March 15, 2011 distro update

Hello Folks,
First off, far more important than punk rock, i'd like to take a minute to address what's going on in the state of Wisconsin concerning workers rights. The newly appointed Republican electorate are have been working to pass legislature to strip away the rights of public sector employees who are unionized. For anyone unsure of what that means, public sector employees are anyone who is employed by the state and has their salaries paid by taxes and includes anyone from teachers, librarians, water department workers, department of public works employees, firefighters/some emergency medical workers, police officers, and prison guards to any number of other positions. I'm not going to get into it about police and prison guards here because this isn't the place. Many of the services these public employees greatly promote the betterment of society. These public employees are all unionized, and their contracts are negotiated and bound by what are called Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). These CBAs determine wages, vacation time, sick time, health insurance benefits, and many other things.

Wisconsin Republican lawmakers are attempting to make it so that these workers no longer have the right to collectively bargain or advocate for their own interests when it comes to negotiating CBAs. These Republican lawmakers are scapegoating the public employees as being a financial burden and blaming them for the budget gaps in the state. As we all know, the financial crisis was brought on by institutions like Goldman Sachs, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, not by middle class workers who are far from wealthy. This is a calculated attack on organized labor by the right wing, and if you think this doesn't affect you because you're not a public employee or because you're non-union, you're fucking wrong. There's been a slew of both non-union and non public sector union workers that have participated in the demonstrations. This has far reaching ramifications for ALL workers who are not in upper management positions (which is pretty much everyone i know with a job). This is about NOT going back to the 1800s where people worked 12-14 hour days with no benefits, extremely low wages, and with no time off. This is about NOT allowing the companies or other places of employment to not fire you just because you've been there too long and they don't like your 'high' pay grade. This is about the exploitation of labor so that those at the top can prosper more than they already do. This is NOT an issue of radical labor even. This is just basic common sense. There seems to be very few people in the punk scene taking notice of this, but unless you plan on either living in a dumpster or being the CEO of a company all your life, this could very much affect you.

I really can't stress this enough how important this is or the immediacy of it all. This is a landmark decision in scary, scary times. I can not urge people strongly enough to look into this. I've tried to provide some links below that i really, really hope people will take the time to read and further inform themselves about this topic.

Noam Chomsky giving an excellent interview on Democracy Now: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/17/democracy_uprising_in_the_usa_noam

Rick Fantasia of Smith College, a great person for labor studies (great starting point): http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-24/opinion/fantasia.union.wisconsin_1_public-sector-unions-private-sector?_s=PM:OPINION

Why Isn't Wall Street In Jail? (excellent, but very in depth - not the place to start for just an overview): http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/2/22/matt_taibbi_why_isnt_wall_street_in_jail

Not a Union Member? Why You Should Care About Wisconsin (or Ohio or Michigan): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-b-dean/not-a-union-member-why-sh_b_829546.html

John Stewart on the Daily Show discussing the absurdity of all this (this one is more for fun): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/01/jon-stewart-critiques-wis_n_829618.html

If anyone needs any more links or information, i'll do the best i can. Just get in touch. ewrecknap@hotmail.com

So now that we've established how unimportant punk rock is in our lives and have gotten everything in perspective... I'm excited to announce that Social Napalm will be handling the US and North American distribution for the new Amenaça - "Demo" 12". There has been a long line of great raw, lo-fi DIY punk and hardcore bands coming out of Spain in recent years including the likes of Otan, Firmeza 10, Crimen de Estado, Invasión, and a slew of others, and i hope people will feel that Amenaça continue that tradition of quality. Although not a "ramshackle d-beat band with no bass" (couldn't resist) band, Amenaça still takes 1980s punk influences (BAP, L'Odi Social, and Subterranean Kids) and combines them with a grainy, raw recording to create an adrenalin charged HC sound. This 12" is actually the band's demo pressed to vinyl, but i don't think that fact hinders the quality at all. This is a three label split release being coordinated by Inti of the excellent Discos Enfermos label (http://anarcopunk.net/discosenfermos/) in Spain who is handling the European distribution with additional participation from Record Shop Base in Japan who will be handling the Japanese front of the campaign. I will only have 150 copies available in the US though. To preview a few of the tracks, please go to http://amenaca.interrupciones.net/. I anticipate this record to be available sometime during April or May.

Top recommendations for this time around are of course the official re-release of Extreme Noise Terror's "Phonophobia" album on CD by the Brazilian label Terrötten Records. This was to be the last of the "classic" or "good period" ENT releases in my opinion. I know some people are into "Retro-Bution", but i never got into that stuff. I guess you could call this ENT's "Rock For Light," "Master Of Puppets," or whatever album you want to cite by a band from the time period "just before they started to suck." After having undergone some line up changes, Extreme Noise Terror was at this time original members Dean Jones and Phil Vane on vocals plus fellow founding member Pete Hurley on guitar, Stick from Doom on drums (who had replaced Mick Harris of Napalm Death, etc.), and Mark Bailey (previously of Filthkick and later on Excrement Of War and the Wankys) on bass. This CD also contains an 11 song live set recorded at Adam & Eve's in Leeds, England on April 16, 1986 as bonus tracks added onto the end of the CD. The set is a raw and great recording. Definitely not soundboard, but if you're a fan of the band, you'll be into it. It includes all the early hits like "Show Us You Care," "Murder," "You Really Make Me Sick," "Fucked Up System," and a bunch more songs from the Chaos UK split LP and "Holocaust In Your Head" LP eras. Awesome, totally fucking awesome. These CDs are packaged in a nice digipack and are i think fairly reasonably priced considering the amount they cost in postage. So if you don't have it on vinyl or you just want a copy to play in your car, here's your chance. Update: I just got word that Phil Vane from ENT passed away. This is obviously very sad. I'm sure more details will come out soon. Another top recommendation this time around is the Hul "Den Danske Ungdom" LP reissue on Hjernespind Records. I wrote about that at length below, so there's not much more that needs to be said here. It's a great record. And i'd also like to single out both of the Zero Boys LPs ("Vicious Circle" and "History Of..."), but for the sake of brevity, i won't discuss those further other than saying they are amazing.

I decided to bite the bullet and buy the available Black Flag vinyl back catalog on SST Records. I think most people are pretty familiar with Black Flag, so there's probably not much to say that hasn't been said. If you're one of the people like me who just had random Flag CDs growing up, this is a good chance to fill it in on vinyl. For the most part, these are pretty much just like the original presses of the records ("Nervous Breakdown" 7" is an exception) that you would have gotten in the '80s, not some remixed, remastered reissue with new artwork bullshit. I put reviews from the All Music Guide in with most of them because a lot of them are ridiculously corny and hilarious and written by stupid pretentious rock journalists that are clueless about hardcore. Some of them are ok though. And then i threw in a couple reviews from zines at the time for the sake of posterity and reflection from the period. Some of these reviews are as funny as the All Music Guide write ups because, with 30 years of hindsight, it's interesting how much public opinion on a lot of the later Flag records has vastly changed.

This time around you'll also see a substantial size of the BYO Records catalog which includes some great stuff here by bands like 7 Seconds, Agression, SNFU, and the early BYO comps. Two titles that i think a lot of people will enjoy though are 7 Seconds' "Walk Together, Rock Together" LP and SNFU's "If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish" LP. A lot of people slag off 7 Seconds for all the corny shit they did later on, and that's probably pretty justified, but i don't think that their later career path should diminish the legacy of their early work. With that said, "Walk Together, Rock Together" is one of the catchiest, tightest, and most adrenaline packed US HC albums of the 1980s. At their best, 7 Seconds were right up there with Minor Threat, NOTA, or any of the other elite '80s HC groups. SNFU, despite being Canadian (ha), were reportedly one of the absolute best live bands of all time, and the photos of their performances make it appear that those rumors could be true. But they also wrote some fucking hit songs, and their second album "If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish" is not to be fucked with if you're at all a fan of catchy hardcore with melodic tendencies. Highly recommended.

In from BYO Records as well are several of the Leatherface albums. Unfortunately, BYO apparently could not obtain the rights to press them on vinyl (i asked), and therefore they could only press the Leatherface back catalog that was available for licensing onto CD. I wish they were available on vinyl, but any format is ok when the music is of this caliber. For those unfamiliar with Leatherface, they formed in the late '80s by singer Frankie Stubbs with a few guys from the British hardcore band H.D.Q. in the Sunderland area of England. Where US bands like the Offspring and Green Day took the melodic punk/hardcore sounds of early '80s bands like Bad Religion, Adolescents, and D.I. to create what became hugely successful melodic punk (and later pop punk), Leatherface was doing something similar in England by taking the sounds of early British punk and proto-HC bands like the Ruts, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, Buzzcocks, and others to create an aggressive yet tuneful and unique style of melodic hardcore. With Stubbs' gruff voice that sounds like Lemmy from Motörhead's paired with both speedy and mid tempo melodic hardcore, it is a style that probably shouldn't have worked but was instead mesmerizing and hypnotic. Leatherface went on to release what many (myself included) feel is the best punk album of the 1990s with "Mush" in 1991. Sadly, due to bullshit label rights, "Mush" has only been sporadically in print on CD and out of print on vinyl since shortly after it was released and is currently out of print now. But all of their albums have their moments, and i'm pleased to be stocking them. On Leatherface's most recent tour of the US in 2010, their show in Boston had a ton of people from the DIY HC scene come out to see them, and i hadn't seen so many people sing along to a band at once since the Casualties were still playing VFW halls and churches. It was a great night, and proved Leatherface hadn't lost their edge. A great band with a ton of meaning to a lot of people.

I wrote a lot more than i normally do this time around. I apologize for that. I'll try to be more concise next time around. As always, email me back with any questions,
-Erik

Full distro list and website can be viewed at http://www.socialnapalm.com/ . Past email updates can be viewed at http://penetration82.blogspot.com/ .

Please remember that PRICES ARE *NOT* POSTAGE PAID. For U.S. (domestic) customers, here are the postage rates for ordering:
$0-$15.00 = $2 shipping
$15.01-$30.00 = $3 shipping
$30.01-$60.00 = $4 shipping
$60.01-$100.00 = $5 shipping
$100.01-$150.00 = $6 shipping
Over $150, email me please.

All parcels are sent Media Mail within the US unless you request otherwise. If you're willing to pay for it, I can send First Class, Priority, etc. with any number of services such as Delivery Confirmation, Insurance, Registered Mail, or others. Please email me how you'd like it shipped, and i can get you a total.

International customers please get in touch for rates. All international orders are sent via airmail. Get in touch for other potential shipping methods and services.

We can accept well concealed cash or *postal* (that you get from the post office) money orders made out to "Erik" (NOT Social Napalm). Thanks.

Paypal is accepted, but i do have to charge to include for their fees.

Address is at the end of this email.

Here's what's in stock now:

7"s:

Asocial Terror Fabrication/Exithippies split 7" on Doomed To Extinction Records $5.00
"After months of delays and problems with the cover, I am happy to announce a new release on Doomed To Extinction Records: Tokyo noise core vs crust/stench core. 500 copies- all on black vinyl." -Pedja/Doomed To Extinction Records

Black Flag - "Louie, Louie" 7" on SST Records $4.00 (SST175)
"Of the more than 1,500 commitments of Richard Berry's "Louie, Louie" to wax, including interpretations by Motörhead, Thee Headcoats, the Kinks, Toots & the Maytals, Joan Jett, Iggy Pop, and the original American frat/garage band, the Wailers (whose version was famously misinterpreted by the group who launched it into contentious rock & roll immortality, the Kingsmen), Black Flag's volatile take on the song is incomparable. No strangers to controversy themselves, the band pummel the song with their trademark pre-Henry Rollins-era guitar sludge, while singer Dez Cadena spits out his nihilistic rewording of the most misunderstood lyrics in rock history. He grunts, "You know the pain/That's in my heart/It just shows/I'm not very smart/Who needs love/When you've got a gun/Who needs love/To have any fun." Also on this single is the early, four-plus-minute version of "Damaged I" which eventually appeared in truncated form on the L.A. punk legend's landmark debut, Damaged." -Bryan Carroll, All Music Guide
"Dez makes one of his final vinyl appearances as Black Flag's lead singer/shouter. You'll want to keep this one around for those frustrated nights when you go to see Black Flag and the show gets shut down. Now you can go home and play Black Flag's encore number, their hardcore punk version of the old rock standard, "Louie Louie." Short and to the point, with updated lyrics, and a squealing guitar break in the middle.The B-side, "Damaged I," is one of the most repetitive songs ever recorded. It certainly gets across the idea of "damaged." But it drags on and on, for over four minutes. Somehow listening to this at home just doesn't have the same effect as it does live, where you can feel the tension building in a crowd of several hundred people around you as Black Flag hammers on the savage repetitious beat." -Tim Tonooka (from Ripper #6, December 1981)

Black Flag - "Nervous Breakdown" 7" on SST Records $4.00 (SST001)
"Laying down the groundwork for what would become one of the most visceral bands of all time, Nervous Breakdown was the first release from Los Angeles' Black Flag. While it is certainly more "punk" than their later work (singer Keith Morris sounds like a graduate from the Johnny Rotten school of diction, and Greg Ginn's guitar work is less modal), all the songs have the basic elements of what made Black Flag special: rage, anger, intensity, cynicism. Most definitely the blueprint for what would be termed L.A. hardcore, Nervous Breakdown is one of the quintessential releases in the history of American punk/independent music." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"Jesus fuck now this is muzak! These boys have songs that I can relate to. One is called "I've Had It" all about hatred of work and school. See what I mean? These guys write teenage fucking anthems! I guarantee that your parents will ask: "What is that?" when they hear this spinning on your turntable." -Barry Henssler (Necros), Smegma Journal #4, early 1980

Black Flag - "TV Party" 7" on SST Records $4.00 (SST012)
"A three-song EP featuring Black Flag's satirical party anthem "TV Party." The other tracks are good, but this is a release for collectors or serious fans only." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"A side of B.F.'s most commercial song, and features current drummer Emil. B side's "I've Got to Run" and "My Rules," sound more like the LP, with fill-in drummer Bill. Production is even cleaner though. Bring back Robo!" -Tim Yohannon (from Maxumum Rock'n'Roll #1, July/August 1982)

Brain Killer - "Demo" 7" on Vinyl Rites $4.00
Only got 3 copies of this in because the demo was pretty widely circulated in Boston. Brain Killer has become pretty well known after numerous tours, records, and probably lots of downloads on mp3 blogs. Taking influences from bands like Deathreat and Talk Is Poison and combining i with Disclose, Discharge, and others, this release is of their first demo tape from 2008. Look for their new LP out later on this year on Deranged Records.

Cider – "3rd Record in 19 Years" 7" on SPHC $5.00 (SPHC-8)
"Ugly, stupid, angry American hardcore for ugly, stupid, angry people.." -Dan/SPHC
Fans of the previous Cider material will not be disappointed. The Cleveland scene has developed a cult following for a reason, and this release does nothing to turn loyalists away. The train keeps rollin', and the hits keep comin'. I've only got four copies of these in stock.

Closet Fairies "Popular Science" 7" on Shock To The System Records $4.00
"This the final release by Boston's Closet Fairies. This is two more pieces of garage influenced pop punk featuring members of Witches with Dicks and Maine Coones. Recorded over a year ago, the production on this 7" is a little more blown out. This is a one time pressing, limited to 435 copies as one of the plates was destroyed by the pressing plant." -Dan/Shock To The System Records

Contrast Attitude/See You In Hell split 7" on Insane Society Records $7.00
Anyone that has been involved in tape trading, fanzines, letter writing, or stuff like that in DIY punk has probably written to Filip Fuchs of the band See You In Hell (formerly he was in Mrtvá Budoucnost and did various zine projects) at one point of another. Filip is one of the most dedicated and committed people in all of DIY, but sadly his efforts have gone mostly unnoticed over here in the States (Six Weeks Records did release an LP he played on in the '90s). So it is fantastic to see See You In Hell finally get some recognition and be featured on split 7"s with three great Japanese bands including Contrast Attitude, Crow, and the almighty Systematic Death. Filip's a guy who has an unbridled passion and love for DIY hardcore, and i'm really happy for him that he's finally getting some of the attention he deserves. On this release, See You In Hell that mixes traditional Japanese hardcore with modern DIY hardcore thrash. It is quality material, and i think a lot of people will enjoy it. Contrast Attitude from Japan plays "crasher crust" (i'm not entirely sure what that means exactly, but...) that is very noisy musically. Screamed vocals, chaotic song structures, a few rhythms in there as well. Sorry for the high price on this, but postage is expensive. Expect a See You In Hell tour of the US sometime in 2011. I also still have copies of See You In Hell's split 7" with the Public from 2003 for $5.00 if anyone is interested.

Dead Uncles - s/t 7" on Shock To The System Records $4.00
"Brand new three song 7" from New Haven, CT's Dead Uncles. This 7" comes after a demo, a split cassette and a self released 7". Dead Uncles grow and get better with every release. The A-side features "Flatlining" an extremely catchy rant while the B-side has two shorter, but equally great jams. This is music in the style of bands like D4 and Screeching Weasels mixed with a dose of 90's Long Island punk like Splurge or Striped Basstards." -Dan/Shock To The System Records

Deskonocidos 1st 7" on 540 Records $4.00
Yet another band i was pretty late on getting into. This is their debut record from 2009 which features three very catchy tunes on it. I'm really not qualified or familiar enough to say with this sound (so don't fucking shoot me), but it kind of reminds me of old late '70s and early '80s melodic bands from Spain. I'd like to say Eskorbuto and the like, but that could just be because it's kind of a grainy recording (in a good way) and they are singing in Spanish. Part of the current crop of Texas bands that also includes Vaaska and others. A very strong debut. They've since released a few other records that have seemed to get some very positive attention.

Desperate Hours - "The Ironies of Life Continue..." 7" on Konton Crasher $4.00
Debut release by this California band on the newly forged Konton Crasher label out of Cleveland, Ohio. There's a lot of bands today playing either "D-beat," "noisepunk," or some other silly offshoot, but Desperate Hours makes an attempt to not get lumped in as one of the million generic bands playing these styles. First off, they refuse to digitaliize their music, so you won't find them on Myspace, which is a nice change of pace compared to the thousands of others languishing in cyberspace purgatory. Secondly, they don't fit in with any one sound, which i also found refreshing. Musically, i'd describe it as crusty hardcore that features a metallic crunch in the guitar riffing. The prevalent influences i'm hearing are mid to late '80s Japanese, Swedish, and American bands. "Criminal Trap" era Cimex comes to mind in a couple of places, but there were numerous bands i think you could compare this to in style. That's not to say that it's on par with the stuff by those bands, but hey, what is honestly? Still it's nice break from the monotony of bands trying to all sound like a band from Japan that released a flexi in 1985 that isn't even that good. Not ground breaking, but not a bad start either.

Foreign Objects - s/t 7" on Shock To The System Records $4.00
"Debut 7" from this Boston band featuring former / current members of Libyans, Conversions and Ampere. The music is simple, catchy and to the point punk in the Dangerhouse tradition, but the vocals are what really sell this... incredibly unique and powerful, like Kathleen Hannah if she were really into Chavo-era Black Flag. Highly recommended!" -Dan/Shock To The System Records

Manipulation - s/t 7" on Fashionable Idiots Records $4.00 FIR040
Charged hardcore coming from the mid west that draws from a variety of influences, and it hits pretty hard in places. I think there's some US HC influences here, some British, perhaps some other stuff. I'd say it's kind of a mid '80s sound. Maybe Final Conflict, some "Kings Of Punk" Poison Idea, or something mixed with a slight crust influence even. Perhaps, it could be compared to the two Obliteration 7"s that were released in the past couple years if people were into them. I don't know. It's something that sounds familiar but that you can't quite place, and i think that makes it sound fresh and interesting. A solid debut release.
http://www.tchardcorejournal.com/fi/mp3s/Manipulation-ChokingMan.mp3

Roxor - 7" $6.00
"New band from Slovakia, like Framtid, great!" -Filip/See You In Hell

Skeezicks - "There's A Charlie Brown In Everyone Of Us" on Bolzkow Records $5.50
Originally released by X-Mist Records from Germany in 1986, this reissue is a nice reproduction of the original. Along with fellow Nagold, Germany bands Spermbirds or Hostages Of Ayatollah, Skeezicks were heavily influenced by US hardcore in a time when most of Europe was influenced by Discharge and noisy anarchist bands. Skeezicks instead took their cues from skateboarding and the likes of Negative Approach, Minor Threat, the Faith, and others from the United States. After recording their "We Make Noise" demo tape in 1985, this debut 7" was recorded in Amsterdam where their Dutch friends in bands such as Frites Modern, Indirekt, and Gepopel were from. It contains seven songs of quality hardcore steering clear of serious political topics and with a distinct US influence. It reminds me mostly of bands like Adrenalin OD, FU's, or even NOTA. Speedy songs with catchy riffs and shouted vocals. Fans of Spermbirds or US hardcore should definitely enjoy this reissue. Skeezicks went on to release the "Selling Out" LP in 1987 before calling it a day. Several Skeezicks reissues have come out since then including a discography CD on 625 Productions in 2000.

Totalitär/Autoritär split 7" on Black Water Records $4.50
Two long standing hardcore crust bands from Europe combined for this split 7" originally released by Yellow Dog Records in 1999. These are from the Black Water Records repress. Totalitär are well known and were one of the most popular DIY punk bands from Europe during the 1990s and into the 2000s. They released a slew of records on many different labels which were all consistently excellent. On this split, Totalitär offers up four of their distinct hardcore tracks that carry the same level of quality you'd expect from them. Lyrics tackle on this release tackle the mass media's effects on the minds of the public, the elite that retain power, sexism and machoism, and US corporations profiting by exploiting and displacing indigenous populations. This release is as good as any Totalitär release and is a nice pick up for anyone who missed the original pressing. Autoritär came from Germany, but to be honest, i was never really into them. This release shows them also contributing four songs that tackle typical punk themes including fakes, fashion police in the scene, people who believe what they are told and can't think for themselves, and genocide. Crusty hardcore that is a bit heavier than Totalitär's material on the split. Not bad for what it is, but nothing essential either.

Young Wasteners - s/t 7" on Hjernespind Records $4.00
"After the highly acclaimed "We Got Ways" album from 2002, this is the last recording session they did before disbanding. This was originally intended to be an album, but during the recording session the band broke up and these songs were the only ones that survived. And thank god for that! Young Wasteners proves again on this record that they were one of the absolute best punk acts in Denmark. This is definitely more diverse than the album, but it still comes across as being very intense and powerful. Indeed a worthy testament for a classic K-Town band." -Hjernespind Records

V/A - "Hibachi Omnibus Vol. 2" 7" on Hibachi Records $3.50
"If this isn't the best compilation released in 2005 I don't have a fucking clue what is. A co-release between Painesville, Ohio's Hibachi Records and Detroit's Fourteegee Profuctions, this is a ripper of a hardcore punk 7" compilation if I've ever heard one. The idea here was to combine the best modern Midwest HC-punk with the best modern Japanese HC-punk and the outcome is nothing short of punishing and brilliant. Japan's Insane Youth AD kicks off the record with an insane track titled "Attack of IYAD" that is literally all over the place and really sets the mood and tempo for the rest of the album. Cleveland's Upstab is next with a cut titled "Nailed Mary", which is easliy the A-Side's best song. On the B-Side you have Detroit's Bill Bondsmen kicking out their best recorded song yet with "Human Veal". Japan's always great Chainsaw closes out the record with "Set Me Free", a real ass-kicker and a fantastic closer to this 7". If you have an interest in checking out some excellent modern-day hardcore/punk, but don't quite know where to look, this is as good a place as you'll find to start. If you like what you hear, search out the first Hibachi Omnibus as well, that fucker will also steer your punk-ass right. (MCP)" -Matt Coppens/Terminal Boredom


Tapes:

None this time around...


LPs/12"s/10"s:

7 Seconds - "The Crew" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 005
"Yaaaaahhhhh!! Not since those hot Minor Threat releases has a record displayed so much charm that you become an alley cat howling at the moon in sheer excited pleasure. Well-placed melodies and sing-along harmonies sharply deliver 7 Seconds to the forefront of energetic fun, and a quality production really adds credit to the Brandt brothers' total dedication. Kevin's songwriting and impelling vocals yodel the gigantic brilliance, while younger bro Steve plucks out the bass with rambunctious might, and the rest of the band knocks out another superior performance. This one's stuck on my turntable." -Pushead (from Maximum Rocknroll #15, July 1984)

7 Seconds - "Walk Together, Rock Together" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 010
Blazing and tight hardcore. The western US version of Minor Threat in my opinion. The first nine songs on here were produced by Ian MacKaye with 7 Seconds and engineered by Don Zientara while being recorded at Inner Ear Studios in DC. This is the best 7 Seconds release in my opinion.
"This new English pressing of the infamous 12" contains all the original tracks, and on the flipside there are six previously unreleased and one new song, all which were recorded live. The sound quality is fair for a live recording and it sounds very much like the vocals were overdubbed, and if that's the case, the whole side loses credibility." -Martin Sprouse (from Maximum Rocknroll #39, August 1986)

Agression - "Don't Be Mistaken" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 003
"Older-style punk, aggressively done with inflections of thrash, Oi, and Metal to break the overall medium-tempo feel. The vocals are literally spit out, and the high quality production gives the power-chording a Pistols quality." -Tim Yohannon (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll #6, May/June 1983)

Black Flag - "Annihilate This Week" 12" on SST Records $9.00 (SST081)
"This SST EP captures Black Flag in three intense live moments. Henry Rollins sounds enraged, and the band teeters constantly on the verge of musical collapse. Although true fans will still insist that Black Flag had sold out long before this EP, you couldn't tell it by listening to their lean and hungry sound here. The original EP has an amusing drug paraphernalia-infested cover that would be banned by some record stores today, but which flew by with few ripples somehow in 1986." -Jeff Crooke (obviously an idiot), All Music Guide

Black Flag - "Damaged" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST007)
"Perhaps the best album to emerge from the quagmire that was early-'80s California hardcore punk, the visceral, intensely physical presence of Damaged has yet to be equaled, although many bands have tried. Although Black Flag had been recording for three years prior to this release, the fact that Henry Rollins was now their lead singer made all the difference. His furious bellow and barely contained ferocity was the missing piece the band needed to become great. Also, guitarist/mastermind Greg Ginn wrote a slew of great songs for this record that, while suffused with the usual punk conceits (alienation, boredom, disenfranchisement), were capable of making one laugh out loud, especially the protoslacker satire "TV Party." Extremely controversial when it was released, Damaged endured the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism (some reacted as though this record alone would cause the fall of America's youth) to become and remain an important document of its time." -John Dougan, All Music Guide
"Black Flag's music has always had a distinctive sound instrumentally, but as the songs change, and the vocals change, so do they. A lot of people I've talked to have burned out on Black Flag and didn't care for the album. I found what I expected though, powerful and energetic songs, each musician playing as if it were live. Then I find more. Songs like "TV Party," a catchy parody on Joe Blow, and "Thirsty and Miserable," heavy metalish with Dez and Greg battling the lead, plus "Damaged I," a slow heavy droner, make this a very versatile LP. I think Spot produced it well, capturing Black Flag in their present form. If you were disappointed by their last two singles, try this album. There's a radical improvement." -Sped McGregor (from Ripper #6, December 1981)

Black Flag - "Family Man" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST026)
"Black Flag's most experimental album, Family Man features one LP side of spoken word performances from Henry Rollins and another of instrumental music from the late-Flag lineup of Greg Ginn (guitar), Kira (bass), and Bill Stevenson (drums). Although occasionally chilling in its intensity, the spoken word material, much like the between-song recitations of fellow Californian Jim Morrison (with whom Rollins sometimes shares a vocal similarity here) on the live Doors albums, mostly sounds juvenile and dated after the fact. That said, Family Man's spoken word tracks, along with Jello Biafra's recordings with the Dead Kennedys, can largely be credited with bringing "alternative" spoken word to a larger audience who were either unaware of, or could not relate to, the Patti Smith/downtown New York scene. Unlike the solo Rollins tracks, the instrumental music is still challenging and vibrant. Although sounding at times like a high-school garage band attempting to perform Rush covers, Ginn and company play with a sense of desperation and punk rock fury that makes much of the music positively electrifying. Similar in spirit to the less poppy tracks on Hüsker Dü's contemporary Zen Arcade, side two of Family Man is characterized by its emotional purity. Ginn reveals himself as a refreshingly and brilliantly free improviser and his playing should serve as an inspiration and lesson to later "punk" bands who value technical proficiency over rockin' out. Overall, Family Man is an essential, if atypical, part of the Black Flag canon and should appeal to fans of Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, or the New York "noise" scene as well." -Pemberton Roach, All Music Guide
"Side one of this rather strange release contains a brace of spoken word recordings by Black Flag, only one of which is graced by an instrumental backdrop, and most of which are OK as novelties. Side two has four metal-punk instrumentals, none of which are even passable. You have to be a pretty desperate Black Flag fan to want to buy this LP." -Steve Spinali (from Maximum Rocknroll #20, December 1984)

Black Flag - "The First Four Years" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST021)
"The best collection of pre-Henry Rollins-era Black Flag. Much of The First Four Years finds the band in developmental mode, but the sonic anarchy and political vituperation met head-on more than once, creating a ferociously good time. Not simply for completists, this is an important recording of the then-burgeoning L.A. hardcore scene." -John Dougan, All Music Guide

Black Flag - "I Can See You" 12" on SST Records $9.00 (SST226)
"This four-song EP was released three years after the breakup of Black Flag. Its four previously unreleased tracks are good medium- and fast-tempo performances by the band's lineup of 1984-1985, Henry Rollins on vocals, Greg Ginn on guitar, Kira on bass, and Bill Stevenson on drums." -William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Black Flag - "In My Head" on SST Records $11.00 (SST045)
"Hot on the heels of the live record came Loose Nut and In My Head, which showed significant improvement over My War and Slip It In. Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn were exploring by-now standard lyrical themes: hate, paranoia, loneliness, anomie, and violence, but framing them around music that was demanding, powerful, and exciting. In My Head is the slightly better of the two, primarily because it's a little edgier and uncontrolled, but at this juncture, Black Flag was making some of the best contemporary rock music extant." John Dougan, All Music Guide
"I've tended to like their post-Damaged records a lot more than some people I know; here, instead of long, drawn-out solos, the songs are shorter and more concise, and therefore pack more punch. The cassette version contains three extra tracks." -Dogtowne (from Maximum Rocknroll #30, November 1985)

Black Flag - "Jealous Again" 10" on SST Records $9.00 (SST907)
"When the four-song vinyl EP Jealous Again came out in 1980, Black Flag had yet to provide a full-length LP or hire Henry Rollins as its vocalist. But even in those pre-Rollins days, Black Flag was regarded as one of the most important bands on the Los Angeles punk scene -- and rightly so. In fact, it's safe to say that no 1980 release captures the raw, explosive anger of L.A. punk better than Jealous Again. Black Flag's second vocalist, Chavo Pederast (the one who came after Keith Morris and before Rollins), has no problem expressing his rage on such in-your-face classics as "No Values," "White Minority," "Revenge," and "You Bet We've Got Something Against You!." In 1980, some fans of corporate rock couldn't begin to understand the appeal of a punk band like Black Flag and dismissed this EP as unmusical. But to criticize Jealous Again (whose contents would, in the 1990s, be placed on SST's CD reissue of Damaged) for its lack of chops or technique completely misses the point: punk wasn't about technique, it was about feeling. Punk was rock & roll stripped down to its rawest, most naked, gut-level emotions. And on this EP, those emotions make for some compelling moments." -Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
"What a record to send to someone you hate! This is Black Flag's beat EP yet. It will be a classic of the decade. My favorite cuts are "White Minority," a good song to send to the K.K.K. "You Bet We've Got Something Against You!", a song about their former lead singer Keith of the Circle Jerks. "No Values" is a great song. You can send it to your fave preacher. And one more song you will enjoy - "Revenge." I highly recommend it.P.S. Punk out guys!" -Gail 4444 (from Ripper #4, Spring 1981)

Black Flag - "Jealous Again" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST003)
"When the four-song vinyl EP Jealous Again came out in 1980, Black Flag had yet to provide a full-length LP or hire Henry Rollins as its vocalist. But even in those pre-Rollins days, Black Flag was regarded as one of the most important bands on the Los Angeles punk scene -- and rightly so. In fact, it's safe to say that no 1980 release captures the raw, explosive anger of L.A. punk better than Jealous Again. Black Flag's second vocalist, Chavo Pederast (the one who came after Keith Morris and before Rollins), has no problem expressing his rage on such in-your-face classics as "No Values," "White Minority," "Revenge," and "You Bet We've Got Something Against You!." In 1980, some fans of corporate rock couldn't begin to understand the appeal of a punk band like Black Flag and dismissed this EP as unmusical. But to criticize Jealous Again (whose contents would, in the 1990s, be placed on SST's CD reissue of Damaged) for its lack of chops or technique completely misses the point: punk wasn't about technique, it was about feeling. Punk was rock & roll stripped down to its rawest, most naked, gut-level emotions. And on this EP, those emotions make for some compelling moments." -Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
"What a record to send to someone you hate! This is Black Flag's beat EP yet. It will be a classic of the decade. My favorite cuts are "White Minority," a good song to send to the K.K.K. "You Bet We've Got Something Against You!", a song about their former lead singer Keith of the Circle Jerks. "No Values" is a great song. You can send it to your fave preacher. And one more song you will enjoy - "Revenge." I highly recommend it.P.S. Punk out guys!" -Gail 4444 (from Ripper #4, Spring 1981)

Black Flag - "Loose Nut" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST035)
"One of three LPs released by Black Flag in 1985, when the group hits its stride, as on Henry Rollins' brutal "This Is Good," it's hard to deny the group's trademark, adrenaline-rush appeal. Other highlights include "Annihilate This Week" and "Bastard in Love." " -Alex Ogg, All Music Guide
"My turn to do a Black Flag review already? Uh-oh. OK, Side one has a couple of tunes that grab me, full of power and with a full sound. The rest of the slower numbers, and most all of Side two, leave me cold. I think it's go something to do with the thinness and cleanness of the sound, making me focus in on the jazzy aspects and lyrics, which don't do much for me. Seems like those memorable, catchy, sing-along noise days are history, except for pale imitations like "Modern Man" or "Best One Yet." " -Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #25, May/June 1985)

Black Flag - "My War" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST023)
"After a rancorous three-year legal battle with their label Unicorn, which prevented them from releasing any new material, Black Flag binged in the mid-'80s, releasing a flurry of records that had even the most devoted fans scrambling to keep up. They did, however, start this period somewhat inauspiciously with My War, a pretentious mess of a record with a totally worthless second side. Featuring three tracks of slower-than-Black Sabbath muck with Henry Rollins howling like a caged animal, it was self-indulgence masquerading as inspiration and about as much fun as wading through a tar pit. Side one, however, was quite good, with the title tracks especially intimidating." -John Dougan, All Music Guide
"Black Flag have worked long and hard to break ground for punk, and weathered a lot of legal harassment in the process, so it's impossible to casually dismiss them for putting out a bad record. But that temptation certainly exists with the release of this album. To me, it sounds like Black Flag doing an imitation of Iron Maiden imitating Black Flag on a bad day. The shorter songs are rarely exciting, and the three tracks on the B-side are sheer torture. I know depression and pain are hallmarks of Black Flag's delivery, but boredom too?" -Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #13, April/May 1984)

Black Flag - "Nervous Breakdown" 10" on SST Records $9.00 (SST916)
"Laying down the groundwork for what would become one of the most visceral bands of all time, Nervous Breakdown was the first release from Los Angeles' Black Flag. While it is certainly more "punk" than their later work (singer Keith Morris sounds like a graduate from the Johnny Rotten school of diction, and Greg Ginn's guitar work is less modal), all the songs have the basic elements of what made Black Flag special: rage, anger, intensity, cynicism. Most definitely the blueprint for what would be termed L.A. hardcore, Nervous Breakdown is one of the quintessential releases in the history of American punk/independent music." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"Jesus fuck now this is muzak! These boys have songs that I can relate to. One is called "I've Had It" all about hatred of work and school. See what I mean? These guys write teenage fucking anthems! I guarantee that your parents will ask: "What is that?" when they hear this spinning on your turntable." -Barry Henssler (Necros), Smegma Journal #4, early 1980

Black Flag - "The Process of Weeding Out" 10" on SST Records $9.00 (SST924)
"Certainly not for the faint of heart, Black Flag's instrumental work may seem to the naked ear to be atonal and uncomfortable, but there is a method to the madness. The Process of Weeding Out is an interesting document of Greg Ginn's development from high-speed guitar "sculptor" to one of the few punk artists to embrace 12-tone experimental music. A nice companion piece to the instrumental work on Family Man, but fans looking for strict hardcore should stick to the band's earlier work." -Chris True, All Music Guide

Black Flag - "The Process of Weeding Out" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST037)
"Certainly not for the faint of heart, Black Flag's instrumental work may seem to the naked ear to be atonal and uncomfortable, but there is a method to the madness. The Process of Weeding Out is an interesting document of Greg Ginn's development from high-speed guitar "sculptor" to one of the few punk artists to embrace 12-tone experimental music. A nice companion piece to the instrumental work on Family Man, but fans looking for strict hardcore should stick to the band's earlier work." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"Nothing more than a typical painful Black Flag jam session that should be on a Woolworth's cassette rather than vinyl, and yes, it has a Raymond Pettibone cover." -Martin Sprouse (from Maximum Rocknroll #31, December 1985)

Black Flag - "Six Pack" 10" on SST Records $9.00 (SST920)
"Another pre-Damaged EP release, Six Pack is just intense as Nervous Breakdown or Jealous Again. Its three tracks represent a band that was not interested in filler, using music to construct an answer to the bitterness and rage that permeated the lives of the disaffected. Also notable for yet another of many lineup changes that would happen within the band, this incarnation of the band is considered by some to be their most underrated. While largely overshadowed over the years by the band's other vocalists, new member Dez Cadena delivers with the same power as successor Henry Rollins and blind rage as predecessor Keith Morris. An important step for one of the best bands to emerge from the L.A. hardcore scene." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"Some finicky fans have said this is not as good as earlier Black Flag recordings like "Nervous Breakdown" or "White Minority". If you want to get picky about it you can, but any way you look at it, this is still incredible stuff- an intense outburst of rage and fury etched on to a piece of vinyl. This single was recorded while Dez was the singer, and it's great, but now that they've got a new lineup with Henry doing vocals and Dez on second guitar, they're much better. Black Flag has always been incredible, but now they're absolutely awesome- a powerful thundering sound like nothing you've ever heard before. It's no wonder so many people consider Black Flag to be the best hardcore band in the world." -Tim Tonooka (from Ripper #5, Fall 1981)

Black Flag - "Six Pack" 12" on SST Records $9.00 (SST005)
"Another pre-Damaged EP release, Six Pack is just intense as Nervous Breakdown or Jealous Again. Its three tracks represent a band that was not interested in filler, using music to construct an answer to the bitterness and rage that permeated the lives of the disaffected. Also notable for yet another of many lineup changes that would happen within the band, this incarnation of the band is considered by some to be their most underrated. While largely overshadowed over the years by the band's other vocalists, new member Dez Cadena delivers with the same power as successor Henry Rollins and blind rage as predecessor Keith Morris. An important step for one of the best bands to emerge from the L.A. hardcore scene." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"Some finicky fans have said this is not as good as earlier Black Flag recordings like "Nervous Breakdown" or "White Minority". If you want to get picky about it you can, but any way you look at it, this is still incredible stuff- an intense outburst of rage and fury etched on to a piece of vinyl. This single was recorded while Dez was the singer, and it's great, but now that they've got a new lineup with Henry doing vocals and Dez on second guitar, they're much better. Black Flag has always been incredible, but now they're absolutely awesome- a powerful thundering sound like nothing you've ever heard before. It's no wonder so many people consider Black Flag to be the best hardcore band in the world." -Tim Tonooka (from Ripper #5, Fall 1981)

Black Flag - "Slip It In" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST029)
"Slip It In followed My War almost immediately, and while a bit better (fewer mega-volume angst drones), the band still wanders a bit, experimenting with expanding the breadth of hardcore into a newer hard rock/punk sound. This is especially true of Greg Ginn's guitar playing, which was becoming increasingly avant-garde and exciting. Rather than simply coughing up one clichéd solo after another, he wandered harmolodically up and down the fretboard as a jazz player like Blood Ulmer would, making the material more interesting than what most Black Flag-influenced bands were playing." -John Dougan, All Music Guide

Black Flag - "TV Party" 12" on SST Records $9.00 (SST012)
"A three-song EP featuring Black Flag's satirical party anthem "TV Party." The other tracks are good, but this is a release for collectors or serious fans only." -Chris True, All Music Guide
"A side of B.F.'s most commercial song, and features current drummer Emil. B side's "I've Got to Run" and "My Rules," sound more like the LP, with fill-in drummer Bill. Production is even cleaner though. Bring back Robo!" -Tim Yohannon (from Maxumum Rock'n'Roll #1, July/August 1982)

Black Flag - Wasted... Again" LP on SST Records $11.00 (SST166)
Compilation that serves as a great introduction to Black Flag containing songs from all eras of the band. Lots of hits are represented here. This also is a nice record to have if you want a virtual Black Flag mix tape on vinyl.

Black Flag - "Who's got the 10 1/2?" LP on SST Records $11.00 SST060)
"Black Flag's second live album, recorded at a 1985 Portland show with the Kira/Anthony Martinez rhythm section, is about what you'd expect the late period of the band to sound like live. A couple of older songs crop up -- "Slip It In" and "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" are transformed into a great 15-minute medley with Henry Rollins getting in some audience-baiting that explains the album title -- but mostly this is from Loose Nut, its songs sounding generally better here than on that release. Rollins is in typically fiery form throughout; whatever dissatisfactions with the band he spoke of in future years evidently didn't keep him from forgetting how to put on a show. It's interesting to realize how much of the vaunted Rollins attitude comes from singing lyrics written mostly by Greg Ginn, but the singer definitely makes those words his own regardless. Certainly his generally terse spoken word bits practically drip with the man's essence -- talking about "Annihilate": "This is a song about killing yourself to live." Ginn's blend of straight-ahead punk riffage and ponderous if still exciting open-ended sludge tones and soloing matches Rollins just fine, while Kira and Martinez do their job well enough. Kira adds some deadpan backing vocals at points as well. Strong numbers include "Bastard in Love," given a tight performance and an almost sweet touch of guitar jangle at points, and smoking takes on "The Best One Yet" and their inimitable version of "Louie, Louie." The CD version is the one to get, with a further half-hour of music from the show than on the vinyl version." -Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Death Dealers - "Files of Atrocity" CD digipack on Terrötten Records $15.00
"Remember when you used to create a "dream-team-band" in your head? If it used to count with Extreme Noise Terror and Anti-Cimex members, then you are one lucky motherfucker! Death Dealers is a new Raw Crust D-beat band with Dean Jones, Phil Vane and Chino from E.N.T and Charlie Claeson from Anti-Cimex alongside with members from Raw Noise! Pure Dis-Cimex annihilation done by fuckers playing punk for more than 20 years. This record will open a vortex in your house and throw you in a dirty English squat circa 1983! Artwork & design by Sean Fitzgerald. Deluxe Digipack version. For fans of: Extreme Noise Terror, Anti-Cimex, Raw Noise, Discharge, Doom, Disrupt.." -Renan/Terrötten Records

Extreme Noise Terror - "Phonophobia" CD digipack on Terrötten Records $15.00
"Terrötten Records is proud to announce the release of one of the most classical and influential crustcore album ever! Phonophonia is a powerhouse from the legend Extreme Noise Terror. Originally released in 1991, but this time remastered and remixed from the original master tapes. Classic line-up with Dean Jones, Phil Vane, Peter Hurley (Disgust), Mark Bailey and Tony "Stick" Dickens (Doom, Deviated Instinct, etc.). This reissue come with two unreleased bonus tracks from the same session and a full set recorded live at Leeds in UK in 1986! From the same scene that brings you Napalm Death, Doom, Heresy, Defecation.." -Renan/Terrötten Records
**This also contains an 11 song live set recorded at Adam & Eve's in Leeds, England on April 16, 1986 as bonus tracks added onto the end of the CD. The set is a raw and great recording. Definitely not soundboard, but if you're a fan of the band, you'll be into it. It includes all the early hits like "Show Us You Care," "Murder," "You Really Make Me Sick," "Fucked Up System," and a bunch more songs from the Chaos UK split LP and "Holocaust In Your Head" LP. Awesome, totally fucking awesome.

Hul - "Den Danske Ungdom" LP on Hjernespind Records $10.00
Very excited to have these in stock, especially at an affordable price compared to what they've frequently been sold in America for. An absolutely phenomenal record that's already been written about to death. This record was originally released in 2001 on 9 Lives Records out of Denmark. Along with the likes of Amdi Petersens Armé, Hul was one of the bands from Copenhagen, Denmark that was responsible for the K-Town Hardcore explosion of the early-mid 2000s. Unlike Amdi Petersens Armé however, Hul unfortunately received very poor distribution in North America and copies quickly shot up to $50 for it on eBay. Further creating a certain curiosity for the band, this was to be Hul's only release, and i think it's pretty fair to say that it definitely lives up to the hype. Hul came out just prior to when the retro hardcore explosion started (when all the fastcore, YK2 thrash, and bandana thrash craze nonsense started to finally die off), and blew everyone's minds with a record that actually sounded like it could have come out in 1981. Taking heavy influences from LA bands like Bad Religion and Adolescents, Hul made sure to add their own distinct trade marks to their sound to create a unquestionably retro sounding record, but also one that wasn't specifically attempting to sound like any one band. With snarling, snotty vocals that crack in places, fantastic guitar hooks, and even a dirge to end the record on, it set the benchmark for what was to come in the following years as well as helping to solidify the expectation that anything coming out of K-Town at that time was worth a listen. This, along with the Young Wasteners LP from a year later, are my two favorite records of the Copenhagen early '80s revival sound. This repress is from 2009 and on Hjernespind Records (run by Tommas who was half of Kick 'N Punch Records). After Hul broke up, members went on to be in No Hope For The Kids among other bands. Fans of any of the Copenhagen bands of recent years such as Gorilla Angreb, Asbest, Hjertestop, Incontrollados, Arrigt Antræk, No Hope For The Kids, and Young Wasteners will probably enjoy this. Highly recommended.

Leatherface/Hot Water Music split LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 060
After having departed ways on not the best of terms in 1994, Leatherface returned. After their break up, Frankie Stubbs had done the projects Jessie (Jesse) and Pope, while Andrew Laing spent time in Rugrat (Bull Taco). The idea to reform Leatherface was actually prompted by Dickie Hammond, but within six months of reforming, Dickie had already exited the band again and did not play on these recordings. Instead Leighton Evans who played on the Jesse material was brought in to play second guitar. The opening song "Andy" is written about former Leatherface (as well as Snuff and Pope) bassist Andy Crighton, who had tragically taken his own life and is penned in a way only Frankie Stubbs could. Leatherface's return record sees them playing the same style of tuneful, melodic punk they'd become known for and that their fans has been hoping for. While not "Mush," the six songs here are all still great, and Frankie's voice and lyrics are as unique, interesting, and distinct as ever. I've never listened to the Hot Water Music side of the split, so i can't comment. I think they are an emo band or something.

Leatherface - "Cherry Knowle" CD on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 063
Music, and more often, specific songs, is one of things in life that you inevitably create memories to. The song you were listening to at a certain special moment in your life becomes inseparable from that memory every time you hear the song from then on. And hearing it after that will forever take you back to when that moment in your life occurred. The song that was playing when you lost your virginity or kissed the first girl you loved, for example. Hell, even certain songs from old skate and BMX videos can make you forever think of a person's part in a video every time you hear it. Some band's music just naturally lends itself to being one of those that you invariably create some of your fondest memories to. Leatherface is one of those bands for many people. They have a mountain of memorable songs that are so emotionally charged, it's like they were written for the sole purpose of creating memories. Leatherface should be rich and famous from romance comedies featuring their songs about two British people with fucked up teeth that fall in love over tea and cigarettes, but instead, they are just revered by the punk scene. "Cherry Knowle" was the album that started it all for Leatherface. It was released by the excellent Meantime Records label in 1989, and, while containing ex-members of the very popular UK band HDQ, there was no way to know the impact that Leatherface would have or greatness they'd achieve. While rough around the edges with a somewhat raw recording, the signature trademarks were already in place in the music. Frankie Stubbs' gruff, Lemmy-like vocals that came to define the band, the strong melodic guitar work, and the general feeling that this was much different from all the tuneless thrash that had come out of Britain's punk scene in the mid and late '80s. The songs here are more simplistic and straight forward than what would come later on records like "Mush" and "Minx", but this is still a fantastic release.

Leatherface - "Dog Disco" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 094
Here's a review from some site: http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/65p17.html

Leatherface - "Horsebox" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 068
The return solo release for Sunderland's finest. Even though Dickie Hammond didn't play on this recording, Stubbs along with fellow founding member Andrew Laing (Lainey) and a couple new comers wrote a very solid return that features the excellent and underrated track "Watching You Sleep" among others. Frankie's voice is as hoarse as ever, the song writing is still catchy and memorable. Leatherface proved on this release they were far from washed up and hadn't lost their ability to craft a great tune.

Leatherface - "The Last" CD on BYO Records $10.00 BYO
This is the sound of the band breaking up as you listen to it. After having established themselves as the premier punk band in the United Kingdom with seminal releases "Mush" (1991) and "Minx" (1993), the Leatherface's main song writers Frankie Stubbs and Dickie Hammond couldn't stand to be in the room with each other by the time they were recording this. The tension got so bad that Frankie wanted to call the album "Good Riddance", though that was vetoed by the other members. Thankfully, despite the in fighting, it did not affect the band's ability to write great songs, and this album was released in 1994. Containing fan favorites "Little White God," "Patrick Kills Me," and "Shipyards," this is not some album where the band wrote a bunch of filler just to get another record out. Leatherface could write a tuneful song as well as any band, and this album continues that tradition.

See You In Hell - "Útok LP" LP on Insane Society Records $12.00
"Second LP of SYIH from Brno/Czech republic is out now - 8 brand new songs of fast, raw and 100% full-on energy HC / punk recorded at infamous Šopa studio." -Insane Society Records
"Very cool old school sounding Czech hardcore punk, which brings to mind a lot of old US and European hardcore influences. See You In Hell is fairly straight-forward, no-frills stuff and won't throw you a curve ball stylistically, which in my book can be something very good. Sometimes you want your hardcore served up raw and that's when you listen to See You In Hell" -NM (Maximum RocknRoll #299)

SNFU - "...And No One Else Wanted To Play" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 009
First album. Just go to Discogs.com to see the track list, and then look up the songs on Youtube to listen to them. Great stuff.

SNFU - "If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYC 012
Excellent. very, very excellent. Humorous in sort of an Adrenalin OD way.

Social Chaos - "Ciclo da Traição" CD on Terrötten Records $12.00
"Social Chaos arised in late 2001, formed by members of old Brazilian ragers like ROT and F.D.S, and musically inspired by most of the 80's bands such as Anti Cimex, Axegrinder, Rattus, Concrete Sox, Sepultura. This is some of the most raw and aggressive music to ever come from Brazil since a long time. Imagine Hellshock covering Sepultura circa Beneath the Remains in a basement infested by rats carrying tropical diseases! Eleven songs of pure madness!" -Renan/Terrötten Records

Zero Boys - "Vicious Circle" LP on Secretly Canadian $14.00 (SC188)
"From 1979 into '83, the Indianapolis based ZBs were the finest hardcore blitz in the Midwest if not all the lower 48 states. Proof is Vicious Circle and the two decades since of copyists, bootleggers, practitioners and reunion concert pogoers. Though before and after that LP's 1982 release they recorded the Livin' in the 80's 7", songs for three comps and released the post-mortem History Of... cassette revealing their transformation into a toured band warming to the metaphysical and their demise while still waving torches of rock 'n' roll panache. When the Ramones lost it, the Zero Boys found it; Adding a slam brigade fist to the Blitzkrieg Beat. The Zero Boys managed to come with one of the best early 80's punk records, or one of the best records ever, period. Between Vicious Circle and History Of, the entire recorded output of this legendary Midwest punk band's original line up is, finally, collected." -Culminated from liner notes written by Jack Rabid and Eric Weddle

Zero Boys - "History Of..." LP on Secretly Canadian $14.00 (SC189)
"Sixteen classy Zero Boys songs. A few have already appeared on their superb album, but the rest are hitherto unreleased gems that reveal why this band should be rated right up there with the Circle Jerks as prime exponents of brisk, hook-laden thrash and punk. Excellent." -Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #15, July 1984)

V/A - "Someone Got Their Head Kicked In!" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 001
"An anti-violence compilation from the kids at Better Youth Organization - the folks that put on shows at Godzillas. Features tracks from L.A., Santa Barbara and San Diego bands Social Distortion, Jonses, Youth Brigade, Agression, Adolescents, Blades, Battalion of Saints, and Bad Religion. Strong album, but not as thrashed-out as one might expect - tending more toward the melodic, but still hard. Great production. Pick it up." -Tim Yohannon (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll #1, July/August 1982)

V/A - "Someone's Gonna Get Their Head To Believe In Something" LP on BYO Records $10.00 BYO 026
"Youth Brigade pay some homage to their native land by including many excellent Canadian bands (the Nils, Y.Y.Y., the Unwanted, S.N.F.U., Personality Crisis, the Young Lions, Zeroption, the Stretch Marks, and D.O.A.) on this collection, as well as some L.A. newcomers (Rigor Mortis, the Tourists) and veterans like the Big Boys, 7 Seconds, Kraut, CH3, and themselves. A good sampling." -Tim Yohannon (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll #12, March 1984)


Zines: (i'm probably going to be cutting back on zines from here on...)

More Noize Fanzine #5 $4.00
"Interviews with Finnish hardcore band Ydinaseeton Pohjola (say it loud five times in a row) and fellow hardcore travellers Raw'Arse. There is also a Wretched retrospective, some misconstrued ideas and badly formulated sentences about international hardcore punk in 2010, as well as an in-depth analysis of visiting Scum Fest 2010 and Punk Illegal Festival 2010. Somehow a few photos containing members of the international hardcore punk conspiracy sneaked in, as did one or two record reviews. It adds up, doesn't it, 68 x A5 pages in A5 and one A4 "poster". ALMOST 70 PAGES!!!!" -Tony/More Noize zine

Ripping Thrash #27 $4.00
"Chats with Steve Hyland, See You In Hell and Active Minds. Massive backlog of reviews.. photo page and more!" -Steve Ripping Thrash
Since the 1980s, Steve Buxton has produced the excellent Ripping Thrash zine. With a staunch commitment to DIY, a die hard affection for supporting the international punk scene, and a dedication to supporting what he likes, not just what's popular, Steve has produced a consistently strong zine in which this issue is no different. Excellent all around.


NEXT TIME AROUND -- DO NOT ORDER YET:

-Fatum tape - hc/crust in the vein of Deviated Instinct, Axegrinder, etc coming from Russia(!!!)
-Fatum LP - on a Czech label (Gasmask Records)
-Mierda tape - Raw hardcore punk influenced by MG-15, Discharge, etc from Spain
-Boston Strangler tapes


Other shit:

Yann from the label Undislessed Records in France sent over a batch of records for review this time around. Yann is a good guy, dedicated to DIY, and has been around for quite a while now (he formerly ran the label 3.C.R.C. Records). He can be contacted at thrashattack@dbmail.com for more information regarding any of the following releases. There's a lot more reviews to come, but this is all i had time for this time around.

Ilúzia - "Búrka" LP
Melodic punk with sung female vocals and a variety of influences. There is no band address listed, so i'm not sure specifically what country Ilúzia is from, but i'm guessing the Czech Republic or another Eastern European country. Please pardon my ignorance on these styles, but, to me, it sounds like there are some folk or even gypsy influences in their songs. There's definitely a healthy dose of ethnic influences and sounds on here, and a violin is featured on many of the tracks. I think it's nice when you can hear the traditional cultural influences showing through in bands from places like Turkey, Russia, Poland or other places rather than when bands make an attempt to just Westernize or Americanize their sound. It shows a sense of cultural pride in an increasingly homogenized and global modern society. Bands such as Scatha have done a fantastic job of incorporating traditional cultural influences with hardcore punk to create something that was both unique and excellent. So i respect bands that attempt this. Lyrically Ilúzia writes their songs in mostly their native tongue. When they do write in English, it's apparent that English is not their first language, but that takes nothing away from their lyrics. The lyrics that i can read cover political topics while always adding in a ray of hope for the future in their songs. They write as though change can still be made despite what's being done in the world today and that nothing is hopeless. It is with this indomitable spirit, perseverance, and uplifting attitude that Ilúzia will continue to fight on.

Shaïd - s/t 12" EP
From France, comes this Euro crust band that lies somewhere between the sounds of modern crust and '90s crust. Heavy, thick with dual vocals and the occasional blasting part. Fans of groups on labels like Profane Existence, Skuld Releases, Aborted Society, etc. will perhaps enjoy this. The insert says "No lyrics here, we've got nothing new to say, so, if you're disappointed with us, open a book and learn by yourself." I couldn't help but feel that this was an extremely lazy route to take. First off, not only are you dismissing your own lyrics as uninspired and worthless, you're also stating that you were too lazy to write about any of the numerous social and political issues that already get little to no attention in punk. And even if you couldn't be bothered to cover new issues, there are still plenty of original ways to expose and take on the established issues that still persist today in a new light. Shaïd's insert goes on to give some random "words to live by" style quotes that vaguely (at best) address workers rights, economics, religion, and other assorted issues. None are more than one line long, and none are comprehensive. I can't help but find this very off putting. It just reeks of the "couldn't be bothered" mentality that is abundantly found in punk today. Besides being too lazy to include their lyrics, Shaïd was also apparently too lazy to include an insert that looks like it took longer than two minutes to create on a computer, anything more than a generic cover of hands holding a machine gun (is this supposed to be thought provoking?), or be bothered to write songs that anyone would want to listen to more than once ever. I'm sorry in some respects for writing such a scathing review, but when it's obvious that such little work went into it (and i'm sure the members would disagree with that statement), it's difficult to find positives or be anything other than critical while still being honest.