Nog Watt - Fear EP

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

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

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

Rejectors - Thoughts of War EP

Label: Fartz Records; Year: 1982; Format: Vinyl 7"

There is really not all that much that I intend on saying about this EP other than the fact that the Rejectors, who were from Seattle/WA, played politically-minded fast and furious hardcore punk that was typical for Reagan-era acts of this kind. This EP was recored in early '82 and delivers 9 angry numbers that are hard to distinguish from one another, yet will still convince anyone into early '80s US hardcore punk. The band went on to record a split-LP with much better known Seattle act The Accused a year after this EP was released. Good stuff!