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

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

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

Disper-Azione - Sempre Immutata Fede EP

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

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