Electric Deads - "Order", "Anti-Sex" and "Mind Bomb" EP Reissues

Label: Noise and Distortion Records; Year: 2010; Format: 7" EP

Back in 2010 Belgian label Noise and Distortion did us fans of old European hardcore punk a great favor by reissuing all three Electric Deads EPs from Denmark. I think even these reissues are now hard to get so if you do see copies grab them as quick as you can. This is the 1st of the three and was like all of them originally released by the band on Electro Static Record, this one in 1982. Out of the three it is probably the weakest, at least in my opinion, but still worth checking out. 'Order' and 'Zig Zag' are fast paced hardcore punk tracks with Bibi screaming on top of her lungs and not quite having found her style. On this EP you'll also find a slightly different version of 'Fish in a Pool', a strong track that landed the band on the much acclaimed MRR Compilation LP "Welcome to 1984" where I and surely many others have heard of the band for the first time. Good but not great is what I would say about this one. 

Photo of 1st Gig in 1981 in Copenhagen. Photo Credit: Official Electric Deads Facebook Page

Label: Noise and Distortion Records; Year: 2010; Format: 7" EP

It is really hard to decide whether this one or the third and last of the three EPs is the strongest one as they are both fantastic in their own right, but let's focus on this one first. Unlike on the 1st EP where the recorded songs are somewhat muffled the band's second output has a much improved sound quality, better musicianship and a singer that seems to have found her voice and much more confidence. All four tracks on this EP are killer, especially '30 Years', just a fantastic Mid-Tempo punk song with somewhat of a Siouxsie and the Banshees feel to it. The other three songs are equally strong and the band might have gone through a phase where they listened to a lot of 77 punk and some early Goth as those influences definitely dominate their 2nd EP. If you like your early '80s European hardcore punk melodic, not too fast and with great vocals then you just have to love this one. 

Rehearsal Space in 1982. Photo Credit Official Electric Deads Facebook Page

Label: Noise and Distortion Records; Year: 2010; Format: 7" EP

I suppose this is their best known EP and ultimately the one that led for the band to be included on above mentioned MRR Comp. LP. Unfortunately it was also the last output by these Danes which is a shame as they could  have easily gone on to record a classic LP by the time this EP came out in 1983. Famous Danish punk rocker Johnny Concrete was the producer of this 5-song killer EP and if you ask me the band just really found their style with these recordings. It feels like they combined the ferocity of the 1st EP with the more melodic side of the 'Anti-Sex' EP and found a perfect marriage. All five songs are just mind-blowing good with that very peculiar guitar sound that in years to come influenced Norwegian bands like Kafka Process, So Much Hate or Stengte Dorer. This is classic melodic, yet powerful European hardcore at its best and has gone on to kickstart the great European hardcore scene of the '80s. True gem! 

Gig Flyer from 1983. Photo Credit Official Electric Deads Facebook Page

Appendix - Ei Raha Oo Mun Valuuttaa LP 

Label: Puke N' Vomit Records; Year: 2021; Format: Vinyl LP

After a somewhat stressful week at work it felt nice this evening to crank open a bottle of beer and spin this hardcore punk classic from Finland. Years ago I used to have the original 1982 Propaganda pressing of this LP but quite frankly who gives a shit as long as reissues such as this Puke N Vomit are available. Nice to see this one coming alive again with the original artwork and including one insert and two posters. Nice job! I am currently also reading the book about Rock-O-Rama Records from Germany and as some of you will surely know in 1983 this full length was licensed to said rip off label and according to the band all they ever got was twenty free copies. I shall review said book soon but it is clear that not only Herbert Egoldt of ROR but also Heikki Vilenius of Propaganda Records were just shrewd business men taking advantage of an international boom in hardcore punk. What I didn't know though is that the very first Appendix line up from 1981 included Olli and Juha of well known Finnish Rock act Yo. Yo went on to a successful career in mainstream music and had several No. 1 hits in the Finnish charts. That line up didn't last too long and Ei Raha Oo Mun Valuuttaa was recorded in 1982 and is in my opinion a true classic of early Finnish hardcore punk. The Puke N Vomit repress also includes the two tracks recorded for the 'Russia Bombs Finland' Comp. LP as well as the two tracks released on the Pultti Comp. EP. What I like the most about this record is that it is really varied when it comes to the songs. As expected there are plenty of typical powerful hardcore thrashers on this album but equally there are great mid-tempo punk stompers reminiscent of the UK Subs or Blitz. The production is loud and clear and the songs are carried by a great dominant bass sound backed with a buzzsaw guitar and a singer shouting on top of his lungs. It is no wonder that forty years ago along with US hardcore there was a real hype in the punk underground about bands from Finland as they just stood out. Don't be wasting your money on Money is not my Currency on ROR..;-) Kippis!! 

Davova Psychoza - Antropofobia LP 

Label: Papagajuv Hlasatel Records; Year: 2015; Format: Vinyl LP

In 1979 my parents fled the former Czechoslovakia and its communist regime and we ended up in Switzerland where I spent most of my life. Davova Psychoza are from Bratislava in Slovakia where I was born and are active to this day, as a matter of fact they just embarked on their 35 years of Davova Psychoza Tour across Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Antropofobia was their first LP and was originally released in 1991 on Opus, a Major. According to the insert of the repress I am reviewing here the band even got some flack back then for doing so but Opus was a relatively small company and a DIY network barely existed after the fall of communism hence the band was happy someone took a chance on them and released the record. Totally understandable. Davova Psychoza formed in late 1987 and recorded their first demo two years later just before the communist party lost control. According to the liner notes inside the repress the band members remember that time as a once in a lifetime experience where the whole country was in a positive mood and the future looked bright. It was in this environment where Davova Psychoza wrote the material for this record and frankly one can hear it in the songs. Musically speaking the band was influenced by North American acts like Verbal Assault or SNFU, hardcore punk played fast but with lots of melodic hooks. On the other hand being from Bratislava with a tradition of older UK punk influenced bands such as Zona A or Extip some songs are just great mid tempo pogo punk hits. Lyrically it's an interesting album as well with some being very personal and others more about fun and drink. The production and the band member's fitness on their instruments and vocals add to an overall really enjoyable album from a band that on an international level is sadly not well known at all even though they have been going all these years having released five albums in the meantime. Highly recommended! 

Rutto - Ei Paluuta and Ilmastoitu Painajainen EP Reissues

Rutto - Ei Paluuta EP

Label: Final Doomsday Records; Year: 2022; Format: 7" EP

When I was a teenager back in Switzerland I loved bands like Rattus, Bastards, Riistetyt et al. The sound, the Finnish language and the way the punks from this northern country looked just appealed to me on all levels. I don't remember ever hearing about Rutto, a band from the town of Tornio where also much better known Terveet Kadet came from. With Piasky filling in on bass and the original having been released in 1983 on Laja's of TK fame IKBAL Records it is pretty clear that Rutto were close to TK. What we get on this EP is mid-paced rudimentary female fronted punk rock that reminds be a bit of UK bands like Anti Pasti or Action Pact. The tracks all sound a bit alike and if there is one stand out song then I'd pick "Sa Et Haluu" which has a nice 77' punk feel to it. By no means one of those classic '80s Finnish hardcore punk records but nice to have a reissue and Final Doomsday have done a nice job in that regard. 

Rutto - Ilmastoitu Painajainen EP

Label: Final Doomsday Records; Year: 2022; Format: 7" EP

Just like above EP the second Rutto EP was originally released on IKBAL, this one in 1984. A-Side has in my opinion the best songs Rutto recorded as those thrashers are as fast, frantic and chaotic as any Terveet Kadet song to make the comparison since Piasky served on bass. Guitarist Makinen (also of Kuolema) rips through those songs while Kana struggles to keep up screaming but the end result was as good as many of the far better known acts from the land of thousand lakes. It's a shame that the B-Side is a letdown and contains a badly produced mid-tempo punk song that quite frankly should have never made it onto vinyl. Still, if you are like me and can never get enough of that chaotic '80s hardcore punk from Finland then this is worth picking up for that one side only. As mentioned above I don't think anyone will place Rutto in the same league as Rattus, TK, Kaaos et al. but these reissues are nevertheless worth your hard earned cash. 

V/A - Digging in Water LP 

Label: Manic Ears Records/COR Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl LP

My previous entry to this blog having reviewed Bob Suren's book made me think that there were a number of records back in the '80s that I used to spin over and over. A lot of them were Compilations as they were easily available and for a youngster with a limited budget they offered value for money. Digging in Water from 1987 is one of those LPs I dearly loved to bits and tonight was the first time in a long time I put this record on while enjoying a trip down memory lane. The A Side is the noisier and faster side of the two with great tracks my the likes of Chaos U.K., Concrete Sox, Extreme Noise Terror or Ripcord to name a few. Only Italy's CCM and Aussies Vicious Circle are not from the UK on this Comp. but they both deliver really strong songs with CCM's Ultracore one of the best in my opinion. Side B offers more variety and isn't as full on Stenchcore as the other side. One of the best songs on the entire record is Civilized Society's "The Fairer Sex", a superb melodic yet forward driving song. Also great are Depraved or the far lesser known Eyes on You, of which song I probably didn't enjoy as much back then as it's got almost a post-punk feel to it but being in my 50's now I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe the best song is Oi Polloi's "Pigs For Slaughter". This was their best phase if I dare to say with a brutal and loud bass sound making those songs instant pogo smashers. One little anecdote about ENT's fantastic contribution with the song "Bullshit Propaganda". Their sadly deceased shouter Phil (RIP) lived in Switzerland for a number of years, the country where I also lived for the most part of my life. Phil worked at Rec Rec Distribution in the Drum'N'Bass department as he was knowledgeable in that genre. A close punk friend of mine worked there as well and told me about Phil as he knew I liked ENT. One evening at a show I was drunk out of my mind and Phil was in the attendance. My friend introduced me to him and all I was capable of that night was shouting "Bullshit Propaganda!!!!!" all night at poor ole' Phil. A week or so later my friend told me that Phil asked him who his weird and crazy friend was. After Phil had relocated back to the UK and I myself moved to London Phil was nice enough to invite me to their shows when they were in London and I will always remember him as a funny and bright guy who I am sure is missed by many. 

Honkas - S/T EP

Label: Static Shock Musik; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

Another great reissue from the house of Static Shock in Berlin. Just like the Harnrohrer EP this little platter was originally released in 1982 as well, also on Pogar Records as 002. Honkas formed in 1980 in the city of Wolfsburg (Volkswagen anyone?) and were named after the rather infamous serial killer Fritz Honka. The ueberhit on this gem of an EP is "Fur Fritz", a killer track that also landed on one of the Bloodstains Across Germany Bootleg Comps. This is an interesting EP as it is hard to describe the style but it stands the test of time thanks to its raw DIY Punk charm. The vocals and the guitars are at times frantic and all over the place but never really out of place and add a lot of character. It does not come as a surprise that singer Max Mueller had relocated to Berlin in 1982 where he later formed Camping Sex and Mutter and is also the brother of Wolfgang Mueller of Die Toedliche Doris fame. The artsy and edgy approach to music was already there with the Honkas and was just the beginning for him. Also, I'd be very interested to learn how many copies Pogar at the time distributed to Fresh in the UK, Vote Vasko in Finland or Importacoes Carnaby in Brazil as these fine institutions were listed as distributors back then. I hope Iffi of Static Shock Musik will keep reissuing more of the Pogar Catalogue, such as the Marplots Ep....Sehr gut!

Harnrohrer - S/T EP

Label: Static Shock Musik; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

It was about time someone reissued this early '80s German gem as Harnrohrer are not only criminally underrated but most likely just not very well known outside of Germany. They hailed from the small city of Freiburg Im Breisgau in South Germany, a place I am very familiar with having visited on numerous occasions when still living in Europe. Originally this killer EP was released on Berlin's Pogar Records as 001 in 1982 and all four tracks are filled with great guitar hooks, fitting choruses and simply fantastic song arrangements in a real catchy way. Since this came out in 1982 and the trend in Germany was to sound like Discharge I can assure you it's nothing like that. This is more akin to '77 Punk and the production of Music Lab producer Harris Johns is top notch as well. It is a real shame these guys didn't release more material as this is Pogo-Punk at its very best. Grosse Klasse!

Abrasive Wheels - When The Punks Go Marching In! LP

Label: Riot City Records; Year: 1982; Format: Vinyl LP

Recorded and released in 1982 on Bristol's Riot City Records should give you quite a hint as to what to expect from this album. It is one of my favorite UK82 records as it just ticks many boxes. It's well produced, it's full of hits and quite frankly there isn't a single bad song on this first full length by Leeds' punks Abrasive Wheels. I haven't listened to this cracker of an album in some time but almost instantly I was able to sing along to most of the songs as they would be played on many a mixtape or punk disco after a show. Paying a bit more attention than usually it did not escape me that the album has a very '79 feel to it in the sense that while most of the songs are played at high speed with Dave's buzzing guitar sound and Shonna's aggressive singing typical in the foreground the choruses and melodies will be more reminiscent of 2nd generation punk acts like Sham 69 or Angelic Upstarts for instance. It all makes sense as I opened my copy of "Burning Britain" and read over the story of the Abrasive Wheels reminding myself that they actually had their beginnings in the late '70s hence those influences do not surprise at all. On this LP the band had also their strongest and most stable line up which led them to signing with Clay Records and releasing another LP in 1984 which in my opinion was nowhere near as good as this one having attempted to sound poppier and more accessible and failing miserably. The band reformed years later and actually released a record in the more recent years but I have never heard it. This one is a pure classic and whether you have the original or not what counts is that you have it and crank it up loud! 

GRB - Estoy Tan Contento! EP

Label: Self Released; Year: 1986; Format: 7" EP

GRB hailed from Catalonia's capital of Barcelona, and formed out of the ashes of Ultimo Resorte and Frenopaticss. While I am a huge fan of Ultimo Resorte I cannot say I am equally enthusiastic about GBR. This EP is by no means a bad record, but at the same time it is not a Spanish hardcore punk classic. The band surely played a major role in establishing a new hardcore scene along with bands such as the Subterranean Kids but to me this record sounds like a weird combination of hectic hardcore punk played as fast as possible with some flashy guitar parts thrown in. The result sounds like a mixture between Negazione and Iron Maiden with a poor production. The best song on this EP is by far the one where the band steers away from any Metal influence and delivers a tuneful mid-paced hardcore punk track. A shame not all seven tracks are like that, and my review would have been quite a different story. Not a horrible record per se, but just because it's rare don't be under the assumption that it's a must have.

V/A - Es Chaos is die Botschaft! Es Wurschtun es! Austrian Punk Scene 78-84 LP

Label: Luziprak Records; Year: 1997; Format: Vinyl LP

Seventeen years ago Vienna/Austria based Luziprak Records released this excellent collection of Austrian punk/hardcore punk recorded in the late '70s and early '80s. Since the release of this compilation LP the world of collector scum has seen reissues by bands such as Schund, Chuzpe, or Dead Nittels to name a few. Never the less, the importance of this piece of vinyl can not be understated, as it was the first time for many of us interested in international punk rock to being introduced to the sounds of mainly Vienna based bands from the golden age of punk and hardcore punk. I couldn't point to a single weak track on this platter and the tracks vary from raw basement recordings of female fronted hardcore punk act Schund to the Ramones influenced Kleenex Aktiv to the simply amazing '77 punk of Chuzpe. You get seventeen punk/hardcore punk smashers here, including a great cover and an insert with band histories (in German), from a country that is not exactly known for much punk rock export and to this day will always be remembered for Falco, without doubt the biggest Austrian pop export ever. In 2010 Luziprak issued a second installment of this series, which I unfortunately don't own and have not heard to this day. 

Disper-Azione - Sempre Immutata Fede EP

Label: Chaos Produzioni; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl 7"

Fans of international hardcore punk from the '80s will widely agree that Italy had one of the best, most active and highly interesting hardcore scenes back in the heyday of said musical genre. Everybody will be familiar with bands such as Negazione, Raw Power or CCM, but amongst those internationally well known and established acts there was an even greater amount of lesser known acts such as Disper-Azione, whom hailed from provincial town Como in the Lombardy part of Italy, not that far from the Swiss/Italian border. A long time ago I remember owning Disper-Azione's 1st LP, and for some reason I don't have it in the best of memories and must have parted with it at some point. Well, all I can say is that if the LP sounded anything like this EP, then I must have been a real dumb-ass to have done so. This seven song EP is filled with energy, and your typical chaotic but musically highly skilled italian hardcore punk the way many of us just love so much, and can never get enough of. In 1985 many bands in the United States started to sound metal and the whole crossover scene was exploding, which not all hardcore punks appreciated. Instead of giving up on it, one only had to look across the ocean, as Europe was full with bands such as Disper-Azione, sticking to true DIY hardcore punk with zero metal. A minor classic, and to my knowledge not reissued to this day....

Nog Watt - Fear EP

Label: Revenge Records; Year: 1985; Format: 7"Vinyl

Before I go on to say anything about this particular release I would like to ask why in the heck has this not been reissued yet? God, it's 2014 and nearly thirty years have passed since the release of this absolute classic from the Netherlands. These four women from Amsterdam just knew how to write angry and pissed off politically minded hardcore punk tracks, through and through. While the majority of the six songs on this EP are fast, and well executed, it is in my opinion the title song "Fear" that wins the title of the stand out track, a mid-tempo, mean and gloomy song, just plain perfect. I honestly haven't listened to this little platter in a good while, but when putting it on today I just held my breath, and realized how lucky I am to be still able to enjoy this sort of music. A superb release that should be made available again for a new generation!

Update June 2022: Eight years have passed since my original post and while reviewing the reissues of the two Rutto EPs from Finland I discovered that Final Doomsday Records has reissued this classic in 2021. Hurry up before it's too late!!!

V/A - Na Eller Aldri - Samle EP

Label: X-Port Plater; Year: 1985: Format: Vinyl 7"

I have spent most of my life in central Europe, and ever since having gotten into hardcore punk, I was always fascinated with bands from Scandinavia. But it was always groups from either Sweden, or Finland (officially not Scandinavia) that were more accessible, at least so I remember. Bands from Norway were lesser known, and there just wasn't so many around. I saw So Much Hate when they toured Europe for the first time, and that was well impressive. But before So Much Hate, there was Kafka Prosess, who are of course to be found on this classic compilation EP of Norwegian hardcore punk acts from the mid '80s. Other bands represented on here include Siste Dagers Helvete, Bannlyst, Akutt Innlegelse and three more. Speaking of Akutt Innlegelse, whom had a young fellow named Thomas Seltzer in their rows, the same Thomas who would some years later on to form Turbonegro. In my opinion only one song should not have been picked for this EP, all the other ones range from absolutely brilliant to almost brilliant, you get the picture. If you like your hardcore punk fast, loud and distorted, then this is for you. I remember reading somewhere that the reason so many of the Norwegian hardcore acts from the '80s had a more rock'n'roll guitar sound to them than say the Swedes or Fins, was down to the fact that many of the people involved in those bands had very varied tastes in music. I for one always thought that the Norwegian bands did sound quite different from their neighbors, and it certainly did them well. Shocking to see that to this day this EP has not been reissued. I wonder why, bearing in mind this is an absolute classic.

Kriminella Gitarrer - Complete Studio Recordings + Demos LP

Label: Klippan Records; Year: 1999; Format: Vinyl LP

A highly interesting release here by Kriminella Gitarrer from Klippan, a small town in Sweden. These first generation punk rockers were just kids when they managed to release three 7"s between '78 and '79, and all of them don't quite sound alike. The first one was apparently already sought after just two years after its release and was compared to the sounds of the swedish highways during rush hour. Well, I can see where the fanzine writer at the time was coming from, but I must add that the first 7" and the demo tracks on the B-Side of this collection are in parts noisy proto-hardcore, and we're talking '77 and '78 here, impressive for a group of 15 year olds from small town Sweden. It might have been the distance to bigger cities and those scenes that provided them with the ability to really build on their own sound instead of trying to sound like another band. The 2nd and 3rd 7"s, here to be found on the A-side, along the 1st one, are to a degree more melodic, musically more developed, and pop oriented, but in my opinion those are the best tracks the band has ever recorded as they are true '77 punk smashers. Apparently the band only ever played fewer than ten gigs, and this release looks like a bootleg even though it has an insert with all the info on the band and the history. While the original 7"s are impossibly hard to find and expensive, even this LP is not easy to get, and certainly not cheap. In the early 2000s a compilation CD with even more tracks surfaced, but the same problem prevails as it is hard to get a copy. A label specializing in reissuing hard to find international punk should really look into doing a proper release of this material as there are some exceptionally good songs Kriminella Gitarrer managed to crank out.

Tozibabe - S/T EP

Label: FV Zalozba; Year: 1986; Format: Vinyl EP

This 3-piece female band hailed from Ljubljana in Slovenia, and at the time of the release of this 4-track EP it was part of Yugoslavia. Tozibabe are probably to this day one of the best hidden gems when it comes to international hardcore punk acts from the '80s, most likely due to the scarceness of this EP, but above all as a result of four outstanding gloomy hardcore punk thrashers that could not have been any better. The desperation and urgency come through in each song, and these ladies knew how to write songs with an intelligent twist to them. A few years ago this was apparently bootlegged, but I for one sure hope that a label specializing in re-releases of this sort will pick this one up soon to give it a much deserved wider audience. A true classic!

Update September 2022: In 2015 Ne! Records reissued the 7" officially. Unfortunately those copies seem to be hard to get by now. 

TZN-Xenna - Dzieci z Brudnej Ulicy/Ciemny Pokoj 7"

Label: Tonpress; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl 7"

TZN-Xenna were one of the numerous great Polish punk/hardcore acts that people in the West only started to discover well after releases as this one here have come out. Both tracks on this single are extremely well produced and fast-paced, but not to the point where the music just becomes noise and can't be distinguished from a Boeing 747 landing. The two songs are well crafted, and have due to the fact of having been recorded behind the so called "Iron Curtain" their own character. The band hailed from the capital of Warsaw and was founded as early as 1981, meaning they were one of the earliest punk rock acts from Poland. I need to seek out more recordings by this band that are in the vein of this 7" as this stuff is truly essential.

Malinheads - Probegepogt aus Spandau EP

Label: Pogar; Year: 1983; Format: Vinyl 7"

The Berlin based label Pogar released between 1982 and 1987 fewer than twenty records, but a good number of them are absolute highlights when it comes to international hardcore punk. This 3-song EP by Malinheads from Spandau/Berlin is probably one of the Top 5 german hardcore punk releases as the band delivered these songs in such a manner that easily put them on a level with Scandinavian bands such as Anti-Cimex, Rattus, Headcleaners, and so on. I heard the song 'Wargames' of this EP for the first time around 1986/87 when a friend of mine made me a compilation tape of various bands from around the world. The Malinheads song was one of the highlights on that tape and stuck with me for ever, hence I had to get my hands on this EP one day, which wasn't until at some point in the '90s. What you get here is scandi/discharge influenced hardcore punk at its best, brutal in delivery, and in my opinion unique when it comes to bands from Germany. While it is not easy and cheap to track down an original copy of this, Thought Crime Records reissued this classic in 2012, so no one needs to spend big bucks to get this must-have.