SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - s/t LP 1983

Now a debut record by a fucking great combo that I've been carrying around with me for almost forty years, and was one of the first I buy during my active metal days. Hardcore was already an outlet for me back then and a welcome niche. To be clearer, we're talking about Suicidal Tendencies and I think, the first US band (at least for me) which is associated with the new term SkatePunk, or at least influenced/shaped this new style. The band was formed 1980 in Venice/California by vocalist Mike Muir, who is the only remaining original member of the band and after the recording of their first demo they grew in notoriety and were featured on the Slamulation compilation on Mystic Records. But the band had a rough start including being voted "Worst Band/Biggest Assholes" in Flipside in 1982 but the following year were voted "Best New Band". They signed with the independent label Frontier Records and 1983 their brilliant debut came out and involved were Mike (vocals), Grant (guitars), Louiche (bass) and Amery (drums). A milestone in my opinion with twelve classics, including "I Shot The Devil", "Memories Of Tomorrow", "Possessed", "I Saw Your Mommy" and "Fascist Pig", "I Want More".... filled with emotion, simple but deep, brash but honest and plenty of high-speed thrash onslaughts, replete with dirt simple atonal riffing, and all of this is thrown right in your face. Excellent and as exciting as the last game of the German team against Hungary.

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VOODOO LOVECATS - Thats What I Believe EP 1997

Combining facets of glam and punk rock, and mixing them with a horror-based image, that's the Voodoo Lovecats, originally formed back 1994 in Melbourne, they threw out a few demos, smashed a few stages, then launched their debut CD Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (Horror Show Records) in 1997. The band followed up with a split CD El Noche De El Siniestro Vudu in 1998 and toured extensively (supporting international bands like The Misfits in '97, Suicidal Tendencies, etc..) around Australia. A few lineup changes in 1998 caused the band to take a "break", which turned into a longer-than-expected hiatus. Sicboy (vocals), Ruin (lead guitar), and Creep (drums) have rehearsed and are working towards recording some classic VLC tunes (that never made it into the studio) for their fans but they are reformed now. A short review here: "...they are a fantastic ROCK unit, the kind that actually gets you excited about things again, then the joke's all on you. Maybe I'll eat my words on all of this...but for now, at this moment in time, the Voodoo Lovecats are the best thing I've seen in a dog's age..." Year Zero/Resistant Harmony Review, 1997.

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NEGATIVE STANCE - Angels Of Deceit 1993

Vacation is near and this year I will not visit my second home but the urge to stay there remains, so let's take a short trip to the capital there and meet an interesting band called Negative Stance, one of the most influential bands of the Greek Hardcore scene between 1988-1993. Their distorted melodic sound was at times reminiscent of bands such as Wipers, Black Sabbath or Suicidal Tendencies, but these heterogeneous elements were creatively and distinctively molded together. Their excellent lyrics ignored the usual Punk norms, touched upon various aspects of a dystopian society and remain relevant even nowadays. Founded in Athens sometime in 1988 by Alexandros (vocals/guitar), Alekos (guitars), John (bass), Bill (drums), members of the infamous Villa Amalias squat, Αρνητική Στάση (“Negative Stance”) belonged to the “golden generation” of Greek Hardcore/Crust Punk. Not only did they cultivate a unique sound that kept changing over the years, they also wrote highly memorable song material – a rare combination, indeed. Many of their compositions would feature on each of the band’s releases, but expressed through different stylistic lenses, ranging from the early non-distorted works on the split with the British combo Kismet HC, to the full-on metallic Punk assault on their sole full-length proposal “Άγγελοι Του Ψεύδους” (“Angels Of Deceit”) on Greece’s famous Wipe Out! Records; Genet Records did the international version, making it pretty easy to locate. There was also a 7Inch released on none other than Profane Existence that same year, featuring two songs that were on the album. Like much of Greek Punk, their lyrics were introspective and existential but still highly political. Twelve catchy and varied songs, with tempo and the record was released in several colored vinyl, mine is blue. Enjoy!

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D.R.I. - Live @ CBGB'S New York 1984

This brings back a lot of memories. In the early 80s I listen to a lot of Metal stuff because I was a Metaller with all my heart. I leave this style when I came in touch with American Hardcore bands like Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, Warfare (UK) etc.... so also with D.R.I. The Hardcore sound was an integral part in this scene and then more and more concerts took place I rather visited of course those gigs as Megadeth or Anthrax. 1986 then D.R.I. live in my city, together with Holy Moses (ARRGGHHH!) and this show changed my lifestyle completely. I will not say that they made me a punk because I've also heard some German punk bands, EA80, Slime, Daily Terror, OHL for example, but they were rarely present live as the ami bands. I would say my interest in metal was deleted this evening, First-class performance with pogo till the shack crashed, unforgotten. Who ever saw a D.R.I. gig can attest to this. A little info:

D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) is a crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen. D.R.I. never gained a mainstream audience, but the integration of their hardcore punk roots with thrash metal influences was a stylistic catalyst for their contemporaries - most notably Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion Of Conformity and Stormtroopers Of Death - alongside whom they are considered pioneers of what would later be called "crossover thrash." They have released seven original studio albums, the last of which was released in 1995. Since then, the band has continued touring and intermittently going on hiatus. In 2004, D.R.I. released a web-only demo track "Against Me", their first recording in a decade. For years, there has been talk of an eighth D.R.I. album, which has yet to materialize.

The first three albums are all terrific and as '4 Of A Kind' came out the music was too monotonous to me and I lost interest. I love more the rapid, wild aggressive sound and here on this CD are all their hits. Forty songs in Thirty-Nine minutes. A Must Listen!!

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RKL - It's A Beautiful Feeling! EP 1984

Beautiful debut 7Inch by RKL (Rich Kids On LSD) from Montecito/California and they were associated with the "Nardcore" scene that evolved out of nearby Oxnard. Their music expanded over the years from West Coast Hardcore to a mix of Hardcore with Rock & Metal elements. This style, along with touring, made them very popular on the European scene, especially among skaters in the 1980s and 1990s. Formed 1982 and on this EP are Jason (vocals), Chris (guitars), Vince (bass), Bomber (drums) jamming, this seven sucker was released via Super Seven Records and the band's name came about as a mere fluke from some light hearted criticism. According to vocalist Jason in a 2002 interview with Thrasher magazine: “it happened that some guy said, 'ha, those kids will never be anything, they're just a bunch of Rich Kids On LSD, man.' The first party we played we didn't have a name for the band, so we put that one on the flier and it just stuck.” The beanie boy logo was born one night while Bomer and Jason were being tattooed. Bomer was attempting to draw a dragon pattern. On seeing the drawing, Jason commented, "Yeah dude, it's Cecil! Where's Beanie?" Dan Sites was sitting alongside drawing a flyer for a show supporting Suicidal Tendencies in Oxnard and drew a beanie guy jumping from a building. Beanie boy was born. They released six albums, a few compilations and three members are unfortunately no longer with us and you can read for yourself when and why. I had their Rock'N'Roll Nightmare record, but had to sell it early, a tragic loss. Well, what remains? R.K.L. had a vehement influence on the American underground scene and will not be forgotten, like many others.

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D.R.I. - Dirty Rotten LP 1983

Kurt (vocals), Spike (guitars), Dennis (bass) & Eric (drums), the first line-up of D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) released their first masterpiece with twenty-two blasts on a 7Inch in 1983 on their own label Dirty Rotten Records. In the same year it was re-released as 12Inch by R Radical Records (MDC label) and this slab ranks high in my top ten. I remember exactly how blown away I was after going through this Hardcore firework, and the bar was already set high because MDC's debut is a milestone and I had a hard time imagining it rising, but this band from Houston (later based in San Francisco) went one "better". Pure energy paired with skilful, almost virtuoso interplay at a brisk tempo plus Kurt's fantastic voice. This is real magic and makes every Hardcore heart beating faster, being in love is harmless in comparison. And that's exactly the sound to get your emotions straight to the point and create slogans that are burned into your brain. Anyone who has heard that will have to become someone else, at least that's how it was for me. And this music is great if you want to clear your head, when it's full of shit, tried and true home remedy. You see, there's a reason I picked this record for today, and it's the weekend so appropriate for that too. I want give you a sparkling review which I can't:

"Starting with the awesome 'I Don't Need Society' and ending with the anthemic 'Explorer', D.R.I.'s debut album was an important stepping stone in the evolution of both metal and hardcore. D.R.I. drew a line in the sand between the American hardcore bands who wanted to stick close to the original punk sound and bands who wanted to branch out into heavy metal territory. D.R.I.'s use of thunderous heavy metal drumming and California Hardcore songwriting made Dirty Rotten LP something special, putting them in a category with Corrosion Of Conformity and Suicidal Tendencies as the forefront of a new movement. Their angry lyrics revolved around the usual political and social ills, but their approach was a staggering blend of pre-grindcore blastbeats (that particular drumming style may have even had its first recorded instance here), blunt and simplistic guitar riffs, and an acidic vocal workout from the young Kurt Brecht. His charismatic shout was the tone-deaf glue that kept the band together, especially in the face of abbreviated songs and sloppy playing. With some humorous lyrics, endless enthusiasm, and a penchant for short song times (only one song makes it past the two-minute mark), D.R.I.'s debut was a landmark album that paved the way for exciting new hardcore bands to spring up in its wake." (Bradley Torreano)

If you like loud old school Eighties Hardcore, this is for you! 

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V/A - Killed By Death #9 1995

"All American Punk, No Foreign Junk" on Volume #9 and here we found more obscurities and even more rare punkrock from the good old days and what shall I write more about this awesome compilation? One great song hunts another and all tracks are Killers!! 2000 pressed on black vinyl with orange and red labels. Due to a "printing problem," about 200 copies have tan labels with red ink. The repress (of 1000) has a blue and black cover (as opposed to the white and black cover of the first pressing). All Killed By Death or Bloodstains compilations and bands have pushed open the door for a new wave of weirdos, because these types of releases will flourish the CD age. KBD would never go boring and I will never stop listening to it.

1.Break My Face - TAPEWORM

2.Blues For An Insurance Salesman - TAPEWORM

3.Police State - CRAP DETECTORS

4.Big Doings - CORPSICLES

5.I Wanna Kill My Mom - THE PANICS

6.Uniformz - NOTHING

7.You're Not Gonna Get It - EPICYCLE

8.Kill The Bee Gees - ACCIDENT

9.Suicidal Tendencies - THE JETSONS

10.Laugh - HAMMER DAMAGE

11.Drunk & Disorderly - SHIRKERS

12.School Jerks - VAINS

13.Amerika First - GIZMOS

14.Better Off Dead - LA PESTE

15.On Whom They Beat - SADO-NATION

16.You're Full Of Shit - X-X

17.In Vagueness Deal - BREAKOUTS

18.Revolting Mess - ICE 9

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CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER - Money Talks 1987

I remember when my best Friend and I listen to their first album Convicted we were completely blown away, such fast music we knew only from Septic Death, D.R.I., Raw Power & MDC but that was Hardcore and at that time we broke with Metal and became Punx and Cryptic Slaughter mixed both genres into one big whole and on the second album they drove the pace back a little, nevertheless famos! Info: The band was formed 1984 by Les Evans (age 17), Scott Peterson (age 14) and Adam Scott (age 15), who met through their mutual participation in the American Youth Soccer League (AYSO). Soon they were joined by Bill Crooks (age 15), a friend of Adam Scott and a fellow soccer player. Adam Scott was let go a few months later due to conflicts regarding his parents and school. Their first demo, Life in Grave, was produced in 1985 and became well circulated in the burgeoning tape-trader underground. Their first full-length LP, Convicted, was released in 1986 on Death/Metal Blade records, whose artist roster also boasted D.R.I., Corrosion Of Conformity, the Mentors and Beyond Possession. Within its first year of release, Convicted sold over 25,000 copies and earned Cryptic Slaughter the reputation as being one of the fastest bands in hardcore. Next came Money Talks in 1987, which is still considered by many to be the band's best effort. Mixing crushing grooves with lightning speed, Money Talks surpassed Convicted's success by selling 35.000 in its first year and by earning Cryptic Slaughter a fanatical following around the world. They took on the right-wing theocracy directly, with songs like "Freedom Of Expression" that skewered the censorial nature of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), founded by Al Gore's wife Tipper. Their "American Heroes" directly confronted the mass media heroic mythology of the astronauts who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, when millions toil to survive daily in a world of injustice. Along with D.R.I. they were at the forefront of a musical genre known as much for its relentless energy as its radical anti-authoritarian politics, even if not all the listeners paid attention.

The original line-up recorded their final studio album, Stream Of Consciousness, in 1988. Unhappy with the recording process and the album's production, the band's internal problems were magnified by life on the road. They broke up in the summer on tour before Stream was released later that fall, they played their last show in Detroit on July 14, 1988.

Shortly after returning home, however, guitarist Les Evans and bassist Rob Nicholson recruited new member Eli Nelson and continued on in a new direction. This new incarnation was short-lived, however, and Evans moved to Portland in May 1989 to reform the band with an entirely new line-up, which included Brian Lehfeldt of Wehrmacht fame. The final Cryptic Slaughter album, Speak Your Peace, was a definite departure from the previous material, heavily influenced by a changing music scene.

The band are often credited as one of the progenitors of crossover, the thrash metal and hardcore crossover genre, along with such seminal acts as D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity and Suicidal Tendencies. In 2003, Relapse Records reissued Convicted and Money Talks with added bonus tracks from Cryptic Slaughter's demo and live recordings. Due to legal reasons, the band changed their name to Lowlife and will be touring and playing CS songs.

And now I have to go to the birthday party of a dear friend!

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V/A - Shielded By Death #3 Exit Stage West 2003

Last Volume by this little serie from Bacchus Archives and we have sixteen rare tracks by from mostly bands which have made a record here and there or just only a demo and you can find the corresponding stories on the back cover which the creator gives in detailed liner notes. I like the presentation and the selection of songs and I believe the spirit of the early days is spraying effectively out of your room and every passing pedestrian have to stop and listen and neighbors are upset, believe me, I know what I'm talking about, hahaha... The German label Incognito Records released in 2000 Busted At The Lit Club and I think it's the predecessor of the first part of this series but I'm not sure. Wherever, this is excellent stuff, more please!

1.Nothing Is Sacred Anymore - LAST SUPPER

2.Screw The Crew - S.V.O.E.

3.Record Burning Party People - 8TH ROUTE ARMY

4.Flag Day - HOT BODIES

5.The Blue Wash Room - THE DISPOSSESSED

6.The Signal - THE VERTEBRATES

7.Pain Is Pain Is Pain - SEIZURE

8.Trix Are For Kids - PSYCHO

9.Suicidal Tendencies - THE TRANSPLANTS

10.Hey (Not Another Face In The Crowd) - THRILLS

11.Lead Us To The Grave - TARGET CELLS

12.Number - CANCEROUS GROWTH

13.8 Hour Countdown - THE STRATFORD SURVIVORS

14.Microwave - DADA BANKS

15.Wide Awake - WIDE AWAKE

16.Pushing Buttons - T.V. NEATS

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