned punk fan to do in the Scottish Highlands apart from getting pissed listening to punk or fishing? The answer is to succumb to his lusting for the stage and string together a 21st century motley crew of like minded souls to play all their favorite punk tunes. That is when he ain't hitting the punk fests. The aptly named outfit are called Decontrol, and no not a D-Beat in sight. Lead singer Snaba does look the part from the live gig shot that adorns the impressive colour cover. Sort of a Scottish version of TV Smith in bleach and zipps. His singing however leaves a lot more to be desired. Decontrol are a covers outfit who recorded these 12 numbers before they took a unplanned break which was bought on by there 15 year old drummer getting grounded for a month for getting pissed and being caught by his parents tee hee. But fear not dear reader, for they have left us with a varied selection of karaoke punk covers on top of some pretty nifty playing. You get to hear these early attempts which are plucked mainly from Snabas monumental record collection spanning the late 70s/early 80s, and not a yank in sight! To be fair most are the regular cuts you've heard hundreds of times before and steer close to the original featuring bands like the Subs, the Business and Cock Sparrer. But theres also a few anomalies like 'East of Dachau', Flux's 'Tube Disasters', the Pistols 'No Feelings' and finally the Upstarts 'Police Oppression'. Since this was recorded however, Decontrol have got quite a few gigs under their belts and gained way more composure. So much so they are now introducing their own stuff to the set which seems to be well up to par with whats going under the banner of punk these days. And it has to be noted Snabas vocal delivery has come on in leaps n bounds. You can hear their larest efforts on my space link below. This collection however is probably nest kept for family, friends and cunts like me. For more info go here... AVERAGE www.myspace.com/decontrol_scotland |
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| SNOTTYNESS... Punk Rock Classic - World Contender - Worth A Listen - Average - Plastic - No Future |
| VIOLENT FUCKWITS 'Beyond Redemption' (Self Released) CD November 2007 Who'd have thought this once fly by night mess about for Belfast's punk nutters, scoundrels and vagabonds would manage to squeeze an albums worth of material out, let alone do a series of gigs? But they have! The Violent Fuckwits are a band who like to have a bash and a laugh, while their various more serious musical projects imploded or were taking a breather. We get a whopping 19 tracks on this their debut full length. And low and behold they actually manage to deliver despite numerous lineup changes, apathy and the lure of Buckfast. The production however is still pretty limited, with I suspect a less rowdy more tamed version of the songs that they can unleash live on stage. But with tracks like 'Call Back To Arms' with its addictive guitar riff it rises above expectations and certainly propels these fuckers into a more major league arena, where even the snigger's from seasoned muso's might stop laughing for a second at least. Since their less adventurous debut demo CD EP in 2005 and with a load more gigs under their Belfast strait jackets, they definitely have a more refined sound on this recording that actually resembles something more than just a piss about. They still opt for that clean guitar sound which can leave 'em sounding very thin in places. I'd much prefer and think they'd benefit greatly with a chunkier rhythm track upfront. We could also do with Bills vocals up more in the mix too, as they are prone to sometimes get smothered by the backing track. Don't get me wrong, they must actually like this kinda presentation, and at least they ain't gone all serious on us. You can hear elements of '77 punk on the put down track of 'You Usta Be A Punk'. And we even sample some rockabilly on the bird ditching 'Your New Girlfriend' which shows signs they could be starting to nudge the bigger boys like Runnin Riot if they ain't careful. Billy Riots lyrics are funny as fuck, taking potshots at a lot of misdemeanours in this thing we call life, including his fave hate...PC Punks. I cant really see this album being on rotation at the 1 in 12 club that's a fact, but the aim of this release is to give the Violent Fuckwits their deserved 15 minutes of fame, which no-one can really deny. 'Wankin In Work' was for me the other standout (no pun intended) track. Its got that neat skank attack that featured heavily in off shoot outfit 1000 Drunken Nights. It has a definite appeal and proves these fuckers can knock out a decent tune when they ain't down the pub. They amalgamate their own songs with a couple of varied covers like P.A.I.N.'s best number the classic 'Oh No Its The Pigs' which is a spot on alternate version. And an amusing attempt at Discharge's 'Ain't No Feeble Bastard' which don't quite suit Bills lesser Rottweiler, more scrammel vocal style. 'All Out Offensive' their penultimate aggro number has a funny spoken intro from some cockney geezer who i should probably recognise, but i don't? Before blitzin right into the fray. The last half of this album however is a sing-a-long Fuckwit version of the previous songs for all the punk karaoke crooners out there. Maybe it sounded a good idea in the studio, but it don't really need including here and spoils their previous hard work. Comes in a very DIY punk cover which is given some sexy snazz by number one fuckwit Fiona. Their next release is scheduled to be a split album with New York band the Blame, due out very soon! WORTH A LISTEN www.myspace.com/theviolentfuckwits |
| SILENT MEOW 'They Can See In The Dark' (Kotumba Records) CDEP October 2007 Apologies to the band for not reviewing this earlier, as it came out as a limited edition 4 track CDEP to introduce this dark pop punk outfit last Halloween 2007. Silent Meow features the delectable vocals of Silvie Pussycat, the former Cockroach Candies singer and Plastic Bomb fanzine columnist outta Dinslaken, Germany. She''s since relocated from her native Eastern Europe to Southern California joined forces with ex-Derita Sisters mainman Marky in what looks set to be a productive collaboration. Silvie has a certain Debbie Harry vibe to her vocal on the highly addictive opening track 'They Can See In The Dark'. An hypnotic number which was a cult hit for Canadian Jim Gray's Darkroom back in 1982. Its a classy song that entices us into the world of Vampires, a track you could see re-denting the mainstream record charts with some clever record company push. It also swoops in with some great guitar work giving it that other world feel. Silent Meow are a band who have all the ingredients of fulfilling that pop punk dream, and more so than most of the other contenders out there today. They possess a sexy siren, some musical muscle to give it sincere grit and a good ear for production. They display a more hard hitting slant on the 3 accompanying tracks which features ex-Deritas Mark Gilman (AKA Rock Smash) on guitar, Chance Void on guitar, Pat Statutory on bass and Lurk Armstrong on drums. 'Taste Of Blood' is more tongue in cheek with some memorable guitar and backing vocals. 'Dead Boy' and its "1 2 fuck you!" intro lets slip their punkier roots and is by far the snottiest number as they sink their fangs into good looking corpses. Final track sees Silvie regain her vocal composure as she croons her way through 'Angel Whore' another catchy little number that would appeal to a wider audience. The band have gained a rather good reputation in the Santa Barbara area and beyond as a formidable live entity and already have their debut album due out now! Comes with a full colour foldout insert and postcard. US CONTENDER www.myspace.com/silentmeow |
| DESTRUCTORS 666/ THE RUINED '777' SPLIT CDEP (Rowdy Ferrago) July 2007 Continuing Peterboro's UK based Rowdy Ferrago labels penchant for releasing product on iconic dates. This time round this 4 tracker was put out on the 7th day, of the 7th month in 2007. Not quite as iconic as the previous years '666' release, but you get the picture. Its dark its moody and another dose of local outfit the Ruined. These undead punk rockers (in the loosest sense of the word) come apparently from hell, but don't appear too bad with only a couple of tracks to trawl through. And if you like your punk with a definitive rock edge and theatrical vocals you might just get off on these. It does work well as they chug and cut their way through the opening track 'Poison Ivy', whose laughable lyrics are printed on the sleeve. The chorus is the key as it draws you in before spitting out a musical workout that speeds up and out the green clutches of death. 'The Dead Are After Me' however has some really cheesy synths thrown in. The kind you'd associate with the diodgy 80's disco scene or something Howard Jones would come up with. They try and salvage the situation by letting the guitars do the talking, but not long enough to erase that smell of cheese! The bells chime and the wolves howl for the arrival of Destructors 666 tune 'The Vampires Kiss', which has more of a punk edge and some good guitar solos for a change on a Destructors record. They also chug along quite merrily with the undead and a "Vampires Kiss". However they can't save themselves from falling into the precipice during their last number 'The Graveyard Stomp' which seems to be trying really hard for a Cramps vibe and utilises a jolly good riff, but is doomed to absurdity by the moronic lyrics and the tongue in cheek delivery. They must've killed themselves laughing at this when they recorded it. We are also spared the usual cover track, so lets be thankful for small mercy's eh. As with all Rowdy Ferrago releases the sleeve comes dressed very neatly with the usual goff artwork and those throwaway lyrics reprinted. AVERAGE www.myspace.com/destructors666 |
| DESTRUCTORS666 'Sachen Lassen Mit Fremden Machden' 7 track Mini CD (Rowdy Ferrago) November 2007 A new 7 track mini album from the Destructors666 kicks off surprisingly in fine form with the quirky 'Strange Days' that has late 70's new wave written all over it, especially with its clinical vibe and cutting guitars reminiscent of the Skids and those other worldly vocals. Definitely shines a whole new beam of Alien light on this band. 'Plan 9' From Outer Space' is more tongue in cheek fun, with dumb lyrics and a psychedelic guitar lead. But proves there is some imaginative touches in this band despite contemporary perceptions. We then get 'Psychotic Reaction' the cover from the Count 5 complete with mouth organ which was by far the worst track. Not for content but coz I've never been a fan of the original, This version done absolutely nothing for me but could please you? 'The Weirdness' sees the band going back to their more punkier roots. And along side enough imaginative lyrics to make you wanna read em as they list the strange the wonderful and weirdness that pin pricks the Destructors666 universe. 'Ray Gunns' is the most impressive musically, with a neat chugging guitar and over the top solo as they sing the delights of Mr Ray Gunns a 21st century gun slinging hero for destructors and all sci fi enthusiasts. They then fire at us another cover, this time with Bowie's 'Hang Onto Yourself' which is sped up in a more punkier outburst complete with hand claps (irritating clicking) and coming out like a latter day Ramones. Finishing off with the 'Asylum mix' of their opening number, which is more guitar based and uses a Rejects like 'Bad Man' riff to good effect, but also has that annoying clicking. Gotta say the Destructors666 are definitely getting better, and so they should be after numerous attempts. This release seems to be their best all round effort to date. WORTH A LISTEN www.destructors666.com |
| TURBO NEGRO 'Retox' CD (Scandinavian Leather) 2007 Turbo Negro's most recent album was late arriving in the Wolf's Lair, but thanks to Welshy it has. And continues their theme of bringing us sophisticated lecherous assaults with kinky lyrics, but sadly opting for that rock themed plain instead of their punkier grind. The snot and guts of the epic punk classic Apocalypse Dudes isn't part of the bands studio output these days, but you still sense they could unleash something spectacular at every turn. They have a more matured delivery these days, but with enough punky dose's to make you wanna come back for more. Put alongside the better albums of recent years like Scandinavian Leather, Retox is lacking somewhat. However opening number 'Were Gonna Drop The Atom Bomb' has all the hallmarks we love about Turbo Negro. Grinding riffs, sarcy vocals and that driving power, so its a good start. 'Welcome To The Garbage Dump' continues the apocalyptic theme as lead singer Hank hollers "Rope Burns, turn the boy loose, Retox and turn the boy loose" amidst more unsavoury cryptic lyrics. 'Hell Toupee' seems to go too far into the rock realm for my liking, although the hilarious lyrics about hair loss will keep you entertained as they descend into metal territory where you cant help tut think its one big piss take!? Same goes with 'Stroke The Shaft' a caster plaster phallic ode to masturbation lol. They restore their male pride and tear up the ante during the gratuitous 'No, I'm Alpha Male' with a short but great bass run along with Euro Boys dazzling guitar workouts. 'Do You Dig Destruction' harks back to the glory days as they give us the classic Turbo riffs, some creative vocals and even the odd calypso rattle for brilliant audio effect. Going in a totally different direction they slink in with a 60's sounding and totally laid back 'I Wanna Come', which creates a totally different vibe from any of the other track on here. And despite its nonchalant approach it really starts getting under your skin with more plays. However they soon boot the doors in with the more power driven 'You Must Bleed/All Night Long' where they revel in rock n roll excessiveness and inhabit a place where all the real men wear their thongs all night long tee hee. 'Hot And Filthy' veers back to the metal age as they sing about sex and teenage lust. And makes you wonder are Turbo Negro (now they're an established name on the live gigging circuit) going through a lean period creativity speaking? The last couple of albums seem OK but nothing special. But after nearly 20 years in existence you cant take their longevity with a pinch of salt. 'Boys From Nowhere' had a promising title, but the song itself was unmemorable with only the chorus redeeming them. And just as they seem to have shot their last bolt, they storm in with the best riff on the album during 'Everybody Loves A Chubby Dude'. A track not about the lead singer but a brave attempt to tackle the spectre of consumerism only in Turbo Negro's very distinct way. We are then left with the grand finale as synthersisers introduce the final track and best one 'What Is Rock?'. Which is full of crunching guitars and the best lyrics on the album as Hank lists some of the funniest lyrics your gonna hear on a modern day rock album. They rip the piss outta every rock metaphor you can think of including their own roadies but giving a sly wink to Iggy, AC DC and the Pistols along the way, its superb "coz we're doing blow and they smoke pot!" manifesto sums em up perfectly. Before finally succumbing to the strains of the string section from Sid's 'My Way' and the obligatory "wheres the cash" chant as the final bell tolls. WORTH A LISTEN http://www.turbonegro.com/ |
| 999 'Death In Soho' (Overground) CD September 2007 Ain't heard an 999 album since their debut back in '78 which was pardon the pun 'quite disappointing' compared to the blistering singles. So nearly 30 years later and 10 years since their last ('Dancing In The Wrong Shoes') I was more than a little curious to hear what they sounded like in the studio these days. With lead singer Nick Cash carrying a few extra pounds and resembling a clean shaven Bob Hoskyns, you cant help but be amazed at how his unique snotty English vocals ain't changed one bit from his 'Nasty Nasty' heyday period. 999 sound wise are still lean, still clean and still 999. Along with the Cash/Days musical songwriting partnership which is still together and forms the nucleus of these latest recordings with original drummer Pablo La Britain, still residing on the drum-stool. Bass duties these days are done by Arturo Bassick of the Lurkers, whose cheekily pictured on the back sleeve donning a Lurkers t-shirt (bet Mr Cash wasn't amused). Musically they're pretty much the same as always, with clean duel guitars that emit some decent power though with not quite as much energy as the late 70's. 999 for me were always a great 45 band and spit out at least two classic punk anthems in 'Nasty Nasty' and the slick paranoia of 'Emergency' during the bands formative years. But as with their debut album, 'Death In Soho' is an extremely patchy affair. Opening track 'Gimme The World' is totally 999 complete with rousing gang backing vocals and those taught guitars from Guy Days. 'The System' carries on the distinct theme and grows on you with more plays. 'Last Breath' has elements from their edgy past with jerky guitars and anthems galore and some crazed elements. '99 Days' is another highlight but it then started to get bland for me. 'Horror Story' is a strange track and shows the crazier elements of the band are still intact with Nick Cash doing his level best to sound scary, but doesn't quite pull it off. However when 999 start writing love songs like on 'Stealing Beauty' it becomes obvious they're running outta snotty quirky ideas that made a name for themselves in the days of 'My Street Stinks'. Its almost as pathetic as writing about "living in a rock'n'roll world'" which may suit the band, but don't exactly entice the average punk to go join em with its Status Quo delivery. They do try different styles on tracks like 'Deep Peace' with its lone guitar interludes and haunting chorus but you don't quite believe them enough for it to smother you. It looks like its gonna be a long wait till 999 can deliver a really strong punk anthem to add to their back catalogue. This 15 track album however was pretty AVERAGE and even the first class production and competent musicianship couldn't create more impact. Recorded in July 2007 and released on Sept 24th 2007 with original members Nick Cash (vocals/guitar), Guy Days (guitar), Pablo Labritain (drums) and Arturo Bassick (bass), and was engineered by Pat Collier (ex-Vibrators). Overground Records |
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