Extreme Noise Error "When the American dream is over" Lp 2011

Here is a good news for you: all the links are now working. I have had to turn some flac or wave files into mp3's (320 though, so it still stands the test) because the files are quite heavy and the file servers I am using don't seem to like them (depending on the day of the upload really, who would have though file servers could be moody?). Hopefully, I will find a solution and be able to re-upload every file in flac/wave formats but until I do, some albums in mp3 will have to suffice. Similarly, zippyshare only keeps the file uploaded for one month if it hasn't been downloaded. Therefore, the links of some of my least popular files (I won't tell which ones!) are bound to vanish. Basically, leave a message in the comments section and I will get to you smoothly. Now let's talk about music. Well, noisy bollock really.

No, there is no typo in the name of this post. There was a band called Extreme Noise Error from Holland that was even contemporary with Extreme Noise Terror. Now, I guess it is a bit silly to pick such a name but I personally love it and no one is really complaining about bands picking dis-names anymore (actually there was even an Extreme Napalm Terror from Germany in the late 80's/early 90's if memory serves), so why not? Besides, in spite of their tongue-in-cheek moniker, ENE tackled serious topics in their lyrics and were made up of people who are still active today and still play in cracking bands. Fun-loving, crusty political punk squatters from Gröningen. Where do I sign?

For those who don't know, three members of ENE, shortly after the demise of the band, would form the brilliant Mushroom Attack (a band that has unfairly sunk into punk obscurity but released split Lp's with Disorder and Forgotten Prophecy in the early 90's) and later on the almighty Fleas And Lice (I wish they didn't need an introduction, I really do).

ENE only recorded the one demo in 1988, entitled "When the American dream is over". Basically, the same year ENT recorded "A holocaust in your head". This has to be the fastest, and friendliest, punk rip-off of all time! If you are a nerd like me, you will have noticed that Stick, ENT and Doom's drummer at the time, is wearing an ENE shirt in the picture that appears on the back-cover of "A holocaust in your head". Since ENT had been touring the Netherlands at that time, it is not unlikely that they played with ENE there. That would have made for a very strange line-up for someone not aware of the referentiality of punk-rock (and what if Extreme Napalm Terror played as well?). But anyway, as you have all understood by now, ENE was heavily influenced by ENT, and the demo reeks of early ENT worship (especially the split with Chaos UK). Of course, the sound is nowhere as good or punchy, so at times we are not so far from Disorder, Dirge or even some of the more chaotic Japanese bands but with the added insanity of two singers trying to mimic ENT's. The ENE demo also reminds me of the Insurrection Lp and that's a really good thing.

As I mentioned, the lyrics are fairly political and again you can draw a parallel with ENT's attack on this shit system. You could even argue that ENE pioneered what is now sometimes called eurocrust, namely European bands heavily influenced by the first wave of UK crust (you can add Nausea to the list too). Basically Extreme Noise Error brought the Extreme Noise Terror formula while Hiatus picked Doom as their reference point. It makes sense, doesn't it?

ENE had songs against American capitalistic imperialism, against the porn industry, against animal abuse, against McDonald's (that definitely was an obligatory topic at the time it seems), against violent dancing (see comment above!) and they even had a song against Jean-Marie Le Pen, the infamous leader of the French far-right. Of course, as lazy squatters, they had an anti-work song that I wish to dedicate to all the people who are proud of breaking their back for their bosses, in the name of national growth, of the economy, of morality. There is no shame in being exploited ruthlessly but there shouldn't be any pride in it whatsoever. They make us think we are good citizens who participate in the "common good" when we are really just faithful, servile, sometimes even willing slaves whose anger and frustration are being alleviated by the mere illusion that we can take part in consumerism. That's the democratic contract: be happy wasting your life so you can be given the impression that you're middle-class because, after painfully paying for food and rent, you can afford to buy a couple of plastic craps. Rant over.

This Lp is a discography and it included a rough and ready rehearsal of the band as well as a live show from 1988 (which is no less rough and ready as you can guess). There is a great-looking, thick booklet with the Lp, something that I always really enjoy and something that was pretty common for crusty bands with something to say at that time. The Lp was released on State-Fucker Records, a Dutch grindcore label that also put out some Agathocles, Sistemas de Aniquilacion or Mörkhimmel. I read that there were only 100 copies of this geezer so I'd suggest you rush getting a copy if you ever see one.    

As a conclusion, ENE reformed briefly for a tribute gig to Phil Vane, ENT's singer who passed away a few years ago. A heart-warming gesture. More than music, right?      

Extreme Noise Error

Eat Shit "Leather, bristles, studs and 'ackney" Ep 2007

As you may have noticed, I have been replacing dead links for the past week and hopefully, I will be done by the end of the month. If you encounter any trouble downloading a file, please let me know and I will do my best.

The last post was very much about brooding tunes, melody, heartfelt quality punk-rock. Today will be a shit post. Or rather a post of utter and unashamed shite: Eat Shit!

On a musical level, Eat Shit were, well, really shit. I am not even sure that they had proper songs. In fact, I don't think they even cared! However, they were part of the notorious and riotous Hackney squat scene of the mid-80's and could be thought to be the real original crusties, because of their dodgy hygiene, their drinking habits and their filthy Mad Max clothes. As members of the infamous Hackney Hell Crew (a group of punk squatters bent on causing troubles and having a lot of fun in so doing), Eat Shit belonged to the same music scene as Sons of Bad Breath, Brain Damage, Gutrot or the mighty Coitus.

Despite obvious sonic limitations, this record is worth having because it is a right laugh. Eat Shit would pretend they were a thrash band from Nebraska and would adopt in their interviews (an hilarious example of which is included in the booklet) and on stage an appropriate anticommunist rethoric and an Old South slang. A crazy bunch of people for sure. The two songs on the Ep (it is a single-sided record by the way) were recorded live at a squat gig, with Conflict (if they actually showed up that is), Subhumans, The Infected, Stalag 17, Serious Drinking and others. Eat Shit are not even mentioned on the flyer but I suppose they just went on stage, "borrowed" some gears and "played" chaotically for about five minutes before passing out. The insert also has Scruff from Hellbastard trying to raise money to get members of Sons of Bad Breath and Eat Shit out of prison and probably an extract from Ian Bone's biography in which he explains that a collaboration between Eat Shit and Class War was to happen at some point (that would have been legendary!). Finally, the pictures of our good-looking shit-eaters imply that they played at some point with Oi Polloi. Not bad, right? This Ep was released in 2007 on Short Fuse records, a hardcore label responsible for records from Lärm, Ripcord and Scalplock among others. I doubt "Leather, bristles, studs and 'ackney" was the label's best-selling record, but who knows?

The music? Do you really want to know? It makes Disorder and Chaos UK sound mellow and puts to shame Confuse's distortion power. The songs don't really make any sense either. However, painfully listening to this today, I wish I could take a time-machine and drink cider watching Eat Shit play in a filthy squat. This is punk as fuck. In fact, this is probably the punkest thing you will be listening to this year.    

Eat shit you cunts!

Null And Void "All burnt out.... Null & Void 1981-1985" cd 2007

Back from the fucking dead!

This long break from Terminal Sound Nuisance because of internet troubles made me think about how we have become completely addicted to technology and how, when it ceases to work, helplessness prevails and our lack of autnomy becomes apparent. But now is not the time for pseudo intellectual thoughts. Now is the time for great punk-rock.

I have tried to re-upload as many files as possible but it will take time. For my glorious come-back, I have picked a band that fits perfectly in my favourite music category: the "how-come-this-band-gets-so-little-recognition?" category. I have already expressed at great lengths my deepest love of the mighty Blyth Power. If Zounds and The Mob are well-known and well-respected bands (and let's face it, they were and still are top bands), there was another Josef Porta band, definitely the least famous of his musical projects and that is Null And Void.

I actually got this cd at the 56A infoshop in London a couple of years ago when I traveled there for the Scum Fest festival. Being quite fanatical about old-school anarchopunk (but you all already know that), I had read the chapter devoted to Null And Void in "The day the country died" but had never actually heard them. I vaguely remembered them as being The Mob-related but that was about it. And indeed, they were, but in the best possible sense of the term. Null And Void was the follow-up of Andy Stratton, a one-man band that did a single on All the Madmen, and used to be not only touring partners of The Mob but also roommates as both bands lived in the same squatted communal house (Null And Void later moved in the Hackney squat scene). Funnily enough, the band played an eventful gig in Paris in the early 80's and even did an interview on Radio Libertaire, the station of the French Anarchist Federation, a station I happen to have had a bi-monthly slot on for about 7 years! Small punk world, right?

But back to the music and let's be honest here: Null And Void sound a lot like The Mob. They have this same earthy feeling although they are not quite as dark (some of their songs even have a funky feel to them and are totally danceable tunes). The singer reminds me of Omega Tribe's a little as well and you can top the meal with a spoonful of Thatcher on Acid, Awake Mankind, Zounds and Flowers in the Dustbin too. It is mid-tempo, bass-driven punk-rock with these distinctive drumming parts, a chopped style of guitar-playing, and very cacthy and beautiful chorus. The band did pen some real hits during their career which saw them release two demos (the first one is not included on this discography but judging from the singer's appreciation of it, it is not such a great loss!), one Ep and two cassette singles. The "Four minute warning" demo and the "Still" Ep, both recorded in 1982, are their best works in my opinion and they really capture an era, a sound that so many people still crave today. Their last recording was actually produced by none other than Joe Strummer. Yes. Joe fucking Strummer, who was apparently a solid, friendly, reliable bloke according to the band. And for all the anarcho Clash-bashing, deep down, don't we all love Joe? Yes, we do. This said, I am not really chuffed with Null And Void's cooperation with him as the band by then had strayed a bit too far from their punk roots to my liking.

However, and I can't say it enough, the 1982 and 1983 recordings are absolutely mandatory, and if you ever have the chance, get this cd. You won't be disappointed.

Null and Void