V/A - Fizzy Soul Cocktail Vol. 2

Label: Cheeky Monkey Records (Unofficial); Year: ?; Format: Vinyl LP

Just like the Killed By Death volumes for rare worldwide punk rock many other musical genres have their own various compilation series when it comes to hard to find records. This particular LP must have been pressed in the UK as I got it dirt-cheap while I lived in London and the few copies that are available through Discogs seem all to be from sellers in the UK. Anyway, this is a great compilation of hard to find soul/funk hits which all seem to have originally been recorded in the '60s. The packaging is typical for a bootleg in the sense that it lacks any information about the artists but the sound quality is good so I won't complain too much. In all fairness it truly is a great record as all twelve songs are above good with some being plain superb. Without wanting to go into all the songs I am going to give you a few teasers so maybe you would want to seek them out on YouTube or such. 'I'm in love with your Daughter' by '60s rhythm'n'blues band The Enchantments from Los Angeles is a beautiful track originally released on Faro Records as a single back in 1965. West Virginia born Turley Richards gets you dancing and grooving with the upbeat smasher 'I feel all right' originally released on Columbia in 1966 while Johnny Robinson's 'Funky Feet' from 1970 is exactly what the song title suggests. Maybe the best song on this compilation is 'Two sided thing' by Johnny Mae Mathews also known as the Godmother of Detroit soul. Miss Mathews founded the Northern Recording Company back in 1958 and many more record labels thereafter. Her song on this platter originally came out in 1968 on Big Hit Records. I will see if I can find the first volume of this compilation at some point as I imagine it'd be equally strong. If you are looking to dance your night away don't hesitate to grab a copy of this one. Have some Boogaloo!

Dezerter - Underground Out Of Poland LP

Label: Maximumrocknroll; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl LP

Say what you want about MRR but back in the '80s they really made the world of international hardcore punk a smaller one, including for people in countries that were stuck behind an iron curtain at that time. I was born in Eastern Europe hence I always had an interest in punk originating from places such as my birth country Czechoslovakia. Poland's best known punk export is without doubt Dezerter and the band formed in the spring of 1981 in Warsaw by the name SS-20 referring to the nuclear missile used by the former USSR. It should come as no surprise that the name got the band into serious trouble not just in Poland but also in the USSR and by 1982 the band was banned from using it. From 1983 the band was called De Zerter aka Dezerter and by that point the members have also established their fast and furious sound. As a matter of fact in 1984 the band released a 4-Song EP on the state-controlled label Tonpress with song containing lyrics that were deemed as acceptable by the Polish government. In 1985 Canadian lumberjack hardcore punks D.O.A toured Europa and agreed to play in Poland, which is important in the sense that it made the release of "Underground Out Of Poland" possible. Joey Shithead smuggled the recordings contained on this classic LP out of Poland and in 1987 MRR released this LP which contains above mentioned four songs from the first EP plus other recordings (live and studio) from the years 1981 up to 1985. I had bought the LP back in 1988 if I am not mistaken and unfortunately I missed seeing Dezerter in Zurich, Switzerland in 1989. This LP can and should be regarded as one of the most important releases in hardcore punk history not just because of the highly fascinating background story as to how it came to be released but also because the music on it is just so damned good. The tracks on Side A are from 1981 and 1983 and are just mind-blowing well played fast and brutal hardcore punk smashers that can compete with any bands from the US, UK or Europe. The Side B tracks mainly from 1984 and 1985 show that the band has progressed musically and while the tracks are still harsh and at times fast influences from art rock and other styles are clearly not to be overheard. What I also like about the original MRR release is that the insert includes photos of other Polish bands from that time (see photo). My insert used to hang on my wall back in Europe a long time ago and I admire MRR and D.O.A for putting bands like Dezerter on the International map. This LP has been reissued some time ago and apparently also just this year for its 35th anniversary and should be treasured by anybody with love for international hardcore punk. The band is still going strong to this day and more Polish punk will appear on this blog for sure. 

Punishment Of Luxury - "Puppet Life", "Engine of Excess" and "Secrets" Singles

Label: Small Wonder Records; Year: 1978; Format: 45 RPM Single

What can be said about Punishment of Luxury or also known as Punilux? Well, actually quite a lot as they certainly are a highly interesting bunch hailing from the North East of England, Newcastle to be exact. When I decided to spin the three singles I have I wanted to find out more about these fellows so I naturally reached to Alex Ogg's bible 'no more heroes' only to find out that Punilux were not included in said book. Hmm, I suppose they didn't quite make the punk cut and to be honest it is understandable as Punilux were truly not a punk band per se but incorporated aspects of punk rock into their sound and look. Luckily I also own Mario Panciera's '45 Revolutions' which is an absolute goldmine for information as you intranet geeks will surely know. Punilux were formed in 1975 by two members with theatre company backgrounds. The theatrical aspect is something that is quite unique to Punilux and plays a big part of their sound and visuals. Fittingly the band released their first single 'Puppet Life' on East London's Small Wonder Records where many interesting bands found their home and an opportunity to be heard. Both of the songs on this single are pure gold with influences ranging from psychedelic rock, glam rock and 77 punk to be heard on both songs. They were referred to as theatrical punk or art punk but call it what you want they were talented and drew from different influences equally important to them. Savage Pencil reviewing the single for Sounds back in the day wrote: "This U.K. band look and sound like your worst paranoia come to life. Punilux toy and claw at your brain with a tune that won't let go, filling your sleepless nights with fevered dreams of insanity. On top of all that it's the best British single I've heard in weeks." I couldn't agree more. 

Label: United Artists Records; Year: 1979; Format: 45 RPM Single

Just like many other small and independent English bands of the time Punilux searched for a major label deal and were eventually picked up by United Artists. Originally 'Jellyfish' was supposed to be the A-Side for their first release on UA but last minute it was dropped for 'Engine of Excess'. Gary Bushell wrote for Sounds that the band was pointless, safe and something for dated people which I suppose is true coming from someone who likes to surround himself with football hooligans. But that's not the point here as in my opinion this single is just as good as the first one on Small Wonder. Both songs continue in the weird, humorous and arty tradition of theatrical punk with 'Jellyfish' being somewhat of Punilux's stand out track. A good friend of mine back in Europe used to play this a lot when DJ-ing after gigs and it is not surprising that a lot of people were turned off as it's just not everybody's cake. Back in the day the release was received lukewarm and the sales weren't all that great either. It is a shame as it just proves that no matter what decade we are talking about most people love to just give a band a certain label and sound without going too deep. Punilux were so much more than plain punk, that's for sure. 

Label: United Artists Records; Year: 1979; Format: 45 RPM Single

Punilux's second single for UA was released in 1979 as well and is an interesting one in the sense that the two songs are quite different from each other. 'Secrets' is described by Mario Panciera as a lackluster song reminiscent of early '70s Prog Rock. Sure he is not miles off with the description but in my opinion the song does grow on you and still has elements of the weird and arty craft known to Punilux. But let's not dwell too long on the A-Side as the other side offers 'Brainbomb', a smasher on a whole different level. This is a fast and furious song mixing elements of 2nd wave punk rock and the emerging sound of NWOBHM to give you an idea, just a perfect song. Punilux disbanded twice and returned to perform in 2007 when I moved to London for some time. I saw them at a small venue in London in 2008 or 09 and they sure as hell did not disappoint. This won't be the one and only Punilux entry to this blog so stay tuned and if you haven't discovered the band yet just remember it's never too late. 

Krieg Kopf - War On Terrorism LP 

Label: Radio Raheem Records; Year: 2021; Format: Vinyl LP

I think you would have had to have grown up in the New York City area to know Astoria, Queens based hardcore punk outfit Krieg Kopf back in the day. Funny enough just like with the Italian band bahnhof reviewed not long ago on this blog I have learnt about Krieg Kopf years ago through a friend of mine back in Europe who has one of the two rare tapes released back in '84 and '86 respectively. So for all those years since briefly hearing their music their name registered with me since how can anyone forget such a band name meaning Warhead in German. Well, last year Radio Raheem released an LP compiling 20 songs originally appearing either on the "Passen Sie Auf Es ist" cassette from 1984, the "S/T" cassette from 1986 or the tracks that were recorded for an unreleased LP back in 1987/88. It is obvious that this NYC quartet must have been ready to put its mark on the NY hardcore punk map with an LP release for quite some time back in the '80s and it remains unclear as to why it never worked out. 

I for one think that either of the two tapes would have made for a great record back in the day as the songs on each one of them are definitely worth hearing on vinyl, hence better late than never. Some songs are typical fast paced hardcore thrash while others are mid-tempo and leaning more towards traditional '80s UK punk not dissimilar to Cockney Rejects et al. Stand out tracks for me are 'Terrorism', 'The Work Song' and 'Immortal' to name a few from those two tapes. The songs recorded in 1987/88 which were planned to end up on an LP are a little different in the sense that they sound more muffled and played with slightly less energy in my opinion. Nevertheless they are still solid and good hardcore punk tracks with the typical New York sound. If you like your NYHC to sound like Kraut, Even Worse or Nihilistics you will dig Krieg Kopf as some of the songs on this LP are truly outstanding and definitely need to be heard by a wider audience interested in New York's rich punk rock history. Grab a copy while you can!

Icons Of Filth - "Brain Death" and "The Filth & The Fury" EPs on Mortarhate

Label: Mortarhate Records; Year: 1985; Format: 7" EP

Immediately what's really striking about this EP is Squealer's artwork, just brilliantly morbid. Icons Of Filth hailed from Cardiff, Wales and were part of the Anarcho-Punk scene of the '80s. To be honest with you I was late to catch on to those bands but Icons Of Filth, Conflict and Rudimentary Peni were on my radar quite early on after having gotten into hardcore punk. 'Enough is Enough' is nothing short of an absolute scorcher of a song and 'Brain Death' on the B-Side is an equal contender along the short 'Success on a Plate'. The lyrics are just as expected loud and aggressive rants about the meat industry and the music is pounding with anger and harsh beats out of the boxes. This is definitely a winner and ideal if you want to piss off your neighbors. 

Label: Mortarhate; Year: 1986; Format: 7" EP

It's a real shame that this EP's production and mastering is just beyond bad because the songs are just as good as the ones on the "Brain Death" EP. I think it would be fair to assume that by this point Icons Of Filth were really fed up with the Punk Scene on a whole and really take a piss on this platter, and as bad as the production of this EP may be the lyrics and the artwork really make up for it. 

"Hello & Welcome To the Filth & The Fury Punk Rock Revolution? What started out to challenge social regulations & values turned out to be a right joke. There was & still is much more to be challenged than the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. Stereotyping goes much further than this. Your clothing doesn't automatically change your personality. This sort of change is purely external. Admittedly it is one way of saying 'No' to stereotyping of clothing but ask yourself Bisti enough?" 

Above text from 'Sunk Rock' is just a tiny snippet of the entire rant and goes to show how genuine bands like Icons Of Filth and others from the Anarcho-Punk scene were in their approach to music and the scene on a whole. There is never a bad time to make people think about their actions, no matter how well intended. Again, I just wish the production on this EP was on par with the music and artwork & design  as it would make it into a master piece. Never the less it's still a keeper and worth every penny of your hard earned money should you not have it yet. More Icons Of Filth reviews to follow in the future. RIP Stig.

Update 9-20-22: RIP Squealer having passed away last week. Your art will live on forever. 

Bathory - The Return......LP

 

Label: Under One Flag; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl LP

So, what does one do on Labour Day? If I were to still reside near the Ocean maybe my wife and I would head to the beach but in rainy Buffalo (and we needed the rain!) today felt like the perfect day to grab Bathory's "The Return..." LP for a rare spin. I have hinted in yesterday's post that I shall review this record next as I had bought it around the same time as the Offenders "Endless Struggle" LP. Since this particular UK license version of Bathory's second LP came out in the spring of 1987 my memory did not disappoint me. It was a time when I definitely have already bought a few hardcore punk releases and had my share of stuff on tapes as well but here and there I still shelled out some money for a Metal release, something that didn't last all that much longer thereafter. I really can't remember how I discovered Bathory but friends of mine and I did have access to some fanzines and magazines hence I must have come across them somewhere. Today marks the first time in decades that I sat down to listen to this LP and judging by the crackles on the record I must have played it quite a bit all those years back. Then again I had friends whom I used to exchange records with to put them on tape who practically flipped their records while eating their breakfast. What's there to be said about Bathory though? The name was taken from the noble Hungarian family Bathory and their serial killer Countess, and the band started out in 1983. I did not know that acclaimed filmmaker Jonas Akerlund was actually a founding member of Bathory but such is the case according to an article on loudersound.com from earlier this year. Jonas and his cousin Frederick were looking to start a band by advertising in a record store in Stockholm, Sweden. 'Ace' aka Quorthon (real name was Thomas Borje Forsberg) saw the add and met up with the two and the rest is history. But said early incarnation of the band only lasted until after the release of the 1st LP. Interestingly Quorthon's father is Borje 'Boss' Forsberg, owner of the Swedish record company Tyfon Grammofon. 'Boss' set up Black Mark as a subsidiary for his son to release Bathory records and "The Return....." is Bathory's second LP. To be honest with you I am not a hundred percent sure but I would think that by this point Quorthon has played all instruments by himself, but please do correct me if I am wrong. First and foremost I was really curious to see how I'd like the record after so many years not listening to it and to my surprise I actually liked it a lot. During my teenager years I really took to Venom and enjoyed their primal metal music and their silly British humor. Surprisingly Quorthon claims that he has never heard of Venom, something that is hard to believe as the influence is hard for not to be heard. I don't know any of Bathory's recorded material beyond this record but if you like your Black Metal sounding very rudimentary and basic you will love this record. It should not come as a surprise that Bathory went on to influence countless Black Metal and later on Viking Metal acts, something Quorthon did not acknowledge very much though. According to the above mentioned article Quorthon loved the Beatles and classical music first and foremost. Quite frankly I really couldn't care less about the lyrics on this record as I have never been into any occult leaning stuff and apparently Quorthon only used it for entertainment value. More importantly though the music holds up to this day as I still have time for some early raw extreme Metal with roots in hardcore punk. Glad I pulled this out after decades on the shelf. RIP Quorthon. 

Offenders - Endless Struggle LP 

Label: Beer City Records; Year; 2022; Format: Vinyl LP

If you love records like myself you will own some which you have bought way back and always had a special place for as you cherish the special memories connected to those particular records. The Offenders "Endless Struggle" LP is one of those records I will always see in a special light as it's one of the very early hardcore punk records I did buy back around 1986 in Zurich, Switzerland. So, in that case you will ask yourself why I am reviewing the 2022 Beer City Records reissue and not the original Rabit Cat release from 1985? Well quite frankly I don't have a good answer for you except that at one point for whatever dumb reason I decided to part with my original copy, and again, I really don't know why but we all have made rather incomprehensible decisions in our lives, right? Anyway, to get back to me buying the Rabid Cat copy in 1986 I remember everything quite vividly. Back in those days at least on one school-free Wednesday afternoon per month friends of mine and I would take the train from our suburban town into Zurich and visit Musicland, a store right in the heart of the old town of Zurich. Martin Ain (RIP) of Celtic Frost used to work there at times and he might very well have been at the cashier when I bought my copy. I also remember that I had bought Bathory's "The Return..." either the very same day or around that time hence I shall review said LP next to reconstruct memories from a long, long time ago. I always loved "Endless Struggle" and used to play my original copy up and down as it's appealed to me from the minute I dropped the needle on it for the first time. Today I wondered how I have even known about the record back in those days as I did not speak English and information when it comes to records like this one was more than scarce in the middle of Europe. I have kept a lot of stuff from way back and have a little binder which I have moved with me across the globe so to speak, and it dawned on me that in 1985 there was a little write up about the "Endless Struggle" LP in one of the German Hard Rock/Heavy Metal mags I used to buy as a teenager (see photo). Bonecrusher Records out of Germany released the record the same year as a license pressing and as crossover was starting to get big Metal magazines would spare a page or so of their issues for some hardcore punk which I am ever grateful for. So, with having read that the band must have caught my attention and I just blindly bought the record and never looked back. In the last week or two I have done some online research about the Offenders and have come across a Texas based podcast called 'The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard' and to my surprise I found two very lengthy episodes focusing on the record. In Episode 1 John and Ben discuss the importance of the record song by song whereas in Episode 2 they were successful in getting the only surviving member, Drummer Pat Doyle, to answer questions about the album and the early Texas hardcore punk scene in general. Both episodes are more than worth listening to and I am posting the links at the end of my rant here. 

Well, it's 2022 and thirty-six years have passed since I have bought my first copy of "Endless Struggle" and luckily Beer City Records have just reissued it this year in all its glory with the original artwork, insert and an extra inlay with liner notes from Pat Doyle. I listened to the record today and felt the same way I always have when listening to it, just amazed and excited. Not every hardcore record from the '80s holds up the way this one has and there are several reasons for that which the podcasts go into much depth about. First and foremost I think it's important to recognize it as a hardcore punk record that isn't like many others. In hindsight it makes sense that guitarist Anthony Johnson (RIP) was the oldest in the band and has grown up listening to Black Sabbath, blues artists and early punk rock. What I am trying to convey here is that too many hardcore records sounded the same and were in many ways generic with many of its band members being extremely young with little to no exposure to music outside of hardcore punk. Back in those days it didn't matter so much to me as the excitement of discovering hardcore punk was way larger than any quality control. Looking back at "Endless Struggle" I can't help to think that the record has not gotten the attention it deserves as the band had peaked with the release of this record and unfortunately also folded shortly after. No other than Spot from SST produced and recorded this master piece and one can hear that. The production is just top notch and gives this record the extra kick up the arse as the songs themselves are nothing short of superb. Again, let me stress to you that it is not a generic hardcore punk record from the '80s as you get different musical influences mixed with the ferocity of fast and aggressive songs. But, not all songs on the record are two minutes long. The title song 'Endless Struggle' for instance is around five minutes long and includes a Hammond B3 organ in the intro to the song. Next to Adolescent's 'Kids of the Black Hole' this is yet another hardcore punk classic that is five minutes long. There is no weak song on this record which is why I will never stop loving it until I die. Over the years the record has been kept in press which tells me that interest has never vanished but if you don't own the original I suggest you get the Beer City pressing as it looks and sounds just like the original. 

Episode 1 of Podcast: https://www.greatestthingpodcast.com/offenders-endless-struggle-part-1/

Episode 2 of Podcast: https://www.greatestthingpodcast.com/offenders-endless-struggle-part-2-interview/

Photo Credit: The Offenders official FB site.

Baby's Got A Gun - Suicide Girl EP

Label: MBC Record; Year: 1987; Format: 45 RPM 12" Vinyl

Really not sure where I bought this one and when but it was without doubt decades ago. An interesting release it is though as there is little to no info at all to be found about Baby's Got A Gun from Scotland on the intranet. If my memory serves me right there was a little report about them in an old MRR but I am certainly not going to spend hours looking for it now. Should I come across it, I'll upload it here. Baby's Got A Gun existed from 1985 to 1995 and this 12" EP was their first release. Remember how 45 RPM EPs were a thing in those days. Equally interesting is the label that put out this release as MBC Records, or McDonald Brothers Corp, was the label that brought the world six volumes of Punk - A World History, a little side note I found rather interesting. There is no doubt in my mind that this Scottish bunch will not be ingrained in punk rock history but this EP is in fact actually quite good. Side A was recorded in 1987 and the B-Side a year earlier and the four songs are kind of tough to describe but if anything I would describe them as Punk-a-billy as corny as that may sound. By the time the band got together the world has seen punk rock come and go and evolving in different directions which is very much in the foreground on this record. Equally influenced by the Revillos or the Ramones '83-'86 period the four songs blend influences from punk rock to rockabilly and some goth rock into an interesting musical mash that works. I suppose there was a lot of these bands around at the time but they just weren't on my radar very much as I just about gotten into hardcore punk, and by that I mean nothing as melodic as this record. It's one of those records that if you see it somewhere for a couple of bucks grab it as I think it needs a new generation of listeners. I guess the band took their band name from the Only Ones...?

Photo Credit: Baby's Got A Gun Official FB page