Varaus - 1/2 LP

Label: Larmattacke Records; Year: 2022; Format: Vinyl LP

What better way is there to spend the afternoon reviving this somewhat dormant blog of mine while the wind is blasting arctic air at god knows how many miles per hour in god forsaken Buffalo, NY. And thanks to Tangerine Orange Herbal Tea made by Zinger the whole experience reached another level by not only keeping me warm but reminding me that I am a somewhat old fart sipping on tea while sat in a recliner. But, let's go back to the year 1997 while I was traveling in sunny California and walked into a record store called Vinyl Fetish in Hollywood, Los Angeles. There, to my big surprise, I came across a copy of the 2nd pressing of the original self-released Varaus 1/2 LP from 1983, and you wouldn't believe it that I paid somewhere close to forty dollars only. Yep, no kidding. I imagine it was one of the owners who rang up my lucky ass while saying: "I know this is super rare and I could ask for much more, but who in the hell would buy it?" Well, I did, but about ten years later in dire need for cash I sold it on eBay to somebody in Australia if I am not mistaken, and the chap definitely shelled out much more than what I had paid. It just goes to show you how much '80s Finnish Hardcore Punk has grown in popularity over the years, and rightfully so, even though Instagram and Facebook definitely play a big role, but so be it. Hence I consider myself pretty lucky again to be an owner of this 2022 reissue as even this one is hard to come by nowadays proving that it's just one of those records that will always be hard to come by not because it's so great, but because it is so hard to get. But, on to the record itself, which again was self-released by the band back in 1982 (1st pressing). Unfortunately there is very little to nothing to be found about Varaus on the intranet so the only information I gathered is from Discogs where I learned that the band hailed from the town of Hyryla, somewhere quite south in Suomi-Finland. The fact that the original first two pressings fetch such incredible amounts of money does irritate me somewhat as musically speaking this is not one of the classic great Finnish Hardcore records, at least not in my opinion. Fact is that the band in the spirit of the time must have thought that the songs were good enough to press onto vinyl even though in all fairness it does sound like a practice tape and nothing more. That doesn't mean it's horrible, but the band definitely lacked in tightness and song-writing, which they made up for a lot in spirit. Don't get me wrong as I do think it's an excellent document from a forgotten time when guys and girls in spiked leather jackets tramped to gigs in terrible weather to trash out to bands like Varaus, hence if you like rudimentary Discharge style Finnish Hardcore you will dig this, just don't expect the heights of records by better known compatriots of Varaus. I was sad to learn that two members of Varaus, Hande Pussinen and Jone Vaarala, are no longer with us hence may they rest in peace. 

Insert from the Larmattacke repress (probably same as the original) and a band photo stolen from the band's discogs page. 

Interterror - Sublevacion LP

Label: Tonto Records; Year: 2001; Format: Vinyl LP

About time I do another entry as summer is dragging along and is soon coming to an end, which quite frankly I don't mind. For fans of international punk rock like myself I have a nugget in form of Interterror, a band that probably not too many out there will be familiar with and definitely deserving of wider recognition. It's a real shame I don't understand Spanish as the Sublevacion LP from 2001 comes with a 16-page booklet containing a lengthy interview with bassist Xavi Garcia, also known as "El Enano Infiltrado" (the infiltrated dwarf), the founding member of Valencia's punk rockers Interterror. So, in that sense I had to look elsewhere for information about the band as the info sheet in English that came with the LP is only about 500 words long. Through Discogs I was directed to a Spanish blog where one can find a pretty detailed band history, again in Spanish only (link at the end of this entry). I was under the impression that in this day and age it's easy to translate just about anything but apparently not until I eventually copied the text into an email enabling me to translate it through Google translator. Not that I am overly impressed with the translation but it is something and better than nothing. Interterror formed as early as 1980 but things didn't really starting to take shape until late in 1981 when Xavi was able to add Victor on drums, Guillermo on vocals and Miguel on guitar. The band recorded their 1st demo in 1982 containing four songs that would eventually be reissued a few years ago on Radikal 1977 Records. Side A on this LP contains the entire 1982 master tape which led to the release of Interterror's 12" back in 1985, a record that was quite well received in Spain at the time, well at least in punk circles. Side B on this LP contains the entire live set recorded at Club Zeleste in Barcelona on June 30th of 1983. This specific LP was made possible through the detective work of David at Tonto Records who after several years of searching was finally able to establish contact with Xavi. Through Xavi the band's producer Toni Pep Rodrigues Selles was brought into the fold as well and the archival work began leading eventually to this release back in 2001. If I am not mistaken this was the first reissue of Interterror's material so the subsequent reissues that have come out since then were most likely all the result of an increased interest in the band considering that this LP was also released in Mexico on CD. And in all fairness it should come as no surprise that after all those years Interterror is getting some international recognition for the songs they recorded decades ago. Did I tell you I love Spanish Punk? As with a lot of early '80s bands from Spain Interterror's sound can best be described as aggressive yet melodic straight forward punk rock carried by a singer full of conviction, a loud and dominant bass sound, and last but not least an irresistible guitar sound reminiscent of bands like Cockney Rejects, D.O.A or Argentina's Los Violadores. Tracks like "Problemas de estado" or "1984, el fin del mundo ya esta aqui" are just two examples why Interterror's songs should be heard by more people outside the Spanish speaking world. To be honest the live recording on the flip side isn't the greatest, but it's not bad either. More importantly it's of great historic value as the band rarely played outside of their hometown of Valencia and the band members themselves didn't even have a copy of the tape from back in the day. As is common these days Interterror's music can be found on several music platforms on the intranet, so do yourself a favor and discover this lost gem of a band from the golden era of punk rock. For all you vinyl freaks get your hands on anything you can find! Adios Lili Marleen!

Link to the band's history in Spanish: http://no80s-gruposnacionales.blogspot.com/2008/08/interterror.html

V/A - The End of an Era (The Best of Rot Records) 2-LP

Label: Rot Records; Year: 1988; Format: Vinyl 2-LP

Rot Records was started in late '83 by members of Mansfield band Riot Squad and my assumption is that first and foremost the goal was to release their own music as the first three Rot Releases were Riot Squad EP's, all classics in my opinion. The label went on to release an array of interesting and diverse releases from bands such as Paranoia (see blog entry for review of their LP), Resistance 77, Varukers, English Dogs etc.. In my opinion Rot Records sought out the bands that were maybe being ignored by labels such as No Future or Riot City but were equally good as the bands on said labels. In that sense Rot Records filled a gap and had quite a few of their releases played on Radio One, such as in the case of East London Act Animal Farm who were scheduled to support New Model Army on their tour only for it to be canceled last minute. The label was also in the right place at the right time to pick up the highly talented English Dogs and releasing their excellent "To The Ends Of The Earth" 12" but ultimately losing the band to Under One Flag Records. It is needless to say that Rot Records had a good run and released a slew of under appreciated minor indie hits, but by 1988 it was all over with and the label came to an end. I remember vividly that it was in that year when I picked up my copy of this 32 track Double LP at Jama Rico Records in Zurich, Switzerland. As you can see on the photo of the back cover I even marked which tracks I liked more or less, but that was in 1988 when I was first and foremost into faster hardcore punk stuff. Yesterday I sat down to listen to all four sides and loved each and every track leading me to the conclusion that Rot's catalogue has aged rather well. While thirty five years ago for the most part I enjoyed bands like Riot Squad, Varukers, Oi Polloi, Rattus et al yesterday I made a mental note to myself that I must dig deeper into the catalogues of bands such as Reality from East Anglia, Butcher from posh coastal town Bournemouth, Picture Frame Seduction, Cult Maniax as well as above mentioned Animal Farm. Said bands have all a unique style on their own and deserve more attention in the wider sense. The truth of the matter is that most of the Rot releases have become very collectible and expensive to buy but some of the material has been reissued. I am always shocked to see the prices on Discogs and for how much these records go for, it's pure insanity. I suppose that over the decades more and more people all over the world have caught up to these records pushing up prices. My guess is that many of you folks out there don't mind streaming music and I am pretty sure you can find this Double-LP online as I highly recommend it if you are not so familiar with Rot's catalogue. Whether you like UK82 punk, more melodic '77 punk inspired '80s punk rock or Metal influenced hardcore punk you'll find plenty of it on this collection. Last but not least I think Rot Records should be more in the conversation when recollecting early '80s UK punk history as they sure as hell released some forgotten gems. Cheers!

Treblinka - Ihmisyyden Taideteos? EP

Label: Hataapu Records; Year: 1988; Format: 331/3 7" EP

Back in 1988 I remember having this EP on a tape after having bought it to play this over my friend's cheap little cassette player terrorizing the unassuming citizens of suburban Zurich, Switzerland. Saturdays or Sundays we'd buy a few beers and sit on a bench mostly by the train station blasting loud hardcore punk from around the world, but quite often from Finland as we both loved bands from the dark northern country. I haven't listened to this one in decades but somehow yesterday while on my lunch it popped up somewhere online and I figured why not pulling it out of my 7" boxes today to review it for my blog. It's a great little platter and it's a shame that Treblinka from the city of Vaasa on Finland's west coast didn't release more records as this is their one and only release except for songs they contributed for the Waasa Comp. EP as well as the Stop Vivisection Comp. LP. I guess one could say that they were one of the short lived bands that spearheaded the next generation of great Finnish Hardcore Punk bands. It must be said that by the late '80s the classic Finnish hardcore punk sound changed stylistically somewhat as well hence other influences having seeped into the worldwide punk scenes over the years were absorbed and more predominant. Still, the Finnish language is so unique that records from Suomi have always fascinated me and this EP is no exception. All eight songs are strong and there is no filler to be found on this EP. Influenced by UK bands such as Anti-Sect, Amebix or Hellbastard I would say that Treblinka's sound was slightly metallic, yet at the same time melodic and played very tight. The echoey vocals combined with a sharp back up unit lead by a loud bass guitar are forever enshrined in my memory as the sound of good times way back. Definitely a gem from the land of a thousand lakes. 

V/A - I've Got An Attitude Problem EP

Label(s): BC Tapes & Records and Loony Tunes Records; Year: 1987; Format: 33RPM 7" EP

Back in 1987 the world seemed to be just absolutely fine. I was in the midst of discovering exciting and new sounds from around the world and bands as the ones found on this little EP ruled my little suburban world of Zurich, Switzerland. Beer, friends, gigs and thrashing in a park to the noises coming out of a cheap tape recorder was all that was needed to make me happy, that's how simple life was for a teenager like myself back then. Thirty six years later on another continent and feeling somewhat older I can still appreciate good old '80s Hardcore from Europe, which dominates this EP released as a collaboration between San Diego based BC Tapes & Records and UK label Loony Tunes Records. Seven bands from six different countries are represented and take you on a noisy ride with Side B being the winner for me. Sweden's Mob 47 actually provide two exclusive tracks for this release and as to be expected they deliver the goods in typical fashion. The real winner though are Quod Massacre from Beograd, Ex-Yugoslavia bringing you a really well crafted, melodic yet rough hardcore punk gem reminiscent of bands like HDQ or Frites Modern. Speaking of Holland Funeral Oration round off Side B with two ultra fast thrashers delivered with quality as good as Gouda cheese. Don't get me wrong, Side A is also good with Italian power horses Wretched and Raw Power pulling their weight while Boston's Psycho and UK's Satanic Malfunctions don't disappoint either. If you like myself grew up with these type of bands this will be very familiar territory for you, but should you not be as familiar with these bands pick this one up as it generally doesn't go anywhere near silly money and is a nice introduction to international '80s Hardcore Punk. 

Kafka Prosess - One Day Son All This Will Be Yourz (Split w/ Disorder) and Ingen Fattige, Ingen Rike LPs

Label: Disorder Records; Year: 1986; Format: Vinyl LP

My introduction to Hardcore Punk from Norway arrived via a Mix-Tape in 1987 that a friend of mine made for me. The bands I remember being on said tape were Malinheads, HDQ, Rattus, Bluttat and a whole lot more, but more importantly one of my favorite tracks on the tape was "Mentalt Ute Av Balanse" by Kafka Prosess. Said song I will forever associate with the arrival of a cold fall breeze and with me blasting it through my walk man riding my bike to god knows where. It brings back memories of gigs from that time, of people going wild to the loud blasts of European Hardcore and togetherness through a common spirit. When it comes to Hardcore Punk from the European North then bands from Finland and Sweden definitely top the list while Norwegian bands tend to be sadly overlooked. I wasn't any different and it wasn't until I learned about Kafka Prosess and shortly after So Much Hate that I realized that I should probably pay more attention to what was coming out of Norge. It must be said though that Norway never gifted us with the amount of records the other two countries did, and on top of that they tended to be hard to get in Central Europe where I was living at the time. The Kafka Prosess/Disorder Split was an easy find though as I was visiting London in late '87 if I remember correctly and found a copy of the Split at the Tower Records right next to Piccadilly Circus setting me back a whole 3.99 in UK Sterling, no more than the bands had asked for (see sticker on my copy pictured above). But who gives a damn about a sticker hence let's move to the music on this record. The six songs on the Kafka Prosess side of the record are without doubt some of my favorite tracks when it comes to '80s Hardcore from Europe. The Norwegian bands had a very unique and different approach to the sound compared to their comrades from Sweden or Finland. A heavy Discharge influence can be heard in many bands from Sweden or Finland but not so much with the Norwegians. Kafka Prosess came out of the ashes of Svart Framtid and Bannlyst and played a relatively melodic style of Hardcore Punk, equally influenced by bands such as HDQ, Instigators and/or "Lo Spirito.." era Negazione. All songs are well structured with great hooks, changes in tempo and brilliant backing vocals. Out of the six songs I couldn't really tell you which one I like the most as they are all European Hardcore Punk master pieces in their own way. As for Disorder I can attest that I have never been a big fan of this Bristol outfit but they are quite an important part of '80s UK Punk history and shouldn't be frowned upon. As a matter of fact they struck up a friendship with Kafka Prosess and ended up moving to Oslo in the Mid-80s for some time and this Split surely was a collaboration as a result of that. I must say though, and much to my surprise, that at least to a degree I enjoyed listening to their chaotic and hectic songs today as I remember being rather turned off by their contribution to this Split, at least musically. Their songs don't even come close to the quality of Kafka's but in their own way they are a good laugh and delivered in typical Disorder style, if you know what I mean. Kafka Prosess disbanded in 1987 and singer Gunnar went on to form So Much Hate, a band I saw live and will write about at another time here, so stay tuned. 

Label: Skuld Releases; Year: 2000; Format: Vinyl LP

Thanks to people like Kleister who ran Skuld Releases until his death in 2015 (RIP) bands like Kafka Prosess get to be heard by people who missed them back in the day. I picked up a copy of "Ingen Fattige, Ingen Rike" when it came out as it collects all Studio Tracks Kafka have ever recorded aside from the tracks for the Split w/ Disorder (see above). It shouldn't come as a surprise that those tracks are equally strong as the band was just a force to be reckoned with. Kafka Prosess were a truly integral part of a blossoming European Hardcore Punk scene during their existence from 1984 through 1987 and have contributed to Tape Compilations, toured twice in Germany and at least once in the UK while also running the important X-Port Plater label. The song quality on some of the songs on this record is sadly not up to the standard of the Split LP songs, but it sure as hell doesn't take anything away from the quality of the songs. Apparently there are also tracks to be found on here that were originally planned to come out as an EP, something that never came to fruition due to the bands break-up. As mentioned above Gunnar went on to form So Much Hate and many other bands thereafter his relocation to Karlsruhe, Germany while one of the guitar players, Nils, joined Raga Rockers, a relatively big name in Norway. Get this one even if you already have the Split-LP. 

Vorkriegsjugend - Live im Quartier Latin, Berlin, 30.04.1984 LP

Label: Stonz Musikversorgung; Year: 2022; Format: 45RPM Vinyl LP

I must say I was looking forward getting this record delivered straight outta Berlin from Iffi as for now it's the only VKJ record I own. Long gone are the golden days of punk rock record hunting where I used to have their LP and the New Face version of their Double-EP, but maybe somebody will finally reissue their old catalogue or I will get lucky again and find those records somewhere out there in the wild. Even more shocking though is the fact that this record which only came out about three months ago is already sought after. And here I was thinking I'll write up a little review so the few losers reading this blog can maybe get off of their asses and get a copy. Well, if you can, snap it up as it's a good one. Some people may very well be turned off by Vorkriegsjugend since about ten years ago their singer Klaus Hicker was arrested in Thailand for alleged sexual abuse on underage children, definitely not something anyone wants to be associated with. Nevertheless even such a sad and serious stain in the band's history cannot take anything away from what the band had achieved in the relatively short timespan between 1982 and 1985. Interestingly enough the band that absolutely stood for Squat Hardcore Punk Made in Berlin consisted of members whom all moved to Berlin from the South of Germany, mainly Bavaria. Their Double-7" on Pogar Records from '83 and their '84 LP on Zorro are to this day regarded as milestones in German Hardcore Punk, and rightfully so. It is rarely the case that I even buy live records or actually enjoy them as quite frankly too often live records just don't deliver. Quartier Latin was a well-loved club on Potsdamer Strasse 96 and was known to host a lot of Folk, Blues and Jazz gigs, but in April of 1984 Vorkriegsjugend opened up for the UK82 stalwarts One Way System and English Dogs at said club and a soundboard copy of VKJ's set was circulated amongst friends of the band and I would assume in tape-trading circles. It wasn't until 2022 when it was pressed onto vinyl for the first time and I repeat myself I am glad I snapped up a copy as it's well worth to have capturing the band at the height of their short-lived career with their second line-up including a second guitarist. Songs like "Wir sind die Ratten", "Heute Spass, Morgen Tod" or one of my personal favorites "Die Pest" are just timeless German Hardcore Punk classics. The sound quality on this record is better than I had anticipated and the LP comes with a nice fold out poster. Sehr gut! 

Update May 4, 2023: A 2nd pressing of this record has just been released. Get your greedy hands on a copy! 

Frites Modern - Veel, Vet, Goor En Duur LP

Label: Boy Bensdorp Platen; Year: 1984; Format: Vinyl LP

Sometimes you can't help but to miss the good ole' days of record hunting. I got my copy of this Dutch classic back in 1991 for $1.99 at the Record Peddler in Toronto on Yonge Street during my first longer spell of living in T.O. during the '90s. Unfortunately those sort of finds just don't happen anymore these days, mainly thanks to the intranet. But, let me just move on with the record as it is one of the best when it comes to European and Dutch hardcore punk. Frites Modern formed in Amsterdam in 1981 when singer/guitar player Arjan Boonacker left legendary punk act Trockener Kecks. Frites Modern contributed to the "Als Je Haar Maar Goed Zit" Compilation LP in 1982 before self-releasing the 6-Met Cassette in 1983, which has somewhat recently been reissued as a 10" and I definitely need to get. In 1984 the band released their one and only full-length and on so many levels it is just a true classic. First and foremost what strikes me as extraordinary and definitely not something that happened very often is the fact that Frites Modern were a trio yet their sound is so powerful you would think they consisted of five members. All, and I mean really all songs are well crafted, tuneful and for the most part mid-tempo punk rock smashers. There are two to three fast US hardcore influenced songs but the band never loses themselves in playing fast without melody. The other thing that strikes me is how well produced this record is just adding to the power of the songs. Maximum RockNRoll was pushing Frites Modern hard and it is no wonder they were included on the famous "Welcome to 1984" Compilation LP where I must have discovered them myself. Luckily the LP has been reissued a few years back so should you not be a lucky owner of an original copy you have absolutely no excuse not to grab a copy before they're all gone. Whether your thing is '80s hardcore or you are stuck in 1977 this record definitely ticks all the right boxes for everyone to love it. A true gem! 

Flyer stolen from the excellent Frites Modern website at www.fritesmodern.nl

Ross Lomas with Steve Pottinger - City Baby (Surviving in Leather, Bristles, Studs, Punk Rock, and GBH)

Publisher: Bazillion Points; Year: 2015; Format: Softcover Book

Apologies for the winter blues, but January can be a tough month for not just getting out of bed every morning but especially for doing much once home from work. Since the days are slowly but surely getting a little longer maybe I am feeling slightly more energized. With age I have become someone that thrives on routine, and one of them is to always carry a book in my backpack which I read on my bus trips to and from work. Currently I am reading Steve Ignorant's book with Steve Pottinger and so it dawned on me that some time ago I have also read Ross Lomas' book with Mr. Pottinger, hence a perfect opportunity to get another review up. I am going to sound like a broken record here but the fact remains that it's tough to review books I have read a long time ago hence I revisited certain chapters a bit here and there. The good thing about this book is that it's divided into about three dozen small chapters making it easy to read the first time or when revisiting. According to an interview with Ross with Spanish blog 'Adios Lili Marleen' the original idea was to involve the entire band for the book but apparently nobody was interested bar Ross. In the end it worked out fine me thinks as it's a great read not just about Ross' involvement with GBH but about his private life as well. Quite often with autobiographies I enjoy the first third or so of the books the most as the author usually digs deep into their upbringing and the environment they grew up in. The fact that Ross and the rest of GBH hail from Birmingham makes it for a fascinating glimpse at life in Britain's "Second City" during the '70s, and it certainly is refreshing to hear about the early punk days with a view of someone from outside of London. As you will know though GBH really took off in the early '80s, and it certainly helped that their label mates Discharge pretty much took them under their wings. Many tours and records followed and it's all there throughout various chapters. And as you will surely also know is the fact that GBH still perform to this day hence the book continues all the way up to more modern days. The last time I saw GBH was in 2007 when I lived in London and when they performed at the Purple Turtle playing with their '83 line up if I am not mistaken. It was a fun and chaotic show and sums up the feeling this book delivers from the beginning to the end. But most importantly if you haven't already done so, grab your own copy and find out how Ross never became the milk delivery boy he set out to be way back when. 

Photo Credit: Frank White (Ritz, NYC, 1987)

Pohjasakka - Kidutusta Ja Pelkoa EP

Label: Finnish Hardcore Records; Year: 2022; Format: 12" 45 RPM EP

Pohjasakka hailed from the small town of Rauma on the West Coast of Finland and for all I know were active from 1983 - 1987. In all honesty they were a really unknown entity to me and I do like my hardcore punk from Suomi-Finland, that much is for sure and shall never change. Sami of the Finnish Hardcore label has made it his job to not just reissue rare recordings of long forgotten acts from the land of the thousand lakes, but to equally play an archival part in the restoration of tape releases in particular. Such is the case with this release as Pohjasakka entered the studio in January '86 to record these five tracks as a demo in the hope to release them later said year on vinyl, something that never came to fruition until 2022. Let me tell you one thing straight away, all five tracks are killer but the two sides vary a little bit in style and execution. The two tracks on Side A are my preferred ones as they are just simply perfect hardcore punk songs in the sense that they are nicely settled in between melodic and more straight forward aggressive and fast hardcore punk. Think of bands like Lama, Kohu-63, DOA, Toxic Reasons and such and you get the perfect picture for those two songs. On Side B the band raises the speed levels up by a notch but nonetheless the loud and carrying bass guitar and the equally aggressive drumming never veer out of control so that these three songs are probably best compared to the likes of Riistetyt or Bastards at their very best. Jari Mikkola of Aivoproteesi has done a wonderful job mastering the tape and giving these songs a new life thirty six years after its original release. Great record to have and so should you! 

V/A - Let's Get Pissed - It's Christmas Volume Two LP

Label: Cult; Year: 1986(?); Format: Vinyl LP

Tis' the season they say hence I opted to pull the second Volume of the "Let's Get Pissed" Compilations off my shelves to put you dear readers in a festive mood. Let's just say that in case you have this at home or you listen to it through some streaming device, or even better on a cassette made by your friend then your drink of choice should never be too far. As for myself I haven't listened to this one in a long time but wasn't expecting any surprises as the bands on this Compilation are pretty much all well known to me. The one thing about Rot Records, or in this case Cult (a sublabel of Rot), is that their releases are really cheap and often without any information about the bands. Such is the case with this LP as there is no insert nor anything pertaining to actually anybody involved with this record, and that includes the label itself, and that's just bang out of order and I think Santa would agree with me. But, enough of my moaning here and let's get down to the music on this piece of vinyl as the nine bands from around the globe delivering you for the most part unhinged hardcore punk attacks should help you to warm up to the Christmas spirit. I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised hearing the three tracks by Yugoslavian band U.B.R, a band I remembered just being a bit too noisy even for my liking, but the songs on here are just great noisy hardcore without any hint of grindcore. Also outstanding are the two tracks by Brazilian legends Colera and Finnish Hardcore Punk gods Rattus. Killroy from Southern California and Germany's Normahl and Maniacs deliver solid and more melodic hardcore punk whereas Sweden's Fear Of War crank out tracks in Anti Cimex fashion but just really not as good. The two Italian acts Rappresaglia and Pedago Party round off this international affair that should have you slam around your Christmas tree while knocking back some tall ones. Burn down the tree! 

PS. The track by Italian band Pedago Party is not to be found on the back side of the sleeve.

T.S.T - S/T LP

Label: River Records; Year: 1982; Format: Vinyl LP

T.S.T (The Shock Treatment) formed in the spring of 1977 in Vasteras, Sweden, about an hour west of Stockholm. As you can tell by their band name they must have been Ramones fans but by the time their first titled first LP came out in 1982 their influences have shifted drastically towards the underground sounds from the UK. As a matter of fact listening to the record tonight I would say the members of the band must have bought and loved records by the following bands from the British Isles: Discharge, GBH, The Business, Violators, Red Alert and Anti Nowhere League. Before this first LP the band released two EPs and after having split up for a while they reformed with the idea to take the band in a more electronic direction having been influenced by acts like Fad Gadget or Human League according to the info in "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk 1977-1987" book. The UK82 sound must have changed their minds as this LP is a truly good mixture of either Punk/Oi influenced tracks or songs more in the Discharge/GBH vein. River Records was apparently a record store in Vasteras and released some of the band's catalogue which is unfortunately hard to obtain on reissues hence my hope is that I will get to hear the rest of the band's output on some reissue in the near future. According to the book mentioned above Nalle (Bass/Vocals) was quite a character and at one point wrestled a cop into a fountain and on another occasion at a Peace Festival pissed on the stage ensuing in a fight with the sound engineer. Got to love the Swedish Drunk Punks. Many years after T.S.T's demise Guitarist and Vocalist Jarmo Makkeli became a member in Swedish Punk'N'Roll outfit Psychopunch, a band my friend and I actually organized a gig for in Switzerland some good twenty years ago. Shame I didn't know about his T.S.T past that night and I would have talked his ears off....

Targets - "Schneller, Lauter, Haerter" and "Menschenjagd" EPs

Label: Aggressive Rock Produktionen; Year: 1984; Format: 45RPM EP

Out of the ashes of legendary Hamburg Punk Rock act Slime came Targets and just a few months after Slime played at the time their last gig Targets released their first EP "Schneller, lauter, haerter" on the well known Berlin based label Aggressive Rock Produktionen. Even though I grew up in Switzerland and was exposed to Punk Rock from Germany at a young age I could often not identify with Deutschpunk. As for Targets though I discovered them through a Mix-Tape a friend made me back in the '80s and loved them dearly ever since. Both of their sought after EPs I was able to get on the cheap in London of all places from a private collection and I shall never part with them. Both of the band's EPs came out in 1984 and they were definitely a continuation of where Slime have left off, lyrically and sonically speaking. The four songs on this EP are all straight forward, well executed hardcore punk tracks in the German language with great lyrics on top of the excellent songs. Terrorism and multi-national corporate greed for instance play an important role in the songs "Geld regiert die Welt" and "Massenhysterie", topics that would gain much more importance decades after the release of this EP but were equally important to the time this EP was released. Sehr gut!

Label: Aggressive Rock Produktionen; Year: 1984: Format: 45RPM EP

While there is no real difference in the quality of the songs between the first and this second EP, the main difference is that this one was recorded and mixed by Harris Johns at Berlin's Musiclab-Studio and one can tell the difference immediately. The sound levels are higher and everything is just much crisper and clearer. On top of that "Menschenjagd" is without doubt one of the best songs Targets have ever written, a song dealing with people feeling paranoid while on the run from the government. "Nie wieder Krieg" is equally great and the cover version of Germany's Schlager King Udo Juergens "Der Teufel hat den Schnaps gemacht" rounds up the second and equally great EP by Targets. While getting the originals is by no means cheap I just checked whether these two EPs have been compiled onto an LP and yes that is very much the case in the form of a compilation released in 2017 on Coltureshock. If you are relatively new to the world of Punk from Deutschland get your hands on said LP as you won't regret it. 

SPS - Jsme V Hajzlu LP

Label: Globus International; Year: 1992; Format: Vinyl LP

SPS stands for Snizena Pracovni Schopnost which in English would translate into Diminished Work Ability and the band started out in 1988 in Prague, at the time the capital of Czechoslovakia. The band consisting of three members recorded their first demo in 1989 but it wasn't until 1992 and the years after the fall of communism in former Czechoslovakia for the band to be able to release their first LP on Globus International, one of the very early independent record labels started in Prague. In the early '90s SPS also briefly featured in the British Channel 4 documentary "Punks In Prague" highlighting the increased shift of young people who were punks under communism and drifted to the right after the fall of communism. The documentary can be found on youtube and is an interesting watch if you are curious to learn about international punk scenes you might not be knowledgeable about. But on to the music on "Jsme V Hajzlu" which would translate to "We're deep in shit". One of the main reasons I do this blog is to sit down and actually listen to my records and to top it off I try to find information pertaining to the band and other musically historical facts. SPS are still going strong to this day with guitarist/singer Zdenek the only remaining original member left, and as a matter of fact they are currently playing shows in the Czech Republic in celebration of the 30th anniversary of this album, which in my opinion is one hell of a great record. If you like your punk being played straight forward with lots of drive, a heavy bass and a good production then you really need to seek out this album. There is not a single weak song to be found on this platter and while I sat in the recliner enjoying this record I tried to pin down the influences the band used to come up with the sound and the songs for this LP and I couldn't help thinking of One Way System from the UK, good German 80s punk like Canalterror or Bluttat or French bands from the Chaos En France era. What you get is really outstanding old school punk that will have you raise your fist and sing along no matter whether you speak Czech or not. According to the SPS website the album sold over thirty thousand copies when it came out highlighting how popular punk rock was for young people in the early post-communism years. Punk on! 

Early photo of Zdenek, founding member and only remaining original member left in the current line-up. Source: Official SPS Facebook page.

Rattus - Hilipili Records 7"s Reissues on Hoehnie Records

Label: Hoehnie Records; Year: 2008; Format: 45RPM Single

When I discovered Rattus from the small town of Vilpulla in Finland it was through their brutal hardcore punk assault on the Ratcage LP back around 1987 as a friend of mine had a copy of said record and we were just in awe of the sheer brutality of that LP. But more about the Ratcage record when I get to it in the future. Before Rattus ever produced a slew of classic records throughout the first period of the '80s they started out as a somewhat classic '77 punk outfit and in 1980 self-released on Hilipili Records the first single with Khomeini-Rock and Muotipunk being equally strong late '70s influenced punk rock numbers. Think of really early Angelic Upstarts or Buzzcocks before they released records on majors and you get a good idea how this one sounds sung in Finnish. Come to think of it probably the first time I heard these really early recordings was on the GTA Taalta Tullan Kuolema CD which had come out in 1996. If you don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars for an original grab one of the few copies around of this Hoehnie Reissue!

Label: Hoehnie Records; Year: 2008; Format: 33RPM EP

Unlike their first output the second Hilipili 7" came in form of the Fucking Disco EP in 1981 with five tracks representing the band in somewhat of a transitional period. No longer are the tracks just straight forward late '70s punk but other styles are distinctively to be heard. The opener "Sietamaton" and my favorite song on this platter "Taalta Tullan Kuolema" are definitely songs in the '70s punk vein but the band does not shy away from Reggae and Post-Punk influences on the other two main tracks with the last "Stop Start" just being a thirty-seven second joke song. Quite a number of years ago I interviewed Rattus for a German fanzine and I recall that the band was at a difficult cross-point after having released this 2nd record. With the '70s punk sound having died out the band was close to throwing in the towel until they heard Minor Threat from across the pond and the rest is history as one would say. I leave you with an existential question from the back cover of this EP then... 

Spermbirds - Something To Prove LP

Label: Boner Records; Year: 1988; Format: Vinyl LP

For the past year or so every Tuesday I listen to a German podcast called "Und Dann Kam Punk" and on last week's show the two hosts interviewed the Spermbirds drummer Matthias Goette. As always it was a fun, entertaining but also informative talk hence I thought it was about time I played my copy of "Something to Prove" again as it's been ages since the last time. With most of my records I remember where I bought my copy and the year, or at least thereabouts. With my "Something To Prove" copy I really can't place it as it's the US version on Boner Records and when this LP came out I was living in Switzerland and would have surely picked up the We Bite pressing. My guess is that I found this one in Toronto when I briefly lived there in the early '90s, but that's just a wild guess and doesn't matter at all. Many of you out there interested in European Hardcore Punk will surely know that the Spermbirds singer Lee Hollis is an American based in Germany and was at the time of when the band was started stationed with the US Army in Kaiserslautern, Germany. According to the interview with Matthias Lee came from a difficult home and used the Army as an escape route to get as far away as possible from his parents, or his dad in particular. Since he has already been introduced to early US punk and hardcore Lee brought a fresh wind to the very provincial small town scene of Kaiserslautern. As a matter of fact before there even was the Spermbirds the band the other members were more keen on getting ahead with is Walter 11, a band vaguely speaking more steeped in traditional UK punk with its members being also big fans of their hometown football club FC. Kaiserslautern. So, when Spermbirds were started the band wasn't even aware that their brand of hardcore punk with a heavy influence of bands such as Angry Samoans was very popular in the underground scene of Southern Germany hence their first record, a Split 7" between Walter 11 and Spermbirds, was released on X-Mist, an influential label to this day. A year after that We Bite Records picked up the Spermbirds and "Something To Prove" was released in 1986. It should come as no surprise that it was licensed to the UK and the US as it's an excellent record that stands the test of the time. When I listened to it today it sounds just as fresh as it always has and the songs haven't aged at all if you ask me. What you get are fourteen original songs and a great cover version of Agent Orange's 'Bloodstains'. The production on the LP is great considering the band recorded and mixed everything within a few days and the LP is a mixed bag of either fast and furious songs or more mid-paced melodic tracks with great hooks. Considering where the band members came from musically the sound on this record makes perfectly sense with Lee's love for early Southern Californian bands and the rest of the band having more of a traditional early UK punk background the two main influences are perfectly blended into a unique sound. For some unfortunate reason I have actually never seen Spermbirds live, and I sure as hell don't know why. A classic record indeed!

Stigmathe - Suoni Puri Dalla Liberta and Lo Squardo Dei Morti EPs

Label: No Plan Records; Year: 2013; Format: 45RPM EP

Little to nothing is known to me about the history of Stigmathe, a band that hailed from the Northern City of Modena in Italy. Rest assured though that the two EPs reviewed herein though are a little different from what one would expect when it comes to '80s hardcore punk releases from Italy as neither is full-on Italian Hardcore the way we all love it. The first EP was originally self-released by the band in 1983 and the copy I own is a 2013 No Plan reissue, a label known for releasing great but mostly unknown gems. The band's first output is first and foremost very much influenced by what had musically happened in the UK underground scene from '79 to '82. The two tracks on Side A are solid UK82 influenced smashers and if they were not sung in Italian they could just as well have been recorded by the likes of GBH, Discharge or Dead Wretched. 'Italia Bruccia' on the B-Side is a little different in the sense that it is very melodic, mid-tempo and takes cues from 2nd Generation Brit bands like Angelic Upstarts, the Ruts et al. while a big Clash influence cannot be overheard either. Overall this is a great little platter. Mille grazie! 

Label: Meccano Records; Year: 1985; Format: 33RPM EP

Two years after having self-released their 1st EP Stigmathe released a 2nd EP, this time on Meccano Records from Torino. Worth mentioning is that the person behind Meccano Records, Giulio Tedeschi, was born in 1952 and could hence be considered "too old" to give a band like Stigmathe a chance but Giulio was always a man in pursuit of giving bands with a true DIY spirit a chance hence Stigmathe's 2nd EP landed with said label. Compared to the first one the 2nd EP is somewhat different yet again as the two songs on the first side are no longer just UK82 influenced but draw equally from post-punk and gothic as well creating an interesting mix with echoey vocals over dark and fast sounds while Side B is a great upbeat punky reggae track. In my opinion the 1st EP is the winner but both are equally strong outputs and  worth tracking down if said above is up your alley. 

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. 

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.