RECORDINGS
VICIOUS
Disturbing The Peace
FUCK YEAH!!! This cd rocks! I instantly loved it. Vicious play old-school punk rock in the vein of the English shide of things. Yeah, it has crust influences but I wouldn't really call it crust cos it is way too interesting and diverse for that.
The cd starts with some scary goth-influenced keyboard work by the drummer before 'You Decide' gets fully into effect. Cool song! I was a bit worried that the rest of the cd wouldn't live up to that track or, worse still, try to re-create it over and over again. Thank god it didn't.
The third track is probably my favourite. It's called 'Shoot Me In The Head' and it is awesome. It's sort of rockabilly influenced punk. The other influences come through too much for it to be a straight out rockabilly song...and that's what makes it interesting. Great song!
The next song, 'Headcase' starts out with a cool dance-sounding bit and that is just such a great thing. It, yet again, keeps the cd interesting.
Overall, this is a great EP! I highly reccomend it. The sound these guys have is great (check out the awesome bass line at the end of 'Headcase'). As previously mentioned, it's kinda crusty. It's also really dark, pretty fast and kinda street punkish. There's so many punk related influences creeping in...it's great. They cite their influences as DKs, Misfits, The Exploited and Ramones. Very well put but not limited to these bands and in no way a rip-off of them. It's $10 through the band. Great value in my opinion. There's 8 (well recorded) studio track on there as well as 3 unlisted tracks on the end that were recorded on a tape recorder in a shed (still sounds pretty damn good). There's some great samples on there (some of which have been manipulated to become quite funny). You can get the cd through www.drink.to/vicious or e-mail Ashk. I strongly reccomend it!
HINDSIGHT
Business Class
Don't you hate when you have to eat your own words? Well, that's what this cd forced me to do. I've seen Hindsight three times to date. I gave them a go the first two times but then I didn't even bother the third time. They just did nothing for me. Then this cd turns up in the mail. Well, now I can't wait to see them play next.
Business class is a nine track mini-album that contains nine great songs. The bio lists their influences as MYC, Refused and Fugazi. To be honest, I can only hear MYC's influence in there out of those three. Add to that a healthy dose of No Use For A Name and the recent Bodyjar stuff and you have a pretty good idea of Hindsight's sound. Sure, I have to admit it isn't groundbreakingly original stuff but if you are after that sort of stuff you aren't going to find too much within punk rock. Start looking towards music that doesn't even have a label. Label this release? Well, I'd say melodic punk. Not really pop punk though (I tend to associate that with bands that have too many songs about girls). There is a hard edge to the songs but melody is always important.
The lyrics are mostly personal type stuff about relationships with other people (not necessarily girls though) with the odd rant about society. Actually, the rant in the song Burn My Eyes (wasn't that a Machine Head album or something) kind of annoyed me. It is a song about Pauline Hanson and her pathetic One Nation party. Sure, I agree with the lyrics but I think it's kind of obligatory to have a song about her and it is becoming cliched, then again it was probably written a while ago. I would have liked the song more if it had other lyrics, I'm sick of hearing about her now that she has pretty much disappeared...I don't want to be reminded.
Other than that, I really like this cd. I don't think it's something that I'm going to listen to forever but it is good still. It is self released and you can get it around Australia (or so I've been led to believe). IF not go see Hindsight play and buy it there.
THE PANADOLLS
From The Glitter To The Gutter
My brother and I have this common hate. It's when we hear a riff that truly rocks and then the singing kicks in and the whole song is ruined by some crappy voice...it happens a lot when you listen to the radio. Well, I was sweating and shaking with fear that this would be what happened when I put on this cd cos the opening riff to the first song, Patterson's Curse, really does rock hard. It has an awesome punk n roll feel too it, kind of in the vein of bands like the almighty New Bomb Turks. Well, the singing kicked in and the song was not ruined....THANK GOD!
Actually, if I was to pick the downpoint of this cd it would be the singing. It's not crap by any means, just not that much my style. It sounds a little Soundgardenish at times but to be honest it neither adds anything nor takes anything away from this album in terms of quality. Luckily, The Panadolls have some damn fine riffing to make up for it.
This cd was donated to me by the band and was described as "old school punk going off on some interesting tangents". In a way I disagree with that. It is more like real gritty rock and roll going off on some interesting tangents, punk being one of them. Although the punk influence is very strong, it is by no means the only thing on this cd. See, to me punk influenced grunge (then grunge became a joke). However, the style of punk on this album seems to be one that was influenced by (real) grunge. It has all come full cirlce.
Enough beating around the bush, I really do like this cd. It is a very welcome breath of fresh air. It reminds me of that brief monent in punk when the musicians could play their instruments with talent (not just speed) but weren't too pretentious about it. It isn't a ripoff of anything American, or English for that matter. It is original Australian punk rock. It is absolutely full of emotion (but defiantely not emo). Very dark and introspective.
The standout tracks for me are the opener, Patterson's Curse, as well as Jackshit and the awesome (and very punky) Trading Insults. The letdown for me was Coming Down In Jail (I just don't like acoustic stuff...I kept waiting for it to get heavy) but that might be your thing. I could lie and say that everybody is going to like this cd but I won't. This is damn fine music but, unfortunately, not everybody will appreciate it as such. To like this you must be daring enough to like music that doesn't sound trendy. You must also like music purely on it's own merits, not just because it is punk. Basically, to like this cd you must like good music because it is good. If you do, then there is a good chance you will like "From The Glitter To The Grave".
VARIOUS
Rank 'n' Foul
This is a video that was put together in Sydney in 1998 that contains three hours of footage put together form film over the past few years. It is mainly Sydney Oi! punk but there are some exceptions. The heavier bands like Noisam and Red Stain get a go as well as some overseas legends like Citizen Fish and Conflict. Basically it is collection of live footage with 'silly bits' in between. The silly bits really keep you interested. You're always wondering what little Dave from The Last Hemeroids will get up to next! The hightlights of the video include Citizen Fish (of course), The Last Hemeroids, Groin, H-Block, Stalin's Organ (r.i.p) and Ben Reed's (Give Christ Back To The Martians) arse singing Pooh On The Floor to the tune of Kill The Poor. Classic Stuff! It is a three hour video that you can pick up for less that $20, so it is well worth the money. A second volume is apparently l\being made so I look forward to it.
CULT 45
Now We Are Sick
This was the first realease by Sydney's ex-punks Cult 45. It is a four song 7" that contains songs that will be familliar to anybody who saw the band in their punk days. A very impressive 7" that made me want to see them at every single available chance and wait anxiously for the next release. Now We Are Sick is the best song on the record, displaying a great mix beteen '77 styled punk rock and surf guitar. This is closely followed, in terms of quality, by Vamipire's Room which mixes punk and some goth-sounding rock. This 7" is still available, in fact it is probably easier to get than the follow-up cd so go grab it if you don't already own it.
VARIOUS
Neotony
I almost decided not to review this cd, not because it is shit (far from it) but because the guy who ran Spent Records is fucking scum. He ripped me and plenty of other people off so he could feed his habit. However, since you can't buy this anymore and he doesn't stand to make a cent from this review, I have included it because it is an important release of Sydney punk of the mid 1990s. This is an eight song sampler containg two songs each from Frenzal Rhomb, Gilgamesh, Blitz Babiez and Downtime. At the time this was released none of these bands had the reputaion (good or bad) or popularity that they have now.
Frenzal Rhomb kick off the cd with Urban Myth and Constable Care (both of which they have re-recorded and ruined since). This is when FR were a much better and less popular band, ie a punk band. These songs are both classic Frenzal Rhomb and I try to rmrmber them by songs such as these. Next is Gilgamesh. This is Gilgamesh even before Land Of The Long White Shaft (I think, although correct me if I'm wrong). The songs are the orignal version of Dan The Man and Always The Same, the latter being on of their best ever songs. Anything done by Gilgamesh kicks arse and these songs are not an exception. There is no real difference in the two versions of Dan The Man except a slight change in the vocal line. I like this version better but it is probably cos it is the one I heard first. Downtime follow with What Does It Mean? and What Is Black?. These are pretty standard Downtime songs, not really a standout for the group but good nonetheless. Blitz Babiez finish off the cd with a couple of their tunes, 5-4-3-2-1 (the name of the other escapes me at the moment). I never really though much of Blitz Babiez unitl I heard these songs. 5-4-3-2-1 is great and it has the guitarist on vocals. This is the song that got me hooked, the best of their songs that I've heard. Anyway, it is a good cd and if you stumble across it you may as wel buy it because Dave Forster will not get any of the money, fucking scumbag that he is!
MYC
Happiness and Authority
This is One Inch Punch's first album as Mid Youth Crisis and their last album althoghter. If you are somehow familiar with OIP but not MYC (I don't know how) you will like this album but only if you will not be scared off by them becoming a bit more emo and less heavy (although it is very heavy at times). Personally, I find it no better or worse than the OIP stuff and that is in no way a bad thing, they were a great band.
The lyrics on this album are great, socially aware rants. The first song (Thieves, Tyrants,Cynics) is great but it is when the second song, Between The Lines, gets going when you see what a great album this is going to be. This is my favourite song on the album. It is a song about the current state of our society ("Newspeak, Double Tounges, George Orwell was right/They've altered the language so no one can or will fight/'Democracy', 'Development', 'Free Trade' and 'Reform'/You'll be labelled as a radical to go against the norm"). Although, I think this is the best song on the album, the rest is in no way a downhill ride. The standard remains high for its remainder. Life Plan From Birth has Jay (the drummer) on vocals giving a very heavy, almost power violence feel to the song - absolutely superb. Better Life is also a great song with a very cool "Oi!" chant throughout the middle part. The album finishes with the song Mid Youth Crisis, a song you'll be singing for days after hearing. It is a great shame that I'll never get to see MYC again and that I couldn't make it to their last shows (I hear they were great). Its an even greater shame that albums like this will not be released by MYC in the future.
LAWNSMELL
De-Sexed
Okay, this is quite possibly THE greatest collection of music ever recorded. It is serioulsy a bit of a toss up between this and Operation Ivy's album. The brilliance displayed here is beyond belief and I am just so proud to have this be the product of my hometown scene.
Lawnsmell were around for a while in the mid ninety's and came as close to perfecting the pop-punk sound as possible (right up there with the Descendents). Although, lumping them in the pop-punk genre perhaps isn't all that fair because there is a hell of a lot of screaming going on here and when people think of pop-punk they think of SoCal and this is nowhere near this sound. There is hippy shit mixed with punk rock and screaming. I know that sounds like a pretty shit sound but it is not. It is awesome!
The cd combines both of Lawnmsell's 7"s (has anyone got a copy of Lawn002 that they want to sell me for a ridiculous amount of money) as well as some bonus stuff at the end that it lumped under the name of "Bonus Mess". This Bonus Mess contains a cover of The Sugarcubes' "Birthday" as well as "God Save The Queen" and more Lawnsmell originals. There are 18 tracks all up and every single one of them is better than what any other band in their right minded modesty could ever hope for! My favourite is My Mate but other standouts (remember that they all kick your arse) include their cover of Screeching Weasle's "Love", Midget, Warmf, Green Teeth Kiss and a heap of others that are failing to come to mind at the moment. As I type this, I am just so excited thinking about how great this cd is. I'm sorry, but I cannot properly convey this into words. If I ever created anything half this good I'd die with happiness and pride. If you have never heard Lawnsmell I pitty you, if you have heard them and didn't see the brilliance then I hate you. Lawnsmell - I miss you guys!
F.M.D.
Before Their Time
FMD are possibly the greatest hardcore band in Australia at the moment and this 7" is a reflection of that quality. It is the first release on Sydney's Resist Records and if the label continues to release stuff that is of such a high standard, the wroldwide hardcore scene better watch out. Basically, FMD are the shit! Brilliant old-school hardcore without being boring or cliched. The old school sound perfected with something new and original thrown in with each song. The lyrics are pretty much what you expect from an old school band that hasn't got the edge (ie, no sXe pride crap). The music is what makes this a great 7". Really powerful, forceful hardcore with awesome time changes and breakdown bits, you know stuff you can dance to and smash shit up at the same time. Apparently, they have developed their style a bit more recently (I haven't seen them for a few months) and become more "screamy" so I look forward to hearing them again soon to see if they can keep up the excelent standard displayed here. If you are even remotely interested in hardcore I suggest you go get this, then again the chances are you've already got it.
VARIOUS
New Tools For The Hunter - A Firstblood Records Sampler
I'm not too sure what happened to Firstblood Records cos this cd is well over a year old and the label did seem promising in order to fulfill a void in the Australian Hardcore scene.
Well, this cd is great! It starts off with a few unreleased Mindsnare songs that are up there with the best stuff they have ever done. You can't go past Mindsnare's style of metal (convintenly under the guise of Hardcore). Other standouts on the cd are Adelaide band Force Fed Nine who are basically a brilliant more 'hardcore' version of Rage Against The Machine. Some may not agree with that comparison but I think it is fair enough as they are a similar blend of hardcore and rap (nothing wrong with that in this case). Fahrenheit 451 (not the NY band) are also a standout on the cd. They play a great style of emo with a saxophone in the mix. A great, moving band with very good lyrics. I really have been meaning to hear more of them but have never gotten around to it. There is also a couple of good songs by Shadowcast (r.i.p) that are a great blend of metallic hardcore with lyrics that centre around the earth's destruction. Other bands on the sampler include Ceasefire, Pitfall, Kiarra, Straight To A Tomb (r.i.p.), Ultimatum and heaps of others. They are all great songs when you are in the mood (if you are a hardcore kid that's probably all the time). The cd is still available around the place and if you are a fan of Australian Hardcore and don't own it you are a hypocrite.
DISRUPT YOUTH
Will Not Be Served
This 7" by Queensland band Disrupt Youth is put out by Beer City (in case you care). It is fairly good but doesn't really live up to the excitement they created the time I saw them play live. It is pretty straight ahead punk rock, not too heavy but definately not poppy. It pretty much has an old-school punk flavour to it, but more like 80's punk than the 70's stuff. The lyrics are well meant but end up coming out at times as a bit of a let down, sometimes a bit too simple and predictable. Still it is a prettty good 7", I mean lets face it 7"s don't exactly cost a fortune so it is worth getting if you are into them. I just liked them a lot better live than when I listened to this slab of vinyl. I look forward to their next release because their is a lot of potential here and the next release may indeed be a masterpiece. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
CULT 45
Stress
This cd came out just in time! This is the cd for anybody who liked Cult 45 when they were a punk band. The ep was released with the original singer, Izzy, still doing vocals. Not long after it's release Izzy was kicked out of the band because the band decided that they wanted to become a pop band. I haven't heard them since but when you look at the bands that they now play with, you can pretty safely say that they suck! Besides, Izzy is pretty vocal in her agreement with this.
All this aside, this is a great cd. Cult 45 have captured their orignal goal to combine the original punk sound with other related styles such as goth and even surf. If Cult 45 were around in the original English punk explosion, I believe they would have been one of the most popular bands of the era. They have got this shit down perfectly. All the songs are of the same excellent standard. The only let down is the re-done version of Now We Are Sick off the 7" of the same name. I don't think it has as much punch as the original version. Still, if you haven't heard the original version (I guess most people haven't) then you will have no reason to comlain.
It's disappointing that there is no chance of the band releasing anything like this in the future but all the more reason why you should do your best to track down this EP (it is supposedly sold out) and snatch it up. It is one of the greatest Australian punk releases ever.
BASTARDOS
Self-Titled
This cd is unbelievable! It is the punkest thing I have ever heard (whatever the fuck that means). Bastardos are a band that have been playing around Sydney for about a year or so now and this cd captures their sound better than any band could possibly hope for. This is extrememly heavy, crusty punk with lyrics that centre around social issues and the many injustices that a capitalist culture creates. However, it is not just straight ahead punk, there are other styles put in to prevent any boredom. There are songs on here that combine punk, ska, jazz and grind-core all within the same song! The stand-out track for me is Last Dance. It is pure brilliance. This song is about how the punk scene is too full of negativity in the sense that people are too quick to point out the wrongs of the world and not make any effort to enjoy the planet until it explodes on us ("Fuck this negativity, we need some positivity"). Another great song is This Abuse which is an anti-violent dancing song. It is an attack at people who think they are more "hardcore" if they are violent in the pit and inconsiderate of others safety. A fair comment I think. Anyway, this a great cd and there is no excuse why you shouldn't get it because it is very fairly priced at only $5. It is available from Black Rose Anarchist Bookshop in Sydney and I'm sure you can get it at similar places throughout Australia. If you have trouble getting it, let me know and I might be able to help.
TUBbH
Self-Titled
After a very long wait (at least personally speaking) TUBbH have finally released a cd. It is what would be dubbed a 'mini-cd' consisting of 8 songs all up plus the obligatory bonus shit at the end.
Basically this is a damn fine cd that should please most people. It is very diverse and seems to have everybody in the punk scene taste's accounted for, even though you can be certain this was not intentional.
The first two songs have got the Punk/Hardcore bases covered with much skill. They are great songs that the band has been playing live for some time (Look To The Future and Injecting Stupidity). In fact, if you have seen the band live in the past year or so you will be familiar with all the songs on the cd. The third track sees the pace slow down with the injection of a very funky feel to the music, something TUBbH have never shied away from. The funk does not mean that there is heaviness taken away from the song because the guitar still finds time for this. The funky sound continues into the next song, Suburban Gangsta, with the old-school hip-hop influences creeping in (complete with some scratching). The lyrics are quite obviously a lash out at those wannabe homies that have nothing (include no shortage of money) to rebel against and are emulating a lifestyle that is forced upon those that live in the black ghettos of the USA. The next tune sees TUBbH having a go at grindcore/metal. Despite my general hatred of such music (there are exceptions like Spazz and Swallowing Shit), this is done very well and the lyrics are humorous enough. The funky feel returns for the 6th song, VBR (Vinnie Bin Raid), and the masterfully played bass is definitely the instrument that is concentrated on for this song. It may as well be an instrumental, with the vocals not coming in till the second minute. However, once they arrive, they do add a lot to the music. Crazy Dave's vocal style always keeps you guessing how he'' going to sing next. The Wardrobe is the next song and a return to TUBbH's unique Punk/Hardcore sound. The song has the best lyrics on the cd. It is an attack on the need of many skaters, punks and other "individuals" to fit into their little labels so that they don't have some kind of identity crisis. The punk/funk/hip-hop that only TUBbH do so well sees the end of the cd on TV As God. Once again, a great song that you can't imagine unless you have heard TUBbH.
After watching TUBbH develop since their inception, the eventual release of this cd is a credit to the band. They have developed wonderfully to become probably the most original band in Australia's punk scene. Hopefully people will come to realise this and finally start giving the band the enormous credit that they deserve. Buy this cd or at least go see the band play you will not be at all disappointed.
Ballistic Allshorts
Self-Titled
If you like punk you will love this release. If you like hardcore you will love this release. If you like ska you will like this release. If you like metal you might even like this release (but what the hell are you doing looking at this page). Basically, a lot of people will like this even though it is hard to fit it into one particular genre.
It would be very easy to call Ballistic Allshorts ska, but really this wouldn't be right. Think along the lines of Voodoo Glow Skulls. Think along the lines of the Blue Meanies. But even these bands can only really be considered a starting point because hardcore bands like Minor Threat, SOIA, etc can also be seen to be similar in some ways.
Anyway, this cd is great. All the songs are good (10 plus a secret track) and are distinctly belonging to the unique sound of the Ballistic Allshorts. I've been listening to it for about a week and I still can't determine what my favourite song is or a suitable string of metaphors and adjectives to describe the cd. I know that sounds like a cop out of an excuse for a short, amateurish review but you will have to buy the cd yourself to understand. That is my only recommendation.
E-mail me at n9704088@scholar.nepean.uws.edu.au if you feel you need to contact me for whatever reason.
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