V/A - Osaka Battle Royal 1990

This fuckin' christmas time is full with all kinds of crap but the best goodies are the cookies and hot Äppler/Punch/Wine, etc... and I'm getting fatter each time. Well, enough from my little private stories and let's talk about Japanese music. This compilation on O.B.R. Records is decorated with Osaka maniacs, six bands, two songs each and I'm a litte surprised because we find excellent mid-tempo goodies, Punk/Metal/Oi! style, and no screaminhardcorenoisecantunderstandpunk lullabies and that looks interesting like blood im urine. Now I need a shower and come back with a fresh lemon scent. 

1.Easy Life - CYCLAMENS

2.Run Like Hell - CYCLAMENS

3.The Angel Kills You - DOROCHYS

4.Dead End Dreamer - DOROCHYS

5.Wind Jammer - GRUESOME

6.Dog And Stag - GRUESOME

7.Holy Terror - BUGS BUNNY

8.Rusty Eyes - BUGS BUNNY

9.Come Back, Maria - WHITE ROPES

10.Heartache & Trouble - WHITE ROPES

11.Fireman (My God Ittue) - GHAPPS

12.Heavy Time - GHAPPS

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MEN AT WORK - Business As Usual 1981

This record was also very influential in my musical history and I remember very well their hit that splashed over the ether day and night but I mean Men At Work have more to offer than Down Under. Formed 1978 in Melbourne by Colin (vocals + guitars), Jerry (drums) & Ron (lead guitar). They were joined by Greg (flute, saxophone, keys) and John (bass). Business As Usual is the debut album and was released 1981 and is one of the most successful albums internationally by an Australian group. The excellent mix of Pop, Reggae and New Wave makes these ten songs absolutely worth listening to, without stress, melodic, anytime and bring you to a pleasantly relaxed level (that's the case with me). Thirty-five years old and still a delicacy. Also album #2 (Cargo 1983) is, in my opinion, a solid record which I like to hear as well but with the third slab (Two Hearts, 1986) the band loses its class in all points: Uninspired, Boring, Poor, Cruel! Ergo, the group had to disbanded in 1986. Now sing the classics with me again.

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DIE CRACKERS - BRDigung 1981

A complete underrated band I think is the next post: Die Crackers with their brilliant debut album. Sure, in punk circles rather unknown and really only known among local rockers but this album is the best they ever released and that's certainly not only German rock. Their lyrics are funny and frighteningly close on current affairs and the music is pure impact. Originally established 1980 in Wiesbaden at the height of summer, intended to be a joke combo at the beach party of a student nude volleyball tournament, the band has released four albums to 1987 and many singles. Apart from some initial difficulties some of their songs have become great hits. Moreover, they were in 1984, in addition to the Rodgau Monotones, Flatsch! and Hob Goblin are the protagonists of the so-called "Hessen-Power". A national success they celebrated with songs like Phonhaus & Pornokino (both in 1981) and their biggest one was the 'Klassenfahrt Zum Titisee' (1983) 7Inch, in which they coined the term "Turnschuhgeneration" that quickly found its way into the German language. 1987 the band broke up and two years later they recover with a new line-up. Since 1998, however, they play back in the original cast. In 2003 they appeared at the "Silberne Hochzeit" a anniversary concert for the Rodgau Monotones at the Stadthalle Offenbach and played there in front of 8.000 fans. For their 30th anniversary, the band recorded at concerts on 5 and 6 December 2008, the double CD "Die Crackers Live", which appeared in May 2009. The setlist of the evening came in agreement with the audience. In July 2009, the band released the 7'' 'Wir haben einen Traum', the official fan song of the soccer club SV Wehen Wiesbaden. So if you have the chanxe to buy this album (excellent cover b.t.w.) do it, because: it's unique! - Fuck..... it's snowing vehemently

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DENTIST - s/t LP 1978-1979 [2009]

Dentist was a french punk from Nice, founded in the late 70's. They play fast, rough & they make it good. Dentist chose superbly their covers ranging from Otis to Radio Birdman, from The Stooges to Question Mark, essential songs exclusively... Even more, Dentist got to writing their own material inspired by the models that they were caught up in, producing an original sound that was neither ridiculous or immature. The A side of the album presents the 1978 session and on side B their 1979 session. Sliding towards a more 60's sound which was an early sign of things to come and the end of the group. Late 1980, Dentist split to leave space for another story: Les Playboys. All in all a classic punk rock nostalgia and this compilation was released by Mémoire Neuve in 2009.

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ALONZO & FAS 3 - Dansa Som En Fjäril 7'' 2012

Now something almost new with Michael Alonzo (singer of KSMB) have not made music since KSMB's reunification in the early 90's, but now he felt it was time and in summer he contacted bassist Inge Johansson from The (International) Noise Conspiracy. The band, Fas 3 is Sulo (acoustic guitar) from Diamond Dogs, Nicke Andersson on guitar (Hellacopters), Tony Johansson (guitar) and Tomas on drums. This is their debut record, released on Ny Våg Records and you get two tracks and both pretty damn good. The title track is a perfect upper mid-tempo punk rock number, powerful & melodic while the flip starts tranquil and increases slowly to a proper ballad. I like both songs even if the length is more than three minutes and those of you who like the legendary KSMB albums is well served here and all others become new fans. Alonzo & Phase 3's debut album is released on Blue Fin Recordings in 2013 and the second 'Hur Du Blir En Man' (300 copies) two years later. Also Obacht!!

- Special Thx to Fredrik -

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BOYZ NEX' DOOR - Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Thee Mighty Boyz Nex' Door EP 1995

Very good EP by this combo from Turin which belongs to the glorious 333 x Up & Down series via Incognito Records. Probably the first record and it comes along with four songs in a decent '77 style. Sounds almost strange because from this country I know finest Hardcore & Oi! stuff but these are the 90s Baby and the world is changing. Enough bla bla, who cares? By the way, my monitor is starting to shit off who sends me money?

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STRAHLER 80 - Das Kann Jeder... EP 1996

Emotional Punk from Linz/Austria here with Strahler 80 and the band introduce themselfs as follows: "... after a not clumsy-needled system, consisting of state, religion, capital, media, sexuality, gender, race, math, science, prison, + myriad other components, us all the possibility takes (you notice that you fucking hippies) to get out of this, we want at least donate some confusion in it, and search for the weak point. Domination, go shit yet. Furthermore we are präpotent wankers." That sounds quite decently I think. Strahler 80 released a few singles and one album which is called Knuth on Lufthanfa Records. Musically they play a nice mix of energtic punk with a touch hardcore and emo. And they're loud! They disbanded probably at the end of the 90's. Not bad :)

- Special Thx to Reinhard -

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S.O.D. - Speak English Or Die 1985

A long time since the last Metal post although the debut album of the Stormtroopers Of Death (S.O.D.) is more a Hardcore/Trash/Metal slab and they formed 1985 in New York by Scott Ian (guitars), Charlie Benante (drums), Dan Lilker (bass) and Billy Milano (vocals). "They recorded a 63 song demo called Crab Society North and set to work on an album for Johnny Zazula's Megaforce Records. The album, titled Speak English Or Die, was recorded and mixed over three days and has since been hailed as a landmark album that was among the first to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal. They toured in support of the album in 1985, opening for Motörhead and The Plasmatics, among others. Their music served as the theme of the '80s incarnation of MTV's Headbangers Ball. They planned a follow-up titled USA For S.O.D. which was ultimately scrapped and never recorded." I heard a lot of Metal & Hardcore in the 80s and then came this album in and I was immediately excited, the intensity and dynamic which play the four their twenty-one songs is just awesome. Let yourself be intoxicated by this brilliant record.

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KBO! - Forever Punk 1989

The cool Greek label Wipe Out! Records released this fantastic slab by a Serbian band called KBO!, formed January 1982 in Kragujevac by Saša (vocals + guitars), Aleksandar (guitars), and Slobodan (drums) and they have three tapes recorded (listen here) before they went to Belgrade and made in only four hours their debut album. Sixteen splendid nuggets they pack in and with this powerful sound, the bar is raised high. In 2002 they need a creative break and a new album should follow but has not appeared to date. Now back to rip some vinyl, Живели!

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D.O.A. - War On 45 12'' 1982

There are bands which made almost no bad records and Canada's D.O.A. are certainly one of them. Active since 1978 they are one of the longest-lived punk bands I know and they don't get tired to continue their mischief and release cool records. On this litte 12'' are eight songs on the subject of war, which has raged here on the European continent all the centuries the most. War is a human disease where only those happy who make the utensils for: the fuckin' weapon producers all over the world. And that will certainly not change in the foreseeable future. D.O.A. make clear what many of us think as well: FUCK WAR! and prefer drinking a beer, talking and decently fucking, in this sense!

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