The Discocks - Voice of Youth EP

Label: New Age Records; Year: 1994: Format: 7" 33RPM EP 

Back in the mid '90s I lived for a couple of years in the great city of Toronto, Canada and it must have been in early '97 that my friend Simon of Ugly Pop and I spontaneously decided to take a Greyhound bus to New York City to see the Discocks support the Casualties at Coney Island High in the East Village. Mind you we really didn't care all that much for the spiked band from NYC but were eager to see a Japanese band on North American soil. The fact that the Discocks weren't even the main act tells you a lot about the ignorance in the punk scene as a band flying in from thousands of miles away should really be the main attraction of any night, but that's just my opinion. We certainly had a good night and stayed over at Neil's of Tribal War to catch the Discocks again the next day in New Haven, CT, this time if memory serves me right with The Unseen. What I do remember vividly to this day though is that on the way up to New Haven we stopped at a gas station somewhere in the Queens/Brooklyn area and the Japanese punks and skins stuck out even for a city like New York as they definitely attracted a lot of looks. Funny enough the same year as the above mentioned gig I travelled to Tokyo, Japan and ran into Peter, singer of the Discocks, at the Antiknock Club in Shinjuku when One Way System were playing five shows in the Tokyo area. We had a brief chat after the show and he handed me the flyer that's been stuck in my copy of the band's first release up to this day. Ladies and gentleman, now after boring you to death with my travel stories let me remind myself that there is actually a record to be reviewed here and while preparing for this post tonight I also found out that the Discocks actually have a Wikipedia entry, now that's quite fancy me thinks. The "Voice of Youth" EP having come out in 1994 on the band's own New Age Records (also licensed to UK's Helen Of Oi) is in my opinion their best release by a mile. Their later stuff on Knock Out is okay, but doesn't come even close to this as this record is nothing short of a great effort of youthful UK82 influenced Oi Punk in the great tradition of Blitz, the Partisans or the Ejected to think of a few. My two favorite songs on this EP are "Street of '92" and "Punk and Proud" with a loud bass guitar and great choruses leaving you with no option as to sing along like a maniac. I sometimes wish I could go back in time and relive those days, great memories. 

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! 

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!

Lightnin' Hopkins - Flash Lightnin' Volume One LP 

Label: Diving Duck Records; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl LP

This was the first LP I had bought of Lightnin' Hopkins some years back at Flashback Records in London, UK where I spent quite a few Saturday afternoons. I knew of Mr. Hopkins and have at that time liked 'the blues' for some time hence it was time I started a little collection of his. In the meantime I have bought quite a few more of his recordings but looking at his extensive catalogue I will never hear all of his recorded material, that much is guaranteed. Anyway this is a perfect record to spin with your coffee on a weekend morning as it kindly smoothes you into the day with thirteen tracks recorded in 1954. According to the sleeve notes on this record said year marked the end of Hopkins' most creative period and a lot of the recorded material was never released on record until these two volumes on Dutch label Diving Duck. Sam 'Lighnin' Hopkins was born in Texas in 1912 and died in Houston, TX in 1982. At a very early age he fell in love with the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson and in the '20s and '30s Sam used to accompany Texas Alexander by playing on the streets or buses. The tracks on this record all fall between two and three minutes and many of them deal with Sam's longing for a lost woman, something not unusual for blues artists of that time. Most of the songs are mid-tempo blues numbers with Hopkins' typical deep and cracky voice while two or three numbers are upbeat and faster introducing early rock'n'roll tendencies. All in all this is a highly enjoyable record and many more Lightnin' reviews will be coming your way in the not so distant future, stay tuned!

The Misfits - Static Age LP

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

Back in 1997 when this lost LP by the Misfits was released I was very much in the known about its release and the hype surrounding it but for some reason - and this has happened in more than one instance - I chose not to buy a copy only to come to regret it as the record would turn from scarce to very rare. Luckily just a few weeks back now in the year 2022 and unbelievably already a quarter of a century after its release I was lucky to find a first pressing for a very reasonable price at a local dealer. Turns out that patience pays off even for people lacking hair and at times a brain. "Static Age" was recorded in the early days of 1978 and was financed by Mercury Records in a 30 hours free recording session. Mercury was planning to release the recorded material but eventually after months of not getting back to the band decided to drop the project as sale numbers for the release of Pere Ubu's "Modern Dance" were low and the label decided against any further punk rock related releases. It sure as hell is a shame the LP didn't come out in 1978 as I am not the only one to think that had that happened it would be included in every list of the greatest and most essential punk rock LPs of the early days. In 'This Music leaves Stains - The Complete Story of the Misfits" author James Greene Jr. states that "the record might have been counted as one of the last great gasps of Punk Rock's founding East Coast wave alongside the Ramones 'Road To Ruin', the Talking Heads' 'More Songs about Building and Food' and the Dead Boys' 'Young Loud and Snotty'. In the same book Mike Stax notes that on "Static Age" the Misfits had not quite fallen into the formula yet and that the records that came later, like "Walk Among Us" weren't as pure. In 1993 Jerry Only theorized that had the record come out back then everything would have moved up five years and the Misfits would have been the forerunners of the new scene. Well, that might have very well been the case but as history often shows us not everything goes according to plan hence better late than never the LP came out in 1997 and has been rather successful me thinks. I think those words by Stax and Greene sum it up perfectly. Listening to the LP today having heard most of the songs over and over in one form or another throughout the decades I still couldn't help to feel in awe as the record is like a "Best Of" would be for many bands, that's just how great it is. The songwriting is simply put incredible and shows how well rehearsed the band was already at that point. All seventeen songs are a perfect mix of early punk rock paired with a healthy dose of pop infusion on top of Glenn's voice and outlandish lyrics resulting in nothing else than seventeen hits. We are 138!!! 

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. 

V/A - Fizzy Soul Cocktail Vol. 2

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

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

Dezerter - Underground Out Of Poland LP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Krieg Kopf - War On Terrorism LP 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bathory - The Return......LP

 

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

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

Offenders - Endless Struggle LP 

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

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

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

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

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

Photo Credit: The Offenders official FB site.

Baby's Got A Gun - Suicide Girl EP

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

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

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