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

Wretched Ones - S/T LP; Live EP; Tributes Suck EP and Live on a Five Single 

Label: Headache Records; Year: 1993; Format: Vinyl LP

I had planned to do this Wretched Ones entry quite a while back as May 23 of this year marked the 25 year anniversary of seeing them in Hamburg, Germany supporting the Angelic Upstarts. Anyway better late than never so here we go with a longer entry dedicated to this quartet from Midland Park in New Jersey. Not too long ago I posted about one of the Headwound EPs on Headache Records and had a bit of a look on their FB page since they seem to be still going strong. There I stumbled upon a German podcast dedicated to Headache Records, which was run by Pit, the singer in the Wretched Ones. Quite frankly not much is to be found on the worldwide intranet about the New Jersey '90s Oi scene, or the Wretched Ones in particular, but in a way I really like that even though the band deserves much more recognition for their output. In said podcast the guys talked about quite a few bands that appeared on Headache Records, but I was really mostly interested to hear what they had to say about the Wretched Ones. It was no surprise that they too thought the band brought a fresh wind to the Oi genre. I have never been much of a fan of Oi per se but during the '90s the Wretched Ones from the East Coast and Bonecrusher from the West Coast were two of my favorite bands, both capable of fusing elements of '80s hardcore punk with mean and raw Street Rock'N'Roll. In that sense the American Oi bands set themselves apart from the more traditional '80s UK Oi sound, which in my opinion was more often than not quite lame in contrast. The Wretched Ones have a history in hardcore punk as two of their members, Pit on vocals and B.T. on guitar, were members of The Burnt who released an LP on Mutha Records back in 1985, followed by a few EPs on Headache Records. The band transitioned into the Wretched Ones as early as 1988, but it wasn't until 1993 when the first LP was released, and what a cracker of an LP it is. I am nearly ashamed to say that at one point I had almost the entire catalogue of the Wretched Ones in my collection but when I needed money the records exchanged hands and wandered to a friend of mine in the UK, at least they are in good hands. Luckily some years ago I was able to find a copy of this LP for cheap and I will continue buying back whatever I don't have anymore. The 16 songs on the LP can be described as American Oi classics, and I do mean each one of them. Stand out tracks are "Going down the Bar", "Working Man" or "Time marches on" but again they're all brilliantly simple yet ass-kicking songs. The Wretched Ones had a habit of writing as many songs as possible about drinking beer and working bonebreaking jobs without ever getting boring, and I mean that as a compliment. In all fairness Schaefer Beer should have paid the guys large sums for their free advertisement and the Toxic Avenger should have hailed these guys when saving New Jersey from the next chemical disaster. Fill your fridge with beer and give this one a spin, you won't regret it.  

Label: Knock Out Records; Year: 1999; Format: Picture 7" EP

God knows how many days I have lived now in my nearly fifty three years of existence on this screwed up planet, but in all fairness how many of those days do I or any of us remember? I think it's fair to say not many. But, there are those days which we'll never forget, and for me May 23 of 1998 is certainly one of them. On said beautiful Spring Saturday I boarded a train heading from Zurich, Switzerland to Basel early in the morning and from there I got on a Deutsche Bundesbahn express train that got me to Hamburg by around 4pm. I recall heading straight to the Hafenstrasse by Hamburg's vast port and there was already a large contingent of Punks and Skins drinking cans of beer and generally having a good time. A friend of mine from Switzerland was meant to come along on the trip but had to cancel last minute. I had no problem going up to Hamburg on my own as up to that point I had never seen the Upstarts and the Wretched Ones alone would have made that trip worthwhile for me hence it was a no brainer. On top of that the gig took place at Grosse Freiheit 36, a renowned venue that hosted early Beatles gigs and is up to this day one of the most famous locations for live music in Hamburg. The atmosphere leading up to the gig in front of the venue was absolutely electrifying as people from around Europe had made the trip to Hamburg to witness an unforgettable evening. It so happened that at some point I was approached by a group of Skins who had made the trip from the Eastern parts of Germany (former GDR) asking me where I came from. Somehow they were fascinated by the fact that I had come up from Switzerland and bought me several rounds of beers throughout the night which I definitely didn't mind. What can be said about the gig, and in particular the Wretched Ones? I thought all bands put in a great shift, including Oxymoron who jumped in last minute to replace the Dropkick Murphys. By 1998 the Wretched Ones were not as unknown in Germany as one would think as Mosh of Knock Out Records has licensed the first two LPs by the band and as a result of that the guys from New Jersey had a dedicated fan base in Europe, mainly in Germany. The fact that the band was flown in just for the one show in Hamburg baffles me to this day, but I am glad they were. The Wretched Ones sure as hell didn't disappoint and the crowd of more than 1'000 thanked them loudly. The four songs on this Live EP are proof for the remainder of this civilization that New Jersey produced some fine music, and the Wretched Ones are never to be forgotten for that. After the gig I joined some of the people of Klasse Kriminalle from Italy, members of Red London and B.T. from the Wretched Ones on a trip to a bar on the famed Reeperbahn and I'll never forget how B.T always ordered two beers at the same time, one to down really fast and the other one to last a bit longer. After a long night of great live music and drinking I walked down to Hamburg's train station and took a train to Cologne to catch Motorhead the next day, a Sunday night. It wasn't until Monday morning that I finally returned to Switzerland, tired and with my ears ringing, but full of memories I will never forget. Cheers! 

Back of the Live EP as well as the ticket to the gig and to my surprise I even kept the train ticket in the record, great memories!

Label: Headache Records; Year: 1998; Format: 7" EP

In 1998 the Wretched Ones and Headache Records had enough of waiting on some labels to release Tribute records and decided to put their contributions on an EP appropriately called "Tributes Suck". The four songs enshrined on this EP are all classics in their own right, and I'll be a lazy bastard and just type up what the back of the EP says: 

1. Pirate Love - Originally recorded for Sky Krebs Records (who?) over four years ago. This guy was gonna put out the best tribute ever, blah...blah...Last we heard the master tape was stolen out of his car (yeah right). 

2. Just To Get Away - We agreed to get this in right away, the release date, after all is already next month. Half a year later we get word it's out. We are lied to a few more times that copies are in the mail. We figure we'll never see it. (Note: we got 'em now as this goes to print, thanks)

3. No More Heroes - Recorded for Elevator Records, this guy has bullshited us along for two years now that this thing would be out in another "month or two" Our feeling is he's about an hours drive away from a punch in the head. 

4. America The Beautiful - Dictators! OK now we're cooking. What song do you want us to do? What's that? America? That's note a Dictators song. Huh? It was on a Japanese 45 or in a movie? Can we do something else? Oh well OK we'll do this if it's that important. Well it's been way over a year ago, we've heard nothing about a release date, and our contact has since quit the label. Serves us right I guess. 

Well, hopefully in the end the band got copies for all those wonderful Tribute records, but even if not, this EP rules as the Wretched Ones obviously paid tribute to those songs the right way. 

Label: Headache Records; Year: 1996; Format: 5" Single

Well, time to grab a beer, some food and finish this off with the last record for this extended Wretched Ones blog entry. And guess what, it's a 5" record, and the only one in my collection. Two live songs are to be found on this tiny piece of vinyl with "We're not stopping now" recorded live in Wanaque, NJ by Harry Baggs one one side, and correct me if I am mistaken but I think that's the place I looked up when reviewing the Headwound EP hence the show was probably with them. And by the way the town seems almost as small as the 5" record. On the other side you get "I hated school" recorded live in Newark, NJ by an unknown audience member. Who knows and maybe this blog entry will solve the mystery and we'll finally find the unknown audience member. Please contact the HQ of HFTP as soon as you can! Cheers! 

Exodus - Bonded by Blood LP

Label: Century Media/Combat; Year: 2022; Format: Gatefold Vinyl LP

Every music genre has defining records on offer and when it comes to Thrash Metal then "Bonded by Blood" by Bay Area Thrashers Exodus is one of them, and in my opinion probably the album that defines Thrash Metal at its best. If someone out there without any idea about Thrash Metal asked me to describe the genre I would simply suggest to put this record on as it is without exaggeration a masterpiece from the second the needle drops. It is almost needless to say that at one point I did own an early pressing of this album but as it goes I got rid off it in my haze believing that I would never feel the need to listen to Metal ever again. How wrong I was all those decades ago as quite a few of those albums that I sold or traded for next to nothing are collector items and hard to get these days. Well, let me not bother you for too long with my so called dilemmas as thankfully there are reissues and so I am again an owner of this album and this time it will stay with me until I drop dead I suppose. The other night I watched "Murder in the Front Row" again, a powerful and insightful documentary about the early days of Bay Area Thrash Metal. Exodus played a huge role in the development of a scene that started out around a record store where Metal Heads would meet to buy and exchange the latest imports from around the world. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal with bands like Motorhead, Iron Maiden, UFO or Saxon were the primary influence for a lot of the kids in the Bay Area and it wasn't long before bands like Venom or Discharge started to make the rounds in tape trading circles signaling a change in Metal towards a faster, more direct and more brutal sound influenced by NWOBHM and Hardcore Punk alike. I nearly laughed my head off when Gary Holt and co. were describing the scenes at Ruthie's Inn where Exodus and especially their singer Paul Baloff (RIP) would encourage to rip people's Hair Metal shirts off their bodies as to signal that only real Metal was accepted and posers were not welcomed. It brought back memories of my own youth and my buddies in Suburban Zurich, Switzerland. We acted so tough and evil without being evil and made fun of posers ourself, but to be fair we didn't advocate for any harsher actions. Speaking of Ruthie's Inn I recall reading about the club some time ago and thought it was fascinating to learn that the former owner Wesley Robinson (RIP) was an original jazzer who just happened to have an extremely open mind, a big heart and definitely a lot of patience by having opened the doors to a scene that was young, loud and obnoxious but generally speaking good natured. Back in the Mid-80s when I started to get into more extreme music "Bonded by Blood" had far more appeal to me than say the Sex Pistols or the Clash. My friends and I were looking for bands that could shock, would piss off our parents and stood apart from everything else. Exodus was one of those bands and it speaks volumes if an album can still live up to the hype nearly forty years after its original release. When I sat down to listen to the album tonight I felt pretty much the same excitement as all those years back and the nine songs were over with in no time. My favorite tracks have always been 'Bonded by Blood', 'Metal Command' and 'Piranha' but there really are no fillers on this album and in 2023 I can probably proclaim that I love this album even more than I ever had. Play loud and go wild!

Schund - S/T LP

Label: Hoehnie Records; Year: 2003; Format: Vinyl LP

Fans of worldwide KBD Punk will most likely be familiar with Schund from Vienna, Austria, a band that existed for just a brief period of time and managed to self-release an EP in 1982, limited to just 500 copies. There weren't too many punk rock acts from Austria, and years ago I reviewed "Es Chaos is die Botschaft! on this blog, a great compilation of early Austrian punk and hardcore punk. Before I sat down to listen to this LP tonight I read a lengthy interview with Schund's singer Doris over the weekend and discovered some highly interesting facts about the band and the history of early '80s punk in Vienna (link to the interview in German at the end of this entry). I for instance didn't know that Doris was actually not from Vienna, but instead hailed from Braunschweig in Germany. Doris was into music at an early age and at some point heard about this new wild trend from England called punk rock. In 1979 she got to visit London through a chapter of the Youth Red Cross which organized a bus trip to England's capital. Doris really wanted to see punks in real life and through a funny coincidence at the hotel where she and her group were staying she met Kodak, a punk from Vienna who was also visiting London buying punk records and clothes to bring back to Austria. The two of them became eventually a couple and after Kodak had visited Doris in Braunschweig Doris picked up and left for Vienna after she finished school. Her and Kodak lived with his parents for a little while before finding a home at GaGa, an alternative centre on Vienna's Gassergasse 1, maybe comparable to Copenhagen's Christiana. There she met Bobby, Stefan and Harry who have been jamming for some time and were looking for a female singer. Doris was in their opinion perfect as she spoke high German without a Vienne's dialect.

Reproduction of 'Das Kleine Massenblatt', an independent Publication from Vienna. This particular issue deals with the history of GaGa. 

After having hooked up with the three guys at GaGa Schund was born and kicked off with full steam. Musically the band was influenced by Slime from Germany as per Doris but to be honest it is hard to define Schund's sound as it is definitely not '77 Punk but neither Hardcore Punk. Back in the early '80s, and especially in more remote scenes such as Vienna, bands still developed their own sound and in that sense I'd say Schund stood out to a degree but were unfortunately never able to record properly in a studio. The four songs off of their EP and six other songs that are on the "Studio-Side" on this LP were all recorded by Kodak in the band's rehearsal room and mixed at his home. While the sound quality is not great by any means there is a charm to these songs that one cannot resist. The lyrics are very typical for the time period and for bands from German speaking countries dealing with police oppression, weekend punks, beer & pogo and generally speaking shoving everything up the lame society's ass. The "Live-Side" is interesingly enough almost better than the Studio side with eight tracks having been recorded at the Popodrom in 1982 where Schund participated at a band contest. The story goes that during Schund's fifteen minutes of fame some chairs and table flew in their direction and that the soundman was freaking out wanting to stop the band immediately from playing. Apparently a lot of people did like their set and most likely also some of the excitement as the band came in 3rd place. If crude and raw early '80s punk is your thing you will love this record despite the somewhat rudimentary sound quality. The songs could have only have been recorded during a very intense and unique period in our history and Vienna is amongst the cities that have changed drastically since then. Schund are part of Vienna's cultural past as much as Falco in my opinion, hence do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this LP if you can. Es wurschtln es!

Interview with Doris in German Part 1: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index.htm

Interview with Doris in German Part 2: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index2.htm

Slapshot - Back On The Map Mini-LP 

Label: Taang Records; Year: 1986; Format: 33 1/3 12" EP

On my daily bus commute heading home this afternoon I thought I better get my lazy ass up and write up a blog entry tonight. Several records came to mind, but then I thought we are in the midst of the Stanley Cup Final hence Slapshot would be the perfect fit after all they wish their beloved Boston Bruins had not exited the play-offs in the first round after outplaying the entire league in the regular season by a mile. If you are reading this and happen to be an ice-hockey fan like myself then let me tell you that the Vegas vs. Florida final has not grabbed my interest whatsoever as I don't believe in hockey under palm trees, but to be fair to both teams they deserve to be where they are. On to music though now and a classic record that belongs in every record collection, something that must be said. Back in 1986 Crossover was in full swing and while said sub genre without a doubt gifted us some great records there were a lot of lame bands that the world has forgotten about a long time ago. Out of the remnants of Last Rights, Negative FX and DYS came Slapshot in 1985 and while they stayed true to their classic Boston Style Hardcore Punk they definitely threw in a good measure of UK Oi Punk in the vein of Blitz, Business et al. The seven songs contained on this Mini-LP are all simply fantastic melodic yet aggressive songs that on top of that were recorded 24 Tracks which makes a huge difference, and which I wish a lot of bands had done back in the day. Shoot that puck hard and stay out of the penalty box!

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. 

Solger - S/T EP

Label: Bag Of Hammers; Year: 1995; Format: 33RMP 7" EP

After my previous review of the "We're not here to entertain" book I was in the mood to put something on that would match the contents of the book and came up with Solger from Seattle, WA. I'd probably go as far as saying that they are the soundtrack to the book as they are not a big name in terms of US hardcore punk and they came from somewhat of an outlier city away from trendier and more hip places on the West Coast, at least until Grunge hit... There isn't a ton of information on the intranet when it comes to these guys but do check out the link at the end of this review with an informative interview with Kyle of Solger. When researching Solger I was reminded as to how many great bands originally hailed from Seattle, for instance the Lewd who relocated to San Francisco or love em' or hate them The Mentors who moved to sunny California as well. Solger was a very short lived band having released an ultra rare EP back in 1981. In 1995 Seattle's Bag Of Hammers reissued the EP and a few years later Empty Records released a CD/LP with the EP and some extra tracks. Five raw hardcore punk tracks influenced by the Germs and Black Flag can be found on the EP with "Dead Soldier" being the winner in my opinion. It is not a great record by any means but as is often the case with records like this one it's the stories leading up to the release and what came after that's really fascinating. Simply put the guys in Solger were fed up with the more artsy approach to punk rock in their city and wanted to create an ugly and raw sound calling it hardcore punk. They definitely succeeded at that and don't get me wrong despite the poor sound quality the EP is enjoyable in its own way and supposedly sounding better than the original thanks to some cleaning up in a studio. It's interesting to read that at least one of the Mudhoney guys was at the Black Flag show when Solger opened up and was blown away. The same goes for Blain of Fartz/the Accused. What I am hinting at here is that Solger may not have been the most prolific band but they certainly left a mark that led to bigger things in hardcore punk and other forms of underground rock. Definitely an interesting piece of US hardcore punk history from the West Coast worth checking out. 

Interview with Kyle of Solger and band history: http://www.dementlieu.com/users/obik/arc/solger/index.html#basics

Kevin Mattson - We're Not Here To Entertain (Punk Rock, Ronald Reagan, and The Real Culture War of 1980s America)

Publisher: Oxford University Press; Year: 2020; Format: Hardcover Book

Let me tell you that between last night and this morning I spent probably two to three hours preparing for this entry as Kevin Mattson's book not only deserves that, but literally requires that in terms of the depth of his book. Mattson's book was published in the middle of the pandemic and I remember being instantly drawn to it. At the time I also listened to the New Books Network podcast interview (see link at the bottom) with the author and knew that I had to get the book immediately, which I did. I read it a while ago and last night I re-read bits and pieces of certain chapters on top of listening to above mentioned podcast again as well. I think by now you get the drift that Mattson's book is packed with information and with that I mean historical facts that are the result of probably hundreds of hours of research the author has put into for this tome. I am of the firm belief that more books such as this one need to be published in order for us fans of '80s hardcore punk, scholars and curious minded people out there to be able to gain a better understanding as to what really happened across America between 1979 and 1985 to be specific about the years Kevin covers for his book. I didn't grow up in America, so to this day after having lived here for something over a decade now, I still learn a lot about cultural history, and for that this book is just significant. It is important to point out that Kevin Mattson is a Professor of U.S. cultural and intellectual history at a University in Ohio and was an active participant of the early '80s Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, as well as being one of the cofounders of Positive Force in 1985. When we think of punk books then most of the time oral histories come to mind and an endless amount of books have been published in such way, some more interesting than others. This book is a very different proposition in the sense that Mattson succeeds to juxtapose the punk rock world versus the 'Entertainer In Chief' Ronald Reagan highlighting in detailed chapters how the death of the 1st wave of punk rock and the record industry opened up the doors for an energized and politically minded youth across the U.S. to take matters into their own hands to counter the mainstream culture and the advent of MTV. What's outstanding about Mattson's approach and research into this matter is the inclusion of film, art, poetry, fanzines and other forms of communication that helped to spread DIY culture outside of the cultural epicenters on either Coast. Vic Bondi of Articles of Faith sums up the book as follows: "Firmly establishes American hardcore in the politics of the moment and the economics of the music industry at the time. An essential read for anyone wanting to understand the cultural history of the 1980s." I couldn't agree more with the statement and will have to revisit the book again soon to dig deeper into certain sections of it to learn more, and more. Highly recommended! 

New Books Network Podcast Link: https://newbooksnetwork.com/were-not-here-to-entertain-1

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. 

Keith Morris with Jim Ruland - My Damage (The Story Of A Punk Rock Survivor)

Publisher: Da Capo Press; Year: 2016; Format: Hardcover Book

It's not surprising that I remember more about the circumstances as to when and how I bought this book instead of the contents. Back in 2017 when I was still living in Brooklyn I recall taking the R Train on a sunny Sunday afternoon from Bay Ridge where my wife and I lived at that time to lower Manhattan where the big Strand Book Store is located to this day. I spotted Keith Morris' book was priced at $11.95 instead of the $25.00 list price and I sure as hell didn't think twice picking up a copy. Later said afternoon I sat outside in Union Square Park and read several of the short chapters of this great book and a few days later I was done with it. Some time ago I reviewed Jim Ruland's "Corporate Rock Sucks" book, another really fascinating book, but before Jim got to write that he spent quite some time with one of the founding members of the Southern California punk and hardcore sound, Keith Morris. According to a Decibel interview Jim and Keith would drive around in a car and visit places pertinent to the rich punk and hardcore history of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas in order to coax memories out of Keith. The book takes the readers on a wild ride from Keith's childhood days in his hometown of Hermosa Beach in the South Bay to him fronting Black Flag and Circle Jerks all the way to the days of OFF!. One thing's for sure and that is that Keith does not hold back one single bit about his own life and how happy he is to be still alive after having gone sober in 1988. We further learn how Keith's dad was a thug having been kicked out of Inglewood High for kidnapping the principal and how Keith got exposed to music at an early age when seeing Arthur Lee and Love perform at a matinee show in the South Bay. What most of us probably didn't know is that at one point in his life Keith worked as an A&R for Richard Branson's V2 label, an experience Keith has some salty words to tell you about. It truly is everything you would expect from a man that has lived an interesting and fast life. The book was apparently the result of Keith and Brendan Mullen (RIP) having become good friends over the years and Brendan pushing Keith to write about his life. A good thing he did as this is without a doubt one of the better autobiographies and comes highly recommended. 

Keith and a few beers. Photo by Spot (RIP). 

A more recent photo of Keith ;-)

Gauze - 面を洗って出直して来  12" 

Label: XXX Records; Year: 1997; Format: 45RPM 12" Mini-LP

During the Mid-90s I lived for a longer period of time in Toronto, Canada and at the time Japanese Hardcore, and in particular Gauze were quite the hype in the underground hardcore punk community. It must have been in 1996 when the band actually came over to North America and played San Francisco, Minneapolis and maybe Chicago, I am really not sure anymore. What I am 100% sure about is that I was not able to go to any of those shows and was as to be expected quite disappointed, especially after hearing what friends of mine that attended the shows reported back. Fast forward to 1997 and I was about to leave Toronto to move back to Switzerland, where I was living permanently at that time. Before doing so though there was a little bit of an extravaganza to be experienced as through a room mate that worked in the airline industry I was able to obtain a really cheap flight ticket to Osaka, Japan from Vancouver, Canada. So, in July of '97 I boarded a flight from Toronto to Vancouver and for several weeks travelled the US West Coast up and down. After having returned to Vancouver I continued my trip to Osaka and from then took a bus to Tokyo. By the time I arrived in the Japanese megalopolis it was August and it was just brutally hot and humid. Originally I intended to travel the country for a week but due to the literally inhumane hot weather I remained in Tokyo for two weeks and took in anything and everything I could, especially when it comes to seeing bands. I remember very well that I was to leave when my friend Shinji told me that Gauze were to play at the Antiknock Club in Shinjuku. Without hesitating for a second I extended my stay to witness that and never looked back. If someone asks me what's the best Hardcore show I have ever seen then 9 out of 10 times my answer is Gauze at Antiknock. It truly is hard to put the experience into words as it is in many ways indescribable but I will never forget the intensity and sheer furiosity of said gig from the second the band entered the small stage. It was simply wild and really a once in a lifetime experience I shall never forget and cherish for the rest of my life. After the gig and thanks to Shinji's interpreting I was able to chat with Hiko and Momorin of Gauze and must have told them that I was a bit disappointed that they did not have any vinyl copies of their just released fourth album for sale. Hiko told me not to worry and that he would send me a copy to Switzerland after I have scribbled my address on some flyer lying around. One day back in Switzerland after having left Tokyo and spending a little bit of time in Toronto I received a little package from Japan with a copy of the vinyl and a nice note from Hiko (see photo). I remember being floored and over the moon as I was expecting they would send me a CD which would have been just as nice. Throughout the many years of record buying and trading I parted with some records I should never have, but this one is priceless and will never leave my house as it is truly attached to very special memories.

Wait, I nearly forgot I have a job to do here and need to review said Gauze record as well instead of reliving the glorious past. Well, it was just last night when I visited my favorite local underground record shop here in Buffalo to pick up some records and was talking to the ever so nice proprietor about music. With him being a big Gauze fan as well he mentioned that this is his favorite Gauze record. To this day I still don't know the English title for the 1997 released 12" but it really doesn't matter. Every time Gauze are an experience and sitting down today listening to this record I was yet again simply in awe. Only Gauze can create such utter chaos yet at the same time remain in full control of the speed levels to steer their short and brutal sonic attacks from one track to the next. The ten tracks on this Mini-LP feel at times like one track, such intense they are, and each in their own way. After about twenty minutes you will probably feel somewhat relieved it's over as you are gasping for air in the knowledge that you just experienced an extraordinary listening session by a band that will be dearly missed by many. Gauze broke up in Fall of 2022 but their records and memories shall live on. This is my 150th entry for the blog, cheers for reading! 

Olho Seco - Os Primeiros Dias Mini-LP

Label: New Face Records; Year: 1995; Format: Vinyl Mini-LP

Olho Seco formed in 1980 in the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo. To many, including myself, they became known through the MRR Compilation "Welcome To 1984" for which they contributed "Nada", a perfect crude and brutal '80s hardcore punk track. They slowly gained an international fanbase through their EP released on German label Pogar in 1984 and from then on things started to take shape with more releases and an increasingly worldwide following. Before that though, the band recorded their first demo tape in 1981 and New Face originally pressed that onto vinyl in 1988 with a slightly different track list from the 1995 version I have. The seven tracks on this Mini-LP are with the exception of the last two tracks actually quite well produced for a demo and present the band in their heyday. I would say that the tracks sound somewhat more punk rock oriented compared to their later material but the brutal execution of the songs is definitely already part of the band's DNA. Speaking of "Nada", you can actually find a different version of said classic on this record and quite frankly I prefer this version over the later one. If you are a fan of international '80s Hardcore Punk then this is definitely worthwhile tracking down and from what I saw still to be had for not much money. 

Early photo of Olho Seco with the source unknown as it is from a Facebook page.

Sheer Terror - Old, New, Borrowed and Blue 10"

Label: Blackout! Records; Year: 1994; Format: 10" Vinyl EP

Sheer Terror is one of those bands that in many ways bypassed me throughout the decades. I never dismissed their existence but for some reasons they never grabbed my attention as much as they probably deserved to. A few days ago I listened to a recent podcast interview with Paul Bearer (link at the end of this post) and I must say I not only had a good laugh but also learned a bit about the band's history which I always find fascinating. That was reason enough to pull out my only Sheer Terror record this morning and play it loud while exercising my arthritis knees to the mean beats blasting out of the speakers. What a shame that so many of these records have become so expensive if you want them on vinyl as this little 10 inch containing four songs is definitely well worth tracking down. What I probably like the most about it is that no song sounds like the other one and the three Sheer Terror originals deliver everything people expect of the band. While the typical brutal and mostly fast "Walls" is probably my favorite song on the record, the other two are equally great but slower, darker and heavier. Last but not least the record also contains a great cover version of the Saints' hit "Everything's Fine". Well, this leads me to the conclusion that at least when it comes to their old material I hope to find some more of it out there in the wild. 

Update August 1,  2023: Blackout! Records has reissued the 10" as of last week. 

Link to the Post-America Podcast with Paul Bearer

https://soundcloud.com/the-post-america-podcast/160-paul-bearer

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! 

Naked Raygun - Basement Screams LP

Label: Haunted Town Records; Year: 2007; Format: Vinyl LP

It's not only time that the Thanksgiving break is a thing of the past and this blog comes alive again but it's also time for me to start reviewing bands from my collection that I own several records of. Chicago's Naked Raygun is one of those bands and it'd be only fitting to start off where they started off. Basement Screams was originally released back in 1983 as a 45RPM 12" on Ruthless Records, a label started by members of another well known Chicago band, the Effigies. The 2007 reissue from my collection also includes the 1982-83 demos on Side B and while those songs are not as strong as the original 12" on Side A I for one think they were worth to be included and are still a great listen. Naked Raygun started off in 1980 and by the time Basement Screams was released the line-up has changed already quite a bit. While a lot of bands from the early '80s Hardcore Punk movement played their instruments at a neck-breaking speed Naked Raygun had a much artsier and different approach to their song-writing, especially on Basement Screams. Take the pop elements of a band like the Buzzcocks and mix it with the weirdness and heaviness of bands like the Wire and Killing Joke and you get a good idea how Basement Screams sounds. The tribal and loud drumming is omnipresent on all songs and drives the melodic songs forward while Jeff's vocals are somewhat reminiscent of Glenn Danzig. John Haggerty who would later join Naked Raygun on a permanent basis ads backing vocals and saxophone duties on two songs providing something some punk rock acts have successfully done before them. I am not entirely sure as to why Trouser Press would consider the Basement Screams songs to be a "hodgepodge of underproduced and under-conceived songs" as in my opinion the result is quite the contrary. As mentioned above the quality of the songs and recordings on the Demo Side are a notch lower than Side A but to give the band credit where credit is due the songs are just proof that the band was already reaching a high level and ready to take on any challenge headed their way. Be sure that Naked Raygun will feature again on this blog, and if you don't have Basement Screams do yourself a favor and get this highly influential Midwest masterpiece one way or another. 

Poison Idea - War All The Time LP

Label: Alchemy Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl LP

To all the losers out there in the gaping world of the intranet I would like to send out a heartfelt apology for not introducing Poison Idea earlier to this little blog of mine. Your cries have been heard and "War All The Time" was after all my introduction to one of my all time faves back when this LP was released in 1987. Somehow - and I am not sure I am in the minority with my feelings here - it seems that this LP positioned between the two classics "Kings Of Punk" from '86 and "Feel The Darkness" from '90 is not getting the much deserved recognition and admiration in my honest opinion. Call it a great hardcore punk record, or one of the best crossover records ever made, both would be fitting descriptions as this LP hits the nail from the second the needle is dropped. With the introduction of Eric "The Vegetable" Olson of Portland Speed Metal band Mayhem on second guitar and Steve Hanford aka Thee Slayer Hippy on drums   naturally the band's sound moved in a more metallic direction but it has to be said that Poison Idea mastered the fusion of mean old school hardcore punk and Heavy Metal to perfection. Name me one band that would record a cover of the Hawkwind and Motorhead classic "Motorhead" and actually turn it into a version superior to the original. The rest of this rather short but on every level intense LP includes masterpieces when it comes to nihilistic song writing with the title of the LP being informed by Charles Bukowski's '80s collection of poems by the same name. I'll keep it short and encourage all of you out there to grab your copy and crank it up loud and should you not own one yet remember it's never too late. War All The Time!

Fatal Erection - Castrated by Love 7" Single

Label: Fatal Erection Records; Year: 1994; Format: 45RPM Single

Sometimes you just have to be thankful for the intranet. The other day I was on Discogs kind of aimlessly looking at stuff and I came across this band by the name of Fatal Erection. Now mind you some people would just keep strolling whereas this loser here of course had to do some investigative work about this band only to come to find out that the band was basically Poison Idea minus Jerry A with Thee Slayer Hippie, Mondo and Pig Champion being the rhythm section and John Lyons on vocals and guitars. This little platter came out in '94 and is unfortunately the only release by Fatal Erection and I say unfortunately for a reason as the two songs on this single are both incredibly well executed Punk'N'Roll smashers obviously not too far away from the Poison Idea sound of that era. While the traditional song "Lorena Lorena" will get you in the mood it is "Castrated Love" on the flip side that will want you smash things up in your living room. As if the record wasn't enough you'll also get a neat little comic book with a wild story about castration in 18th century Russia illustrated by pretty well known poster artist Wayne Shellabarger. I wish they had recorded a full length! 

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.