MUSIC REVIEWS
ALABAMA THUNDER PUSSY-River City Revival 
(Man's Ruin records 610 22nd st. #302 San Francisco, CA 94107)Don't let the name fool you. This is no Southern rock Nashville Pussy rip-off. There is nothing but heaviness and anger in these tunes. The music itself is very reminscent of BLACK SABBATH and CLUTCH, with ROLLINS type vocals. Both slower and "bouncy groovin" tunes. This thing will rock your arse off. (chad od)
THE BELLRAYS-Let It Blast (Vital 
Gesture records POBox 46100 Los Angelos, CA 90046) With this review I think that I'm gonna just give you the letter that I wrote to Joe (long-time friend and COD co-founder no longer with COD) via email when I heard this one for the first time. It'll pretty much sum it up for ya. "Mr. Dewey, are you ready to fall in love again? Well look no further my man, we have received a gem of a cd today in the mail. The Bellrays....Your not gonna believe this. VERY original. Your gonna love this man. The best thing to describe it is: MAXIMUM ROCK & SOUL....that's right, I said SOUL. Can you say black femme lead singer reminiscent of Aretha/Janis/Tina....Come over as soon as you can to give your ears the orgasms that this music guarantees"....To sum it all up if you love heavy/fuzz rock with some soul, your gonna love this. The heavier parts of it kinda reminded me of the HELLACOPTERS. Man o man this chick can sing. (chad od)
BLACK SABBATH-Reunion-No it's not punk but who 
cares. If it weren't for these guys alot of great bands would not exist. I think I speak for MANY punks when I say: BLACK SABBATH RULES. This cd contains a concert that they performed in Birmingham, England as a reunion show. When I heard that this bad boy was coming out I was happy but then again bummed cuz I thought that it was going to be full of just the typical radio played Sabbath songs (Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs). Don't get me wrong, these songs are classics and they are the reason why I even started to listen to this great band but I'd rather hear stuff that I may have not heard live before. Well they did it. Some of the shockers included: Electric Funeral, Behind the Wall of Sleep, Spiral Architect, Into the Void, Dirty Women, & one of THEE heaviest songs ever, Lord of This World. The band sounds great and (although Ozzy does start alot of the songs a tad off key. I guess he's not used to singing them, but you can hardly even tell) Ozzy still "loves" us and still "God Blesses" us all. The last two songs are new studio tracks that I was afraid to even listen to. I've lost faith in Tony Iommi over the years and didn't think he had it in him to write any more gloomy & heavy riffs. I was wrong again. I just hope these guys can stand each other long enough to put out a full length with all new songs. LISTEN TO BLACK SABBATH!! (chad od)
BLASTER THE ROCKET BOY-Succulent Space Food for Teething Vampires (Boot to Head records POBox 9005 
Portland, Oregan 97207)Boy I thought Jello Biafra wasn't singing for any band right now. Well okay maybe he's not but this cd sure fooled me. I really like this cd. It has this cool science fiction/horror theme going on but at the same time is a Christian band. It was neat to see them incorporate the horror into Christian beliefs. I have respect for these guys because they are not one of those Tooth and Nail bands (MxPx among a ton of others) that claim to be Christian but you couldn't tell by their lyrics. These guys seem to be genuine in their beliefs and not scared to tell anyone. Good punk rock. (chad od)
BLASTER THE ROCKET BOY-Disasteroid (Boot to Head records 
POBox 9005 Portland OR 97207) This one seems to be some older recorded versions of stuff that's on Succulent Space Food....along with some other tunes. The production is not nearly as nice nor are the versions. I reccommend getting the other cd reviewed in here and save this one for afterwards. (chad od)
CAUSE FOR ALARM-Beneath the Wheel (Victory 
records POBox 146546 Chicago, IL 60614) Killer melodic punk rock with some moshing bits to give you a breather. Some of the music has some hardcore elements. The singer sometimes reminds me of the dude from SNFU. The band also has a big Krsna fan in it. One of the better songs is a "secret song" to make sure that you let your cd player keep playing after the last track (chad od)
CAVITY-Supercollider (Man's Ruin records 
610 22nd st. #302 San Fran, CA 94107) This one has so much potential. A riff would be cranking out and building to a point where I thought it would explode and I would end up putting my fist through the wall or something, but then it would not really peter out but either change riffs or go into an unexpected off/odd drumbeat instead of the onslaught that I had anticipated. I guess you could just call it unpredictable but in some cases I like predictability (is that a word....I think it is). Your at a show and you hear the bass start a song, you know full well that the drums and guitar are going to accent that bass until it builds into either a heavy, massive ear carnage or a slamfest full of bruised bodies. Man isn't that just the greatest? Oh sorry, I was losing myself there for a minute, but anyways, the beats are somewhat original, I'll give it that, but the vocals could be a tad louder. The music is doomy and has a SABBATH type of sound to it. The vocals are screamed and grunted. (chad od)
CRAIG'S BROTHER-Homecoming (Tooth & Nail records POBox 12698 Seattle, WA 98111-4698) And you thought PROPAGHANDI & NOFX were technical with all of their tempo changes and crazy riffs. Obviously you haven't heard this band yet. These fast, poppy/melodic punk songs are about as technical as they possibly can get. The band members look like they're just out of High School which impressed me all the more when I heard the talent that was contained therein. Excellent musicians but the singer sounds a bit like the guy from BAD RELIGION whom I don't really care for but I like this guys voice better. This is one of the best cd's I've heard in a long time. (chad od)
CROATAN-Violent Passion Surrogate (Man's 
Ruin records..see above for address) Man's Ruin puts out all this killer stuff and then this. I'm thinking that they're being black mailed or something. There's only one way to really describe this cd. A band plays for a while without a vocalist. Some chic shows up to there practice space with her book of lyrics in hand, never hearing the band before and then grabs the mic. Her vocals altogether don't suck it's just that they don't go with the rest of the music. The music in itself is really nothing to admire anyway. I guess you could also describe it as non-melodic metal/noise with female screamed and sung vocals. Man's Ruin describes it as LIVE SKULL meets TOWEL AT AUSCHWITZ. I'm sure that there are fans of this stuff out there but it's just too chaotic for me. (chad od)
DEAD LETTER AUCTION-3 song demo (POBox 50138 Fort Wayne, IN 46805-0138) When I heard this I instantly thought of the fall. I could see the leaves all falling around me, being carried away in a swirling gust of wind. Myself looking to the sky with anger, confusion, wonder & every other emotion. Don't ask me why. Ha! Listen to me. This demo has big emo qualities. The vocals sound heartfelt with various emotion. I could probably go more in depth with that but I got an unfinished product for review which contained no lyric sheet. If your into emotional hardcore then your gonna love these guys. I'll bet they're great live. (chad od)
ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN-I'm Not Your (Nothing) 
(Victory Records POBox 146546 Chicago, IL. 60614)You just can't seem to open a zine from the past two years or so & not see these guys in it. I know I had to finally hear them & this is my first from these guys, & I must say, good things come to those who have to wait cuz they ain't got no money, but these 3 songs merely teased me & left me wanting more. Good ole' punk rock & roll with pissed vocals. Includes 1 live song and a TUBES cover. I can't wait to hear more from these cats (chad od)
THE FARTZ-Because This Fuckin' World Still Stinks....(Alternative Tentacles POBox 419092 San 
Francisco, CA. 94141-9092) By now I'm sure that you've heard of this one but it just can't be praised enough. Every song recorded by The Fartz on this beautifully old school punk style packaged discography. What more could you ask for in a day & age where "friendly" punk gerts radio airplay & you can't hardly walk through even the friendliest & nicest of suburbs without seeing a Rancid, Greenday, or Offspring T-shirt. Some people just forget what punk is all about. But thanks to the good folkis at Alternative Tentacles for reminding us all by putting out this 35 song masterpiece of a cd. I can see it now: Bands all over suddenly change their whole style & go back to their roots. Like a brick to the face, we'll all wake up. The Fartz will begin the New World "Odor". Front man Blaine Cook (whom you can read all about in this issue) rips his vocal chords through each song as we hear his voice mature as the cd progresses into the ear splitting screams that would later become the trademark for THE ACCUSED. Some bonus' too. A Black Sabbath cover & a couple of songs that we all thought were ACCUSED songs were actually given birth by The Fartz & here they are. You can't get any more punk than this....it's a gas. (chad od)
FATSO JETSON-Flames For All (Man's 
Ruin....see address above) Maybe I would like this before I stopped using drugs. This thing, some of which is instrumental, is pretty "out there". There's all kinds of wacked out influences on here. Everything from FRANK ZAPPA on "Let's Clone", a psychotic space lounge venture on "August In Lawndale", to a VERY slight VOIVOD feel even. Please don't let that discourage you from getting it if you hate VOIVOD, it's just another one of those hard to describe cd's.. This is definitely twisted and would probably put you on a heck of a trip if you had the headphones up full blast and were stone cold sober. (chad od)
FU MANCHU-Eatin' Dust (Man's Ruin 
records....see address above) After all the shouting I did to every drummer I've been in a band with to open his high hat and use the cymbals a bit more to make each song louder, & heavier, where was this drummer my whole life? This whole thing just rocks. This cd contains 8 songs. 5 new ones and 3 from their 10" Godzilla release. That's right they do a version of Godzilla, slower but heavy and rockin' none the less. It's hard for me to describe this sound but I LOVE IT. The singer sounds like Ace Frehely at times. The distortion is a VERY heavy fuzztone. The riffs just a groovin' & a rockin'. Eatin' Dust is a pleasure to the ear and body. (chad od)
THE HELLACOPTERS-Super Shitty To the Max 
(Man's Ruin records)I'd love to be able to go to a completely different country and rock their world so much. These Swedes are doing just that. With songs that are upbeat, extreme punk rock & roll with overpowering distortion in both guitars & vocals. The solos make you wanna grabe the nearest broom & play air guitar until you've fallen. And when the feedback comes in unexpectedly it's euphoric. I have a feeling that if you have the chance to see these guys live you'd better hope that you have the next day off work cuz your gonna need it to recover. Reminiscent of NASHIVILLE PUSSY. (chad od)
HELLACOPTERS/GLUECIFER-Respect the Rock USA (Man's Ruin records)This split is a follow up to White Jazz Records/House of Kicks 1997 release: "Respect the Rock" which was a split 10" by the forementioned bands, and this one here put out by Man's Ruin records. This cd only release rocks & rolls. The Hellacopters songs are a bit different than their full length. For one, the vocals don't have the distortion effect on them. They sound more like a cross between the guy from Foreigner & Ian Gillan from Deep Purple. The songs sound a bit more like classic bluesy rock & roll with even some piano & tamborine. Mix that up with some speed & heavy guitars & you've got 5 great songs from these Sweden cats. They also do a killer version of Bob Segar's "Her Strut".
The Gluecifers add the same type of extreme rock & roll that seems to be becoming so popular right now. They're not bad at what they do but when it comes to rockin' & rollin' this way, I'll take the rawness of the 'Copters anyday. (chad od)
HUNTINGTONS-High School Rock (Tooth & Nail) I don't think you'd be more obvious that you were a RAMONES fan if you named your band: "I Love the Ramones". Everything from the song titles (I Don't Wanna Sit Around With You, Jackie Is An Athiest) to the music itself with all the "Oh, Uh, Oh's" this is pretty much the Ramones. Actually since it's better & faster than the Ramones (sorry I just never liked them) it sounds more like SCREECHING WEASEL playing their influenced Ramones songs. Good punk rock here. (chad od)
I AGAINST I-Headcleaner (Epitaph) 
GREENDAY but faster. BAD RELIGION but better. Produced by Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, All), this is your basic poppy punk cd. The same kind of stuff that you might hear on Fat Wreck Chords. So obviously I dig it. (chad od)
INTEGRITY 
-2000 (Victory) This cd wastes no time kickin' in. A punch to the face. I'm not really familiar with Integrity's stuff but this sure seems brutal & anger filled. Some of the songs are a bit repetitious though. Some of the riffs are pretty cool and there's lots of double bass mania. The last couple of songs are really strange and experimental. (chad od)
LOITERERS/2 MAN ADVANTAGE split 7" (148 E. Roe Blvd. Patchogne NY. 11772) Loiterers are cool. Singer barks more than sings and the music is totally simple, crude, old style Anthemy punk rock in the punkest sense of the word. Punker than you I bet. 2 Man are hockey rawk. Fast catchy hardcore about beer, pornos, & hockey. They're better than a baby in a bottle. (joe "mountain" dewey)
MILLENCOLIN-Same 
Old Tunes (Epitaph) Originally released on Burning Heart records in '94 this would be much better if they didn't ruin it by throwing some of that crap people call ska in there. There isn't alot but enough for me to frown. The rest is pretty basic poppy punk along the lines of NOFX & BLINK 182. (chad od)
MR. MONSTER-Songs From the Crypt ($5 to: Pobox 4393, 
Riveredge, NJ. 07661-4393)Well for our last issue we received un unfinished copy of this without all the songs on it and the quality not as polished. The review that it was given was okay but if you read it....IGNORE IT!!!! This finished product puts to waste what we previously received. I listened to it numerous times the day I receved it in the mail. The 3 guys put out (at times) a 50's sounding punk/"teenangel"/hardcore/poppy/monster sounding....heck I dunno. Each song has something to offer. Some sounds like the MISFITS from both the 70's & 80's. Some made me want to grab my poodle skirt wearing girlfriend and boogie. With song titles like: Gore Whore, Little Frankenstein, & Dead Flesh Gurl you can tell these guys love horror. Personal faves: Prom Night & Dead Flesh Gurl. One original piece. My only complaint is it left me wanting to sing along but with no lyrics in the insert (the guys soon afterwards hooked me up with their website..see link page.. so I could view all the lyrics). Grab yer shovel and dig into these songs from the crypt, or it's your loss. (chad od)
MxPx-Going the Way of the Buffalo(A&M)This is their first release on a major label & it's pretty much the same MxPx that we heard on the last one. Although it does sound like they are experimenting a bit. Now, I still like MxPx but I liked them better on their first album when they were fast and spoke of what they believed in. Now all they sing about is girls. The fact that the lyrics have changed so much with their growing popularity makes me wonder if they are still walking the walk. I'm not one to point fingers. I don't want to look llike a hypocrit but I just liked them before....when they were inspiring. (chad od)
NECROCREEP-Creed of a Macabre (Re-animator records) This isn't my cup 'o milk but boy, oh boy, I'll bet you hardcore/grindcore fans will be drooling over this one. Total heaviness filled with anger driven death metal like vocals. The horror movie excerpts are a plus as well as the titles of the songs: Rawhead Rex (I thought Joe and I were the only ones to see that movie), Dead by Dawn. Comes on blood red vinyl. (chad od)
NEBULA-Sun Creatues (Man's Ruin)A couple 
of dudes from FU MANCHU made a baby & it's got horns that'll gorge you over and over again & it's name is NEBULA. VERY rockin', groovin', heavy as can be, & even a bit of Santana thrown in one of their songs. Could anything possibly make me want to shake my bootay more than this....? I think not! Man's Ruin records are becoming dangerous for me and my house. They put my walls, floor, & neighbors in jeopardy by continuing to put out such rockin' stuff. (chad od)
NEW MATH-Wake the Dead (Re-animator records)This is a re-release of an early 80's album. It's basicaly New Wave & I'm a bit confused on why it's been released again. Lot's of synthesizers of course & I think that there might be slight horror theme to some of it. I do know that one of the songs found it's way to the Return of the Living Dead soundtrack. This is for the 80's fans not me. (chad od)
NO INNOCENT VICTIM-Flesh & Blood (Victory)First off I think 
that it's really cool of Victory to sign a CHRISTian band, especially when Christianity is so looked down upon in the hardcore/punk scene. Okay, on with the review. Man these guys are heavy, with a capital CRUNCH! Fast & slow hardcore with fierce vocals that are reminiscent of an old band called Vengeance Rising. The lyrics are great as well as the music & I'm not even a big new school hardcore fan. Looks like I'm headed that way. (chad od)
QUINCY PUNX-Nutso Smasho(Recess records)Late 80's snotty style punk with songs about beer, getting drunk, running out of smokes, touring, & other silly stuff. Some surprised on here as well. A DEVO & DAYGLO ABORTIONS cover & a .27 second tribute to crust. Need I even use the word punk here? (it's also got some cd-rom cartoons and stuff). (chad od)
DUFUS-This Revolution (Pro-Anti)If I would have been in the recording studio watching the vocalist lay down his tracks, I have a feeling I'd be on the floor laughing my butt off. You can't sing this way without making funny facial expressions. Another hard to describe cd here. It reminded me a little of Frank Zappa. It's definitely got a unique sound. It's alos got saxophone, piano, & vibrophone along with the regular guitars, drums, & bass. Sometimes it's chaotic, other times it's just strange. Production is very good & so are the musicians. Ben Folds 5, Mr. Bungle, & Frank Zappa get thrown into a vat of nuclear waste and this is what comes out. The 12:45 song at the end is one of the strangest things I've ever heard. Different noises and stuff compiled together. (chad od)
SKARHEAD-Kings At Crime (Victory)I'm afraid that if I 
don't give these guys a good review then they will hunt me down and make me pay. A couple of these New Yorkers look like they just got out of the prison weightlifting camp after 200 weeks of extensive training. But seriously, this is a killer hardcore piece o' recording here. 3 singers that love to use th "f" word & sing about drinking, doing drugs, getting revenge, & "don't mess with me" type of stuff. It's got an old school feel to it mixed with a dash of new shcool & punk. Some of it reminds me of Suicidal Tendencies (post-punk days) but heavier. (chad od)
STILETTO BOYS-7" (Screaming Apple records)I can picture it now. I'm looking at a video on Mtv's 120 Minutes. The video is the Stiletto Boys. The band is happily spinnig around on a Merry Go Round whilst a collage of clips from home movies are intervening the gayness (as in "happy") of the band. Happy college rock. Production is not bad but I'm just not into this sort of thing. If you are....then get it!!!! (chad od)
STISISM-Coping With Society(Man's Ruin) 
This is their first full length (originally released as a 12" by Intensive Scare records). I'd no idea that these guys had been around for the past 14 years. Simple riffs and punk rock song titles: "Formaldehyde Baby", "Vegetables", "It's Not My Fault That You Left Your Hair At Home Dude"....reminscent of CRASHDOG. Thjis is a must for those old schoolers who love that East coast sound. Not too fast but no less punk! 2 veggies up. (chad od)
TURBONEGRO-Apocalypse Dudes(Man's Ruin) 
This is one of those cd's where it just doesn't hit me at first on how good it is. I had to listen to it a number of times before it finally sank in. It's also another one of those cd's that is slightly difficult to describe. It's basically punk rock but with all sorts of influences in it (the beginning is a total AC/DC rip-off) & has the punk rock & roll sound too. It's melodic but not in a poppy way. The vocals vary from overdubbed sung (which kind of reminds me of Perry Farrell from Janes' Addiction) to slightly snotty. The only thing is I was sent the promo copy which means no lyric sheet. I want to sing along DADGUMMIT!!!! (chad od)
2 MAN ADVANTAGE-Drafted (Royalty records)I first head these guys on a split 7" with The Loiterers. Well I fell in love & just knew that I had to hear the full length they had coming out. AND HERE IT IS!!!! My expectations were not let down in the slightest. Their obsession with hockey & beer make Bob & Doug Mackenzie look like sport hating straight edgers. Good 'ole hardcore punk with some melody/harmony thrown in. By the crazy photos in the sleeve, these guys look like they put on a pretty good game....er....show (and guess what, you can see them on COD's video comp out this spring/summer) (chad od)
THE UNDEAD-(PoBox 358 New Milford, NJ. 07646)If I 
didn't know any better I'd think that Alice Cooper sang some of these songs. At times the vocal similarities are spooky. From the anthematic opening song "The Future Kid" to the closing ballad "Thorn In Your Side", your taken for a ride of sorts. Old school punk, poppy pun, new wave punk, a beatles cover, & just good ole' rock and roll. If you love that old school punk rock sound from the really early days then your gonna foam at the mouth over this. Personal faves: I'm So Happy, Til Death, I Don't Wanna Feel the Pain Anymore, Thorn In My Side. (chad od)
UNION 13-Why Are We Destroying 
Ourselves? (Epitaph)From beginning to end there's barely a change to take a breath. Non-stop fast punk with a poppy feel to it. These mexicans have a somewhat unique sound to their punk. My only complaint is every chorus is sang as though there were a whole stadium of people providing backup and the drums could be just a tiny bit louder....Ah heck maybe it's just me. If you can speak spanish you get a bonus....a couple of the songs are in spanish. (chad od)
V/A-Only The Strong (Victory)Everyone needs their first taste or example of a style of music & this Victory comp. would be the perfect color book & crayons for teaching your uneducated friends all about new school hardcore. Bands included are: No Innocent Victim, Buried Alive, Vision, Cold As Life, Voice of Reason, In Human, Kill Your Idols, Agnostic Front, In Truth, Death Threat, Built To Last, Hoods, Where Fear & Weapons Meet, & Unconquered. (chad od)
V/A-Noise Kills Punks Dead (Opulence 
records)This 67 song (59 bands) could very well be used as a tool of punishment & tortue. If you like noise & I mean NOISE, then you'll go CRAZY over this! That's pretty much all it is. Everything from rooster crows & farm noises to repetitive beats, feedback, & screaming. I couldn't get through the whole thing & I'm sure that I never will. Too chaotic for me. (chad od)
VAGINAL DISCHARGE-Froth ($5ppd Reality Impaired recordings pobox 1285 Joplin, MO 64802)Hardcore punk name. Hardcore punk cover. Hardcore punk song titles & hardcore punk number of songs (26). Everything to lead me to believe that I was in for a brutal attack of fast paced hardcore punk. I threw it in and listened to the acoustic intro. The intro got longer and then I realized the whole song was acoustic. I thougt to myself what a weird song to use as an opener on the cd. The second song started. Acoustic guitar. I skipped to the third. The 4th....I finally realized that this wasn't what I thought it was, but as I listened closer to the words and riffs I came to enjoy it and could not stop laughing. The melodies themselves were great and the lyrics were funny enough to make me laugh each time I played it for my friends. Songs about hating U2, cops sucking, loving crack whores, premature ejaculation, & my personal favorite: "It's dark in here", use your imagination, or better yet get this barrel of laffs and listen to it yourself. Found myself singing the songs and even waking up humming (seriously) "Dead on a toilet" a song for Elvis. (chad od)
THE VLADIMIRS-So Fine Concubine (Reanimator records)It's amazing what Glenn Danzig started. Send me a horror punk band where the lead singer doesn't sound ANYTHING like Glenn, and I'll give you a free subscription to this here zine (this review was of course written back when we were a paper zine). It's not that it irritates me or anything, I'm just amazed is all. This horror themed band mixed some metal in with that punk. Nice production, although the last 4 songs, which were recorded live, by far blow away the others. I'd love to have heard a studio recording of those instead. They're faster & more punk. There's even a Twisted Sister cover song on here for all the true metal fans. (chad od)
All of these reviews were listed in the hardcopy of COD #3 but are here because we had a distribution problem with that issue and I felt that it was fair to the bands and labels to get the word out about these fine cds/tapes/records.
LABEL CONTACT INFORMATION:
Man's Ruin records 610 22nd st. #302 San Francisco, CA 94107
Vital Gesture records PObox 46100 Los Angelos, CA 90046
Boot To Head records PObox 9005 Portland, OR 97207
Victory records 146546 Chicago, IL 60614
Tooth & Nail records PObox 12698 Seattle, WA 98111-4698
Alternative Tentacles PObox 419092 San Francisco, CA 94141-9092
Epitaph 2798 Sunset blvd. Los Angelos, CA 90026
Reanimator records PObox 1582 Ann Arbor, MI 48106
Recess records PObox 1112 Torrance, CA 90505
Pro-Anti PObox 6051 Syracuse, NY 13217
Screaming Apple records 2406 Brookline dr. Huntsville, AL 35810
Royalty records 176 Madison ave. NY, NY 10016
Opulence records PObox 2071 Wilmington, NC 28402-2071
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