GG Allin and the Jabbers - Out For Blood 7" (TPOS) - Yet another GG Allin release after his death, but this one is pretty special as it digs really far back in the vaults to uncover some rare stuff by GG's first band, The Jabbers. The A side of this is 2 songs recorded in 1983, probably some of the last stuff this band recorded. First cut is the title track which ended up being recorded by the Scumfucs on the classic "Eat My Fuc" LP. Pretty cool to hear a Jabbers version. The second tune is "Sixty Nine" which never got released elsewhere, it's not a great tune but hell it's an unreleased Jabbers tune, that should be good enough. The sound quality on this side isn't great, but more than listenable. The B side starts with a couple live cuts from 79 - poor sound quality. "Nuke Attack" is a great rare song but the version on Banned in Boston is better quality. "I'm Right" is "NYC Tonight" with different lyrics, pretty interesting. The final cut "Fags in the Living Room" is GG alone in his bedroom, this tune ended up being "God Of Fire And Hell" (also on the EMF LP). A must for diehard GG fans, the A sides alone make it worth it.

Hangover - The Reddest of All Necks 7" (Our Area, Germany) - This band is a "supergroup" consisting of various members of Community of Filth (Germany's answer to the Confederacy of Scum) bands. Kinda weird how this group is from Germany but has a lot of southern pride! (Their logo is their name with the confederate flag as a backdrop) Unfortunately, I didn't find this record all too exciting - it contains two country covers (David Allan Coe and Merle Haggard). The Coe cover is "Fuckin in the Butt" which has been covered better by GG and the Carolina Shitkickers. B side is Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home" which is done much straighter than I would have imagined considering this band's lineup. OK, but as I said just not too exciting. Other CoF projects have been much more original than this and more interesting as well. Liner notes by Phil "Whiskey Rebel" Irwin about the superiority of the CoF over all other German bands. For more info, send mail here!

Impaled Nazerene - Rapture CD (Osmose) - I haven't checked much of this new black metal scene that is all the rage in the Scandanavian area of Europe right now, but after hearing IN's "Motorpenis" CD single, I was anxiously awaiting this new LP. That single sounded like a combination of Motorhead, Japenese hardcore and black metal than the straight forward black metal stuff I expected. This LP isn't quite as bizarre as that EP, but it is still pretty decent. Pretty much a blend of black metal and R&R that doesn't down until the last song which is more typically heavy metal (A very good song as well). This CD is less than 40 minutes, but unless I am really in the mood for this stuff, it still gets pretty tiring listening to this all the way through. In small doses or the right mood, this is great however! The lyrics are hilarious too and a lyric book is nicely included so you can follow along with the crazed rants. Limited edition LP also available with two extra songs, including a Sodom cover. For more info, click here!

Junkyard Dogs - Good Livin Platter CD (SFTRI) - Not sure how new this is...I know the stuff on it is pretty old, their 10" has been out forever, but it's only been recently that I heard of this compilation CD. Not easy to find either, I had to order mine from a local record store. Anyhow, this band is a spinoff of the Supersuckers, and features Eddie on vocals....I don't own their vinyl, only heard a dubbed tape in the past, but this contains everything that I've heard plus 4 tracks. I think this is complete, but there may be a couple tunes missing. Anyhow, the Dogs are heavy on cover songs (Dwarves, Judas Priest, Ramones, etc) and have a country/R&R blend type sound. Sorry, not a good description, but if you like the Supersuckers and aren't country-phobic, this is a must. Oh yeah, among the 4 rare tracks is a version of the Supersuckers' "Mudhead" which is great, and there is also an unlisted hidden track which is an instrumental version of their cover of "Breakin The Law".

Killdozer - The Last Waltz CD (Man's Ruin) - Yep, it's the final CD from the vastly underrated Killdozer, in the form of a live album. For those unfamiliar with the band, Killdozer were one of the originators of the "noise rock" sound (along with other early 80s efforts by Big Black, Buttholes, Pussy Galore, etc,etc). Their trademark sound was slow heavy rock n roll, with very growly vocals and a knack for pulling off some very bizarre cover songs. This CD is not very representative of the band's output over the years - the original lineup that recorded together throughout the 80s isn't here and neither are many early tunes (Only 1 from the first LP, nothing from "Snakeboy", "Little Baby Buntin" or "Burl", "For Ladies Only"). The disc does contain a lot of stuff off of their last studio album (which I never heard), some old favorites like "Space 1999",. "Knuckles The Dog" "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Richard" along with some unreleased goodies and some witty between-song banter. This does give the first time listener a good idea of the Killdozer sound, it never really changed much over the years though classic songs like "King Of Sex" and "Hamburger Martyr" are sorely missing. A nice disc for fans, though not the comprehensive document it could have been. For more info, click here!

Merzbow - 1930 CD (Tzadik) - Yep another CD by Japanese noise king Merzbow. For the unfamiliar, Merzbow releases at least 10 CDs (Not to mention a slew of 7"s and other format releases) a year. Most follow the same formula, 70 minutes of non-stop mind-blowing white noise. This stuff is not the easiest music to get into...it's very easy to think it all sounds the same at first. However, given time (and a lot of mind-altering substances) I have really begun to appreciate Merzbow. Listened to on headphones (loud of course), it is very easy to get lost in, and the sound is so complex that I end up noticing new things in the mix on each listen. 1930 is Merzbow's latest (at the time I am writing this at least!) and one of the best Merzbow releases I have heard. A bit more varied than some releases yet not straying far from the trademark wall-of-noise sound. It is not easy to describe a Merzbow release, it is really something that must be experienced. In certain states of mind, there's nothing I'd rather listen to. Produced by John Zorn. For more info, click here!

Monster Magnet - Fuel From Powertrip promo CD (A&M) - A short sampler of the new Monster Magnet CD. This has one song from the album, a couple little spoken word segments (nothing too exciting), a cut with excerpts from 8 different songs on the new CD. The only really important thing on here is a cover of "Kick Out The Jams". Not bad, but not real exciting or original either. Still rocks though. This song is also listed as a "clean version" which makes me assume that it is originally from a single - which if it's true pretty much makes this disc useless - but it did come free at certain when you bought the new CD - but those are probably long gone by now so you're shit out luck - but it's not a big deal really.

Monster Magnet - Powertrip (A&M) - This is the new CD referred to in the above review. I've been a fan of these guys since their first single "Lizard Johnny" back in 1989. They have changed slowly but surely over the years, and I still haven't gotten a complete handle on this latest release. The early word I had heard about this release was that it was decidedly less "psychedelic/spacy" and more straight up rock n roll. I didn't exactly think so upon first listen - there were some pretty straight-forward cuts like the title track, but even their Superjudge album seemed to have more in the way of straight-forward rock action. Cuts like "Baby Gotterdamerung" and "Goliath and the Vampires" seemed just as spaced out as stuff from their previous efforts. Unfortunately, I think people who were saying that this CD "rocks more! Less spacy" were trying to find a nice way to say "it's more commercial". A lot of the stuff does seem geared for airplay though I am not sure if this strategy is going to work. Their label has even has resorted to throwing in quotes of Marilyn Manson in hopes of moving this album. Good luck I suppose. Anyway, after listening to this album several times, there is a good deal of good stuff on here...and it's really not too far away from their earlier efforts in terms of songwriting. It's just that on a good portion of the album there seems to be a slick radio-ready sound instead of the stoned-as-fucking hell sound of their earliest stuff. It's a long album though - 13 songs, over an hour long so most MM fans should be able to find plenty to dig. Good release, if not the mindblower it could have been. For more info, click here!

100 Foot Worm - S/T 7" (no label) - Very little info on this record, I'm not even sure I got the name of the band right! Very little info presented and what is there is pretty confusing. I also know little about the band - other than it is a Butthole Surfers side project and features Gibby on vocals. Paul Leary's name is also present in one of the song titles. This sounds so much like the early Buttholes that I am tempted to say that it is the Buttholes under a fake name although I have no proof of that. Much of this record is just weird, fucked noise, though there are two real songs on here. "White, Dumb Ugly and Bored" is a live cut that sounds like something that BHS would have done in 82 or 83, basically their twisted take on punk rock, great song! The other song is a cover of Leather Nun's "No Rule" and is a studio version (The BHS did this song on the double live bootleg, and this version sounds remarkably similar besides being a little slower...hmmm...). Buttholes fans disapointed with their recent slick major label efforts will find this to be a breath of fresh air. No idea how to obtain this, though I assume it is self-released and pretty limited

One Life Crew - American Justice CD (Too Damn Hype) - OLC caused quite an uproar with a song called "Pure Disgust" from their first LP. The song dealt with illegal immigrants and got the band labeled as racists. Boycotts, fights, etc got the band kicked off of Victory Records. This CD is first thing heard from them since all the controversy. Well, the band sure as hell didn't try to tone themselves down for this release , in fact they seem to revel in the fact that they piss so many people off. The LP starts with a fake wrestling match which sounds very similiar to the riot that finallly got them booted from Victory. "Pure Disgust part II" is more over the top than the original and starts with a long intro depicting a couple cops doing "justice" by blowing away a couple Mexicans. The whole LP is full of skits, and virtually everyone is a target - from Farakhan to Jesse Jackson to other local HC bands to vegan kids to the KKK to "hardcore pigbroads", etc, etc. Basically, it's so over the top that I can only guess that they are basically just trying to piss off EVERYONE this time around. The record also contains 20 great hardcore songs, totally old school sounding...I don't agree with OLC's ripping on other bands whose sound has changed over the years throughout the record, but must say that OLC has stuck to their roots (Meanstreak, Confront) admirably and still know how to write ass-kicking violent hate-core. The disc also includes 4 cuts from "Clevo Militant Hate-Edge" band Prohibition 2000, which as you could probably guessed, are very over the top. At the same time, some hip-hop cuts are included from Clevelander Shady Shade, which are anything but sXe. I gotta say this record is a must for anyone into the old Cleveland/NY HC sound - hell there's a lot of stuff in the lyrics, etc that I don't agree with (I'm about as far away from militant sXE as you can get....) but you're not gonna see me start protests and shit over it. Approach with a sense of humor and enjoy. For more info, click here!

Pagans - Live Road Kill 78-89 (Sonic Swirl) - Anyone reading this who has not heard the fucking Pagans better change that situation immediately. Definitely a classic band. This is how late 70s punk was supposed to sound, not like these new lame bands trying to pull it off today. This CD may not be the best place to start your Pagans collection, though it isn't a bad starting point. Most of the bands classics are here even though the sound quality isn't great. Mike Metoff of the band helped compile this however, so I am assuming that this is some of the best sounding stuff that was available. I was disapointed at first to see that only 9 cuts out of 27 were recorded in the 70s but the later stuff sounds just as vital. Many unreleased cover songs abound (8 unreleased tracks total) and the some of the later material is included as well. Diehard Pagans fans don't need recommendation from me or anyone else to buy this LP, I'm sure they already have it. Good stuff. REO Speeddealer - S/T CD (Royalty) - REO Speeddealer are another band that is heavily influenced by the Dwarves and the early Supersuckers material. Seems to be a lot of these bands popping lately (ie. Zeke, Nashvilly Pussy, etc) which isn't a bad thing in my eyes. This CD (their second, though I haven't heard the first yet) kinda took me by surprise though, I was expecting it to be a good but somewhat deriviative release. However, on this album the Dealer have actually came up with an original sound that goes beyond their influences. The main difference between these guys and Zeke (whom they are often compared to) is that they have a fairly obvious 90s metal (ie White Zombie, Pantera, etc) influence. This doesn't sound like a metal record, it's got 15 songs in 19 minutes, but it does have a really nice chunky guitar sound, big production and when they slow things down once in a while, the metal influence is undeniable. This combination of styles might not sound good on paper (or on the web for that matter) but it works really well. Not to mention that nearly all of the songs are damn catchy on the first or second listen. With this CD, REO Speeddealer seem to have beaten Zeke at their own game. Highly recomended. For more info, click here!

Slayer - Diabolus In Musica CD (American) - Slayer return with their first full length of original songs since 1994's Divine Intervention LP. This definitely blows that album away completely. Divine Intervention saw the band trying to recapture the feel of the classic Reign In Blood. DI may have been as fast as RiB but the songwriting didn't even come close. This release finds Slayer experimenting a bit more and the results are pretty good for the most part. My hopes weren't very high for this release, as the one song released prior to the CD (Stain Of Mind) definitely had a Korn meets Slayer feel to it. Not a bad song, but definitely not the Slayer sound, and an obvious attempt to fit in with the hip-hop influenced metal that is MTV/radio friendly. The rest of the LP is far more brutal, and the majority of it sounds somewhat similar to the South of Heaven LP. A lot of slower stuff this time around. This CD is highly recommended for Slayer fans - the majority of the songs are very good. There are some down points besides the aforementioned "Stain Of Mind" - the band feels the need to throw in some distorted vocals, samples and other weird effects from time to time (nothing wrong with this per se, but it sounds somewhat forced) and the lyrics to "Desire" sound like a rip-off of the recent Type O Negative material (definitely not a good thing to rip off). But it is good to see the band experimenting even if they fail from time to time - sure beats a lame effort trying to recapture their past glories and just sounding derivitive of themselves. For more info, click here!

Traitor Baitor #1 (zine) - This is the first zine effort by Phil and Marla of Rancid Vat fame. The quality of this zine makes me wish they would have been doing this a lot longer. Not too many zines hold my interest these days but this is well above your average fanzine. Interviews with Cocknoose, Nothing But Puke and Bootleg Bill that aren't real in-depth but to the point - should prove to be a good introduction to these bands and even big fans will probably learn a thing or two as well. What makes this zine stand out though is the variety of articles by Phil and Marla. Especially good is an article helping punks seek out good country music (trust me, this should keep you busy for a while and you will find some good stuff) and the "Forefathers of the Confederacy of Scum" article featuring obscure bands from the 80s (still searching for that stuff...). Other rants include electronica, traitor stories, a great story about the "King of Partying", and much more. Also includes a complete Rancid Vat/Alcoholics Unanimous discography (takes up seven pages!) and a catalog with tons of shit to spend your cash on. For more info, click here!

Tunnel Rats/Hellstomper - Divided By History, United In Hatred split 7" (Wound Up) - The North and the South team up on this 7" with two songs from each. Tunnel Rats represent the north and do a damn good job - these two songs are harder sounding than much of the stuff from their CD (reviewed last issue). Both songs are catchy, aggressive and violent, what else could you want? Hellstomper represent the southern side of this split with a new original ("Prison Tan") and an Alabama cover (!). These tracks continue in the direction that Hellstomper have been heading in lately - less punk, more southern rock sounding. No denying that both of two songs rock however. It's pretty amazing that they transformed Alabama into something not only listenable but actually good! Nice liner notes by Duke C of Tunnel Rats and Alan King of Hellstomper. For more info, click here

! Zeke - Kicked in The Teeth LP (Epitaph) - Epitaph is actually to shed their lame reputation in my eyes. With bands like the Dwarves, New Bomb Turks and Zeke of course, they are actually starting to put out some good rock n roll. This LP doesn't differ much from Zeke's last LP , once again it is very quickly paced - 17 songs in 20 minutes. Once again, there are some slower chunky cuts in the mix (Zeke You, Twisted). And once again, the sound is like a cross of the Dwarves and the early Supersuckers material. I am not putting the band down, musical growth is not really an important factor in the enjoyment of records by bands such as Zeke. I do think that the Flat Tracker LP was a bit better though, more catchy songs on that one. This one isn't far behind though....songs like "Fuck All Night", "Twisted" and their cover of Kiss' "Shout It Out Loud" are all catchy as fuck and rocking. If you don't have Flat Tracker I would pick that up first - the intelligent among you will want more and that is when it is time to grab this record. For more info, click here!

V/A - Confederacy Of Scum - Supershow Live 97 CD (Baloney Shrapnel) - 73 minutes of live stuff from 1997's COS Supershow. All the bands that played are represented (except non-COS members Nashville Pussy and Zeke - possibly because of record contract BS or maybe because they bitched about having to open up for the other bands) - Antiseen, Cocknoose, Hellstomper, Rancid Vat, Cretin 66 (w/ Cosmic Commander and Jeff Clayton on guest vox) Limecell and the first ever live appearance of Conqueror Worm (w/ Simon Stokes on guest vocals). Neither compilation albums or live albums have had much success in punk/related recordings - too much filler on comps, and live albums usually sound too similar to the studio recordings to be truly exciting. This CD doesn't have either problem however. The lineup assures there won't be any filler and there is enough unreleased material and variation from the original recordings to make this worth your $ even if you have all the original versions. Great sound too, raw and obviously live but you can still everything just fine. Conqueror Worm's cuts with Simon Stokes are great, the version of "Waltz For Jaded Lovers" is worth the $ alone. Rancid Vat sound more straight-forward and vicious than anything else I've heard by them and they offer 2 unreleased cuts to boot. Cocknoose, Antiseen and Limecell also have unreleased tracks on here (Cocknoose's cover of Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" also merits special mention, great version). Hellstomper also sound great, and probably have the best on-stage banter on the disc. This CD concludes with a cover of "Kick Out The Jams" by Cretin 66 with Cosmo and Clayton on vocals. Great stuff all the way through, essential for COS fans and serves as a good introduction to the ignorant. Only thing that could have made it better would have been if it was a 2-CD set as was originally thought about but still is still the best release reviewed this issue. For more info, click here!

V/A - Confederacy Of Scum - Loathe It To Death 7" (Carbon 14) - This is a freebie given away with issue #13 of Carbon 14 (didn't get to see the zine yet unfortunately). 5 live cuts from the 97 Supershow that wouldn't fit on the disc reviewed above. This doesn't have as much stuff as the CD that is completely amazing - but still very nice. Antiseen do "Spare Change" which I wish would have made the CD. Cocknoose have the only unreleased cut on the record, and it's another good one. Rancid Vat, Hellstomper and Limecell also offer up tracks. I would imagine that this is pretty limited so act fast if you wanna get your hands on one. For more info, click here!

V/A - Four Dollar Ohio Kings LP (no label) - OK, my turntable died before I got to listen to this so consider this more information than a review as I've only heard parts of this record. Here's a band list for ya Nine Shocks Terror, Disengage, Boulder, Mammoth, Hemdale, Escalation Anger, Hangnail, 100000 Leagues Under My Nutsack, Third Degree Burnout, Schnauzer, Sloth and Muzzle Loader. Quite a bit of variery here and pretty representative of the Cleveland scene circa 1998. As for songs I've heard, the mysterious 100000 Leagues Under My Nutsack have a song that is pretty fucking weird and cool. Mammoth is Chris Smith (Keelhaul, Ex-Aspahlt, Integrity, False Hope) solo with a great heavy song , unfortunately it's also available on the Asphalt "357 Knockout" CD (Great CD by the way). Nine Shocks Terror have two tracks on here, one new song which is pretty similar to the rest of their recorded output, good Japanese HC influenced stuff and a live version of an H100s song which shows that maybe the band is better off not playing those songs anymore. Supposedly, their cuts were mastered a bit slow, it shows a little bit but not too bad. Unfortunately, that's all I've had the chance to hear - Hangnail contribute 4 songs and there's 3 by Schnauzer which are probably all great, and Boulder and Sloth are usually good as well. This is comp only costs $4 (hence the title) and is available from any of the bands on it or at select Cleveland record stores. Worth it easily

V/A - Mushroomhead Inc. CD (Self released) - Mushroomhead are a Cleveland band that sells out clubs locally with their Gwar meets Marilyn Manson type hijinx. Their music has never done much for me, and their high school following who dress either in all black or/and wear makeup to look like their favorite band member is just pathetic. Anyhow, this CD is a sample of their various releases and spinoff side projects. The only reason this is being reviewed is because Schnauzer (whose only affiliation with Mushroomhead is having a split 7" with one of their side projects and possibly having their next CD released by them) have a great new track on here entitled "Family Vacation". Heavy, funny and fucked up as usual. The rest of the CD contains Mushroomhead and other stuff similiar in sound to them, and some rap and techno thrown in. It's up to you if you want to buy a CD with 1 minute of good material and the rest filler....Personally, I would tape the Schnauzer off the radio or some other way - I really wouldn't want to be caught with this disc. For more info, click here!

More Apt. 2324 E-zine #2

Intense Mutilation Interview
Mentors Interview
REO Speedealer Interview
Russ' Skatopia Disaster
A Look Back At The Plague
Live Reviews
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