The commencement of the blog, sometime in the late 18th century, coincided with me purchasing a derelict castle in the old French countryside. After some much needed repairs and the addition of a massive crocodile pond to repel marauders - mostly apolitical skinheads at that time - I eventually felt safe enough to move my record collection into the new premises and started to put my disorganized thoughts to paper, that is when I was not battling away against rival punk tribes (like the Street Punx for instance, who, despite their ferocious look, were too concerned about their haircut being right on to make for great opponents). But anyway, a reclusive life behind thick stone walls has made me completely unaware of the passing of seasons and the very notion of it "being sunny outside" sounds like a conceptual oddity to me.
Which takes me to this crucial point. Summer might be officially almost over but I am still not done with my delightful compilations so here we go again with vintage compilations Lp that you would have loved to listen to while you were posing hard in Berlin or Barcelona (thankfully, my astrologist told me that there would also be a summer next year).
Today let's have a little conversation about Words Worth Shouting, a compilation released in 1985 on Radical Change, a Norwich-based label run by the Disrupters that, beside records from their own band, also put out materials from Icon AD, Destructors, Self-Abuse and the mighty Revulsion. Of course, I love the content of the compilation (if I did not I would be watching football with the lads right now instead of staring numbly at a computer screen) and I will be raving about it in due time but first I would like to draw your precious attention to how it looks. The record cover was the work of a certain Mid, then the guitar player for a young unknown Norwich band called Deviated Instinct. One might infer that the local connection with the Disrupters (the Lp was a benefit for Norwich hunt sabs) was the reason for the inclusion of Deviated Instinct on the Lp and for Mid drawing the cover. Although you could say that it is not, technically speaking, his most stunning and polished work, it is interesting to see that it already included a lot of what would become trademarks of crust aesthetics: threatening crows, reapers, grinning skulls, nuclear weapons, allegories of ecological apocalypse and so forth. This drawing was also - I think - his first contribution to a proper record (though the first DI demo must have seen the light of day a little before) and I, for one, cannot fail to be impressed by it. Protocrust art? Maybe I am putting too much significance into it but the composition is striking in its "crustness" and the variations around it have been innumerous during the 30 years that followed. And I just love the signature with the early DI heart logo. Good cheesy.
The backcover won't probably ring a bell unless you are familiar with French anarchopunk. It was drawn by Tapage, from Paris, in the very different but typical style of his (usually punx engaging in subversive activities) and if you must know, he still draws many handouts to this day and has been doing so for as long as anyone can remember. At that time he was following Haine Brigade on tour and, since they also appeared on the compilation, he told me that's how he ended up doing some artwork for it. If anything, this will tell you that old punks really never die, especially when they have a soft spot for communards.
But let's get to the text. The brilliantly named Words Worth Shouting includes 13 bands, 11 from England, 1 from France and 1 from West Germany. The opening band is Contempt, from Wolverhampton. I suppose most of you will be familiar with them because Contempt were quite active and prolific in the 90's. My first encounter with the band was through the Shouting the Odds 1997 Lp which I rate as the band's most memorable work (and even as one of the best UK anarchopunk records from the 90's). That Lp had catchy singalong tunes reminiscent of proto oi bands like Sham 69, Menace or the Rejects but with serious anarchopunk lyrics with a working-class twist. It sounded pissed and genuine and I played that Lp a lot when I bought it. Of course, the song "Take an animal's view" was recorded in 1985 with a different lineup made up of people from Vendetta, 7th Plague and Pulex Irritans (the Aristocrap Ep basically), but you actually can find a better recorded version of it on Shouting the Odds so that when I first played the compilation I instantly felt comfy and, well, at home. The sound is a little thin (it was Contempt's first appearance on a record) but the angry singalong tunes are here. The martial beat accompanying the "Smash the hunt up" shouts at the beginning always get me. This is a perfect example of solid, direct, angry old-school punk-rock enhanced with melodic singalongs, like a cross between Demob and Riot/Clone. That song will make you want to smash things with grace.
Next up are Axe Thrasher, an obscure band from Sleaford with a rather unfortunate name. I mean, just google "axe thrasher" and you'll end up watching embarrassing videos of spotty teenagers playing terrible thrash metal for the rest of your life. As for Sleaford itself, I know nothing about it but the newspapers Sleaford Today ran an article entitled "Yobs Leave Open Manhole" a few days ago so it is that kind of place apparently. As for the band, their song "Axe thrasher" (obviously) was their sole vinyl appearance and it sounds like a sloppier, fast and punky version of Onslaught or GBH. Not bad and certainly pogoable.
After these two minutes of thrashy punk-rock come Prem Nick (from the Disrupters) doing some spooky spoken words about the royal family. Typical anarcho stuff, very British and the ideal introduction to the Disrupters themselves and their song "Dead in the head". You know how much I love the band (right?) and the year 1985 saw the band at its peak when they released the great Alive in the Electric Chair (my ears tell me that "Dead in the head" was also recorded during one of these sessions). Dark, aggressive, intense mid-paced punk-rock with upfront threatening vocals and some catchy guitar leads that will make the song stick in your head for the rest of the day. Their sound was somewhere between The System, The Underdogs, Blitz and Kronstadt Uprising, both familiar and yet memorable. This is one of their best songs, to be sure.
Euthanasie from Freiburg (not far from the French border) are up next with the song "Mord ohne Ende" (meaning "Murder without an end"). A very interesting band indeed and possibly, along with Enola Gay and Anti-Heroes, the closest example of a German take on UK anarchopunk in the 80's. I don't dislike deutschpunk but I am not crazy about it and if I do genuinely enjoy some bands that would fall under that umbrella (like Chaos Z, Vorkriegsphase, The Targets, Bluttat...), a lot of it leave me rather unimpressed (but then, I am hardly the expert so ignorance could also be a reason). However, Euthanasie were musically much closer to gothy postpunk than pogo-inducing noise, which in the country of X-Mal Deutschland makes sense. The sound is not too good but the song is actually great. Sincere anarcho postpunk with a melancholy enhanced by the use of the German language, a hopeless mood, somber guitar tunes and the obligatory spoken words in introduction. If Vex, Blood Robots and The Deformed had had a baby in Germany, it would have sounded like Euthanasie and would have been preparing for the revolution in its crib. The band released two tapes during its existence, Unsere Welt, eine andere Welt and The War to End all Wars which also included "Mord ohne Ende". Some recordings of the band were reissued on Lp in 2010 by Looney Tunes but I cannot say the record got a lot of attention (which is surprising since everyone and their mother claim to be into "postpunk"). Oh well...
Next up are Rotten Corpses, a band I know absolutely nothing about. The internet is quiet on the matter and there is no information about them on the inserts (unless I am missing a sheet?). With a name like that, you would expect teenagers playing some kind of metal punk hybrid or some sloppy anarchopunk but you would be wrong. The song "The promise" is quite tuneful, not exactly memorable, but it gets the feet tapping. Not far, in terms of sound, from the most melodic anarcho bands - although it is hard to be categorical from just the one song - but most of all, "The promise" sounds too much like a cheaper version of "Shuffling souls" from The Mob for its own good... But after all, why not. Referential reworking is intellectually comforting and there are worse bands to nick a riff from, right?
Freeborn follow up and it is one of the highlights of Words Worth Shouting according to your humble host. Try to get past the rather thin sound, you must be used to that by now, and enjoy "Silver lining", a genuine anarchopunk nugget that concentrates the youthful hopefulness, the idealistic politics, the motivation and the cracking tunes that define the UK anarcho wave. Freeborn were from the Norwich area, Wisbech to be accurate, and were active from 1983 to 1987. This Freeborn is not to be confused with the other anarcho band called Free-Born, that recorded the Imprisonment is the Punishment in 1983 (they could be the same band but I doubt it since the Free-Born recording is faster, snottier and more aggressive, not unlike Conflict, and the vocals are very different, but then, bands moved fast at the time). Wisbech's Freeborn apparently had a demo - though I have never heard it - and were also included on the Bloodsuckers Ep and on the fourth volume of Overground's anarcho series, Anti-Capitalism. The band was decidedly melodic with a strong '77 influence and they remind me of acts like The Pagans or Naked on that level. "Silver lining" is a rather lengthy, mid-paced number with an upfront snake-like bass line, an eerie guitar sound that displays a rather melancholy vibe and dual male/female vocals. I am reminded of Morbid Humour, Karma Sutra, Icon AD and Dominant Patri and this is an excellent thing. As I mentioned, the song is long, six minutes (!), but since it focuses on moodiness with a mournful epic vibe, I think it works better that way. A fragile but brilliant one.
Opening side two is a poem from the infamous Britanarchist Nick Toczek. Beside the cleverly impertinent political words about state violence, democracy and apathy and Northern Ireland (the poem's called "Being terrorists"), I really love the accentuation and the prosodics and how he uses them to emphasize his outrage. I would be lying if I said I could listen to a whole Lp of poems or spoken words but as an introduction to a punk record, it has an undeniable impact as it sets the tone. As for Nick himself, well, I recommend listening to "Things to do on a saturday night" at least once a week. Reports have shown that it will make your hair grow back and return your lost lovers.
The tracklist then indicates that "Country's downfall" by Death Zone is supposed to follow but it was apparently an uncorrected mistake since what you really have is "Third generation" by Protest. I do like the snotty UK82 vibe of Death Zone a lot (and the singer had the perfect voice for the genre) but Protest's song is equally good. Hailing from the sunshiny Manchester area, Protest played hard-edged UK punk reminiscent of Riot Squad, Ultraviolent and One Way System if you know what I mean. Direct rough vocals, heavy punk sound and angry singalong chorus about some "lost generation" (but then reading punk lyrics, you'd think that every generation is a lost one, which feels true when you are young and romantic when you no longer are). But anyway, "Third generation" is a strong number of anarcho UK82. Protest also appeared - as Red Alert! - on the first Bullshit Detector and on the first volume of A Country Fit for Heroes and they even had an Ep on Excentric Noise (label of Cult Maniax among other things).
You can hold your breath for the next one since it was the first vinyl appearance of my cherished Deviated Instinct with the song "Possession" which was recorded on September, 22nd, 1985 (it was raining that day), 364 days after they played their first gig (Freeborn was also on the bill incidentally). The song is from their pre-Peaceville era so don't expect a barrage of groovy crusty metal punk. In fact, you can tell that they were still in their learning phase characterized by the Tip of the Iceberg demo, basically a rather typical UK anarchopunk sound with teenage snot, some good tunes and a bit of metal. However, the metal influence is stronger on "Possession" and although the riffing is rudimentary - as is the overall recording - you can definitely see it as a pivotal composition, though it coexisted with the punkier songs from Tip of the Iceberg. While it retains some elements of traditional anarcho music like the dual vocal structure and the vocal tones themselves (without mentioning the anarcho heart logo and the crass font), at a time when Antisect were turning into a crushing apocalyptic metal punk band, the metal influence creeping in is no coincidence (besides, the hairy letters of the song's title don't fool anyone). If DI had split up after Words Worth Shouting, it is unlikely that this version of "Possession" (as much as I am personally fond of it) would have been a benchmark in punk history. However, taken in the broader perspective of crust development, I find it fascinating. It is probably a bit too long for its own good but the anti-religious lyrics are actually well-written and you can already spot the themes of mental decay and physical alienation that would re-appear in a more articulate version later on in the band's existence. A transitional song pointing to the next step. Luv it.
Haine Brigade are next with the song "Vivre pas survivre" (meaning "To live, not to survive"). I rarely write about French punk bands on Terminal Sound Nuisance, mostly because I don't really like or even listen to French punk-rock, and never have. I am not sure why but I have always felt that the French language does not fit easily with punk music and that, more often than not, the combination of both has very awkward results. That so-called French oi has become so popular outside of France (especially among nerdy, otherwise knowledgable punx) is an endless source of wonderment to me. I guess it sounds kinda exotic? To me, it sounds like shit. But I'm not here to talk about this nonsense. Haine Brigade, from Lyon, was a good anarchopunk band with that typical upbeat French punk-rock feel and dual male/female vocals (half sung, half spoken, neither tuneful nor tuneless, but inbetween). The song is from their first 1985 demo tape and is about alienation and trying to survive in a ruthless world. Pretty raw with a strong 80's. And if you need points of comparison, imagine Icon AD jamming with UK Subs in a garage.
Next are Pax Vobiscum (it means "Peace be with you" in Latin but since it has "scum" in it, it can work as a punk name as well) from Nottingham. I don't much about them, unfortunately. They released a demo tape in 1985 (recorded in two sessions with, I think, two different singers) that was reissued by Bluurg as a split tape with Eyes On You. "Misguided sins" is a great song though and the production is good too. Mid-paced dynamic anarchopunk with gruff aggressive vocals, some bizarre synth parts and an overall deranged atmosphere somewhere between Ad-Nauseam, Disrupters and The Damned. There are some other solid tracks on the demo and I would love to know more about the band (do you?). On a side note, the drawing of Jesus on the cross is probably one of the worst I've seen. Punk, innit?
Finally, Words Worth Shouting closes with a song from the cruelly overlooked Revulsion from Norwich. I am a massive Revulsion fan and I truly enjoy everything they did, from their über snotty punk beginnings to the elegant and emotional punk-rock of the early 90's. The compilation Lp being from 1985, the song "There is no need" still fits in the band's "snotty punk" era (the songwriting would become more refined and original on their 1987 records) embodied in their Ever Get the Feeling of Utter... Revulsion 12'' recorded about six months, in February, 1985, and also released on Radical Change (there was a former Disrupters member in Revulsion). You could say that "There is no need" is the logical follow-up to the 12''. The music is fast, catchy and energetic, reminiscent of the speedier UK82 bands like Varukers, Instant Agony or Social Disease, with a dash of Conflict and Legion of Parasites, and although the recipe is fairly simple, some moments (like the brilliant change of guitar riff in the middle of the song) clearly point toward early European hardcore-punk. Revulsion never were an all-out thrash band, the sound is pretty clear overall - they certainly knew how to play - but the anger and the clever hooks turned their songs into intense, memorable singalong anthems. The vocals are pissed but not forceful and despite the shouted snotty delivery, there is always a tunefulness in them, as if always trying to grab the listener's ear. Spiky anarchopunk at its very best. "There is no need" is about animal abuse and exploitation, which makes sense for a hunt sab benefit Lp. I wish punk sounded this good more often.
Ace!
Next up are Rotten Corpses, a band I know absolutely nothing about. The internet is quiet on the matter and there is no information about them on the inserts (unless I am missing a sheet?). With a name like that, you would expect teenagers playing some kind of metal punk hybrid or some sloppy anarchopunk but you would be wrong. The song "The promise" is quite tuneful, not exactly memorable, but it gets the feet tapping. Not far, in terms of sound, from the most melodic anarcho bands - although it is hard to be categorical from just the one song - but most of all, "The promise" sounds too much like a cheaper version of "Shuffling souls" from The Mob for its own good... But after all, why not. Referential reworking is intellectually comforting and there are worse bands to nick a riff from, right?
Freeborn follow up and it is one of the highlights of Words Worth Shouting according to your humble host. Try to get past the rather thin sound, you must be used to that by now, and enjoy "Silver lining", a genuine anarchopunk nugget that concentrates the youthful hopefulness, the idealistic politics, the motivation and the cracking tunes that define the UK anarcho wave. Freeborn were from the Norwich area, Wisbech to be accurate, and were active from 1983 to 1987. This Freeborn is not to be confused with the other anarcho band called Free-Born, that recorded the Imprisonment is the Punishment in 1983 (they could be the same band but I doubt it since the Free-Born recording is faster, snottier and more aggressive, not unlike Conflict, and the vocals are very different, but then, bands moved fast at the time). Wisbech's Freeborn apparently had a demo - though I have never heard it - and were also included on the Bloodsuckers Ep and on the fourth volume of Overground's anarcho series, Anti-Capitalism. The band was decidedly melodic with a strong '77 influence and they remind me of acts like The Pagans or Naked on that level. "Silver lining" is a rather lengthy, mid-paced number with an upfront snake-like bass line, an eerie guitar sound that displays a rather melancholy vibe and dual male/female vocals. I am reminded of Morbid Humour, Karma Sutra, Icon AD and Dominant Patri and this is an excellent thing. As I mentioned, the song is long, six minutes (!), but since it focuses on moodiness with a mournful epic vibe, I think it works better that way. A fragile but brilliant one.
Opening side two is a poem from the infamous Britanarchist Nick Toczek. Beside the cleverly impertinent political words about state violence, democracy and apathy and Northern Ireland (the poem's called "Being terrorists"), I really love the accentuation and the prosodics and how he uses them to emphasize his outrage. I would be lying if I said I could listen to a whole Lp of poems or spoken words but as an introduction to a punk record, it has an undeniable impact as it sets the tone. As for Nick himself, well, I recommend listening to "Things to do on a saturday night" at least once a week. Reports have shown that it will make your hair grow back and return your lost lovers.
The tracklist then indicates that "Country's downfall" by Death Zone is supposed to follow but it was apparently an uncorrected mistake since what you really have is "Third generation" by Protest. I do like the snotty UK82 vibe of Death Zone a lot (and the singer had the perfect voice for the genre) but Protest's song is equally good. Hailing from the sunshiny Manchester area, Protest played hard-edged UK punk reminiscent of Riot Squad, Ultraviolent and One Way System if you know what I mean. Direct rough vocals, heavy punk sound and angry singalong chorus about some "lost generation" (but then reading punk lyrics, you'd think that every generation is a lost one, which feels true when you are young and romantic when you no longer are). But anyway, "Third generation" is a strong number of anarcho UK82. Protest also appeared - as Red Alert! - on the first Bullshit Detector and on the first volume of A Country Fit for Heroes and they even had an Ep on Excentric Noise (label of Cult Maniax among other things).
You can hold your breath for the next one since it was the first vinyl appearance of my cherished Deviated Instinct with the song "Possession" which was recorded on September, 22nd, 1985 (it was raining that day), 364 days after they played their first gig (Freeborn was also on the bill incidentally). The song is from their pre-Peaceville era so don't expect a barrage of groovy crusty metal punk. In fact, you can tell that they were still in their learning phase characterized by the Tip of the Iceberg demo, basically a rather typical UK anarchopunk sound with teenage snot, some good tunes and a bit of metal. However, the metal influence is stronger on "Possession" and although the riffing is rudimentary - as is the overall recording - you can definitely see it as a pivotal composition, though it coexisted with the punkier songs from Tip of the Iceberg. While it retains some elements of traditional anarcho music like the dual vocal structure and the vocal tones themselves (without mentioning the anarcho heart logo and the crass font), at a time when Antisect were turning into a crushing apocalyptic metal punk band, the metal influence creeping in is no coincidence (besides, the hairy letters of the song's title don't fool anyone). If DI had split up after Words Worth Shouting, it is unlikely that this version of "Possession" (as much as I am personally fond of it) would have been a benchmark in punk history. However, taken in the broader perspective of crust development, I find it fascinating. It is probably a bit too long for its own good but the anti-religious lyrics are actually well-written and you can already spot the themes of mental decay and physical alienation that would re-appear in a more articulate version later on in the band's existence. A transitional song pointing to the next step. Luv it.
Haine Brigade are next with the song "Vivre pas survivre" (meaning "To live, not to survive"). I rarely write about French punk bands on Terminal Sound Nuisance, mostly because I don't really like or even listen to French punk-rock, and never have. I am not sure why but I have always felt that the French language does not fit easily with punk music and that, more often than not, the combination of both has very awkward results. That so-called French oi has become so popular outside of France (especially among nerdy, otherwise knowledgable punx) is an endless source of wonderment to me. I guess it sounds kinda exotic? To me, it sounds like shit. But I'm not here to talk about this nonsense. Haine Brigade, from Lyon, was a good anarchopunk band with that typical upbeat French punk-rock feel and dual male/female vocals (half sung, half spoken, neither tuneful nor tuneless, but inbetween). The song is from their first 1985 demo tape and is about alienation and trying to survive in a ruthless world. Pretty raw with a strong 80's. And if you need points of comparison, imagine Icon AD jamming with UK Subs in a garage.
Next are Pax Vobiscum (it means "Peace be with you" in Latin but since it has "scum" in it, it can work as a punk name as well) from Nottingham. I don't much about them, unfortunately. They released a demo tape in 1985 (recorded in two sessions with, I think, two different singers) that was reissued by Bluurg as a split tape with Eyes On You. "Misguided sins" is a great song though and the production is good too. Mid-paced dynamic anarchopunk with gruff aggressive vocals, some bizarre synth parts and an overall deranged atmosphere somewhere between Ad-Nauseam, Disrupters and The Damned. There are some other solid tracks on the demo and I would love to know more about the band (do you?). On a side note, the drawing of Jesus on the cross is probably one of the worst I've seen. Punk, innit?
Finally, Words Worth Shouting closes with a song from the cruelly overlooked Revulsion from Norwich. I am a massive Revulsion fan and I truly enjoy everything they did, from their über snotty punk beginnings to the elegant and emotional punk-rock of the early 90's. The compilation Lp being from 1985, the song "There is no need" still fits in the band's "snotty punk" era (the songwriting would become more refined and original on their 1987 records) embodied in their Ever Get the Feeling of Utter... Revulsion 12'' recorded about six months, in February, 1985, and also released on Radical Change (there was a former Disrupters member in Revulsion). You could say that "There is no need" is the logical follow-up to the 12''. The music is fast, catchy and energetic, reminiscent of the speedier UK82 bands like Varukers, Instant Agony or Social Disease, with a dash of Conflict and Legion of Parasites, and although the recipe is fairly simple, some moments (like the brilliant change of guitar riff in the middle of the song) clearly point toward early European hardcore-punk. Revulsion never were an all-out thrash band, the sound is pretty clear overall - they certainly knew how to play - but the anger and the clever hooks turned their songs into intense, memorable singalong anthems. The vocals are pissed but not forceful and despite the shouted snotty delivery, there is always a tunefulness in them, as if always trying to grab the listener's ear. Spiky anarchopunk at its very best. "There is no need" is about animal abuse and exploitation, which makes sense for a hunt sab benefit Lp. I wish punk sounded this good more often.
Ace!
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