Sonatas in D Major (part 6): Disgust "Thrown Into Oblivion" cd, 1997

This entry might prove tricky to write since I am not much of a Disgust fan. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy Throw Into Oblivion tremendously, but as a band in the specific context of the 90's, I cannot say Disgust, as an entity, are particularly inspiring. I cannot really imagine a poignant, tear-inducing biopic about them for instance. For what such a record is worth, they were the first to be advertised an "all-star" d-beat band in History, demonstrating that, even regarding a subgenre as pure and noble as the holy D, one must remain quite vigilant. I am not saying that they sullied the respectable and legitimate practice of being Discharge by proxy, but their career did not exactly contribute to its good name. 

Disgust's origin story started well though. Dave Ellesmere - he who played the drums on a record you may have heard about called Why - was so disappointed with his former band's latest offering, Massacre Divine, "we were horrified at what they were doing" he said, his voice heavy with sorrow, and who could blame him,  it is a horrifying record indeed, that he decided to form a band that would sound like Discharge should still have been sounding like, namely like their '81/'82 era, "pretty much a strict template that you don't want to mess with". In order to turn these noble aspirations into reality, Dave picked up his favourite guitar and proceeded to recruit Steve Beatty, then owner of Plastic Head Distribution and formerly the drummer for anarchopunk band Stone the Crowz in the mid 80's, on vocals, Lee Barrett (who worked with Steve at Plastic Head) on the bass and Andy Baker (ex Varukers/Warwound/Sacrilege) on the drums. Unfortunately, this lineup lasted only a couple of rehearsals and promotional leaflets proclaiming with grandiloquence the second coming of Discharge in the guise of Disgust, had to be reprinted with a new lineup, Steve switching to drums because Andy left and Barney from Napalm Death (yes, I know) taking on the singer position. Because metal bands always have, by law, at least two guitar players, Gary Sumner, whom Dave knew from their glory days together in The Insane and Blitzkrieg, joined as well. With such a long "ex members" list, it is little wonder that Earache, smelling blood and cash, signed Disgust before they even played live. But then, Barney left and Disgust, without having set foot on a live stage, experienced yet another lineup change, with the arrival of England's prime gargling growler, Dean from Extreme Noise Terror, behind the microphone. It was this lineup that recorded the Brutality of War Lp in 1993 for Earache Records.

The high five of the apocalypse

Your assessment of early Disgust will totally depend on how bilious you are feeling today and on your level of cynicism. Of course, you could see the whole operation as a quick and easy way for a bunch of no longer relevant ex punks (is someone yelling "sellouts" at the back?) to make a comeback in the hardcore and extreme metal scenes. As far as I am concerned, Disgust's backstory sounds like the corny genesis of a heavy metal band made up of lads who used to play in bands that were kinda famous at some point (but to honest, a lot of hardcore supergroup have been promoting themselves exactly in this fashion for years in the DIY scene). You could also debate the idea that they were an actual band at all, since, being all spread out across the country, they pretty much wrote the songs on the day in the recording studio and, by their own admission, did not rehearse much, if at all, and did not get along well with each other so they cannot have done many gigs. Not really the Network of Friends mentality if you ask me. So even though Brutality of War was released the same year as Dischange's Seeing Feeling Bleeding, Disclose's Once the War Started and Disfear's A Brutal Sight of War, it can hardly be said that they were comparable works, since the aforementioned trio of Dis were just young hardcore bands that were part of the DIY punk fabric and not a so-called superband supported by a big metal label. So even though the output can and should be compared, the bands as entities and the contexts of production cannot. As for the intention behind the music, I am not in a position to pass judgements or attribute punk points (I ran out of them a while ago). I would hazard the opinion that Disgust's stance looked more opportunistic than Disclose's romanticism, although I have no doubt that the members of the band all dearly loved Discharge. In the end, a fitting description could be that Disgust was the perfect introduction to d-beat's stern extravaganza for your average metalhead.    

This said, and as peevish as my vision of the band can be, I have absolutely no doubt that the lads truthfully understood and related deeply to vintage Discharge. As Dave confessed, Disgust was meant to be a Discharge tribute band and on that level there is no denying the sheer raw power of Brutality of War. It is a great d-beat album, germane to the proper codes inherent to the genre and it basically hits all the right buttons. Apart from a couple of odd-sounding arrangements with the guitars (the one reserve I would formulate about the Lp is the slightly sloppy coordination between the guitars at times, which is surprising given the resumes of the people involved), Brutality of War does not fall in the usual traps one would be bound to associate with the idea of a d-beat album released on Earache in 1993. First, it is not an overproduced metal disaster, which would have been the biggest and most predictable mistake (one the band would eventually make). Of course, the production is clear and well-balanced, and objectively much cleaner than, say, on the Dischange Lp's, but it sounds like a punk record and not like an extreme metal one: raw, energetic and aggressive and it manages to reproduce Discharge's relentless brutality well enough. You can tell that the guys were really focused on dischargian mimesis and they completely deserve their inclusion in the "just like" category. I mean, even Dean does not overdo his proverbial growls and tries his best to melt in the collective D; which is how it should be done since, if anything, d-beat is a mystical sonic experience that, when well executed, transmits an uplifting feeling of harmony and of togetherness with the impending self-destruction of humankind, a bit like with psychedelic rock but with speed and cider instead of lsd. Brutality of War sounds and looks like a classic d-beat album and Disgust is a brilliant dis-name, these facts of life have to be dealt with as much dignity as we can muster.

Thrown Into Oblivion a live recording, first released on vinyl as an Ep in 1995 and on cd in 1997, both formats on the notorious Lost and Found Records from Germany. It was recorded during a Disgust's performance in Berlin at the Festivals of Hate tour that saw them share the stage with Cannibal Corpse, Samael and Morbid Angel, a lineup that shows how involved in and committed to the punk scene Disgust were as a band. In spite of an awkward moment when Dean invites, very loudly, the Cannibal Corpse bloke to grunt on stage during a song (I hold nothing against Cannibal Corpse but am completely indifferent to them), displaying once again that kind of corny metal festival mentality, Thrown Into Oblivion is, and it pains me a little to say that, a thunderous d-beat record. If Brutality of War felt a tad long and redundant in places (the Lp could have done without a few songs to be fair), Thrown Into Oblivion is a short sharp shock of Discharge-loving hardcore punk. The sound is bloody huge, and of course it would be, it is a metal festival, but the brutality of the set , made up of the best songs of the album, is awe-inspiring. That's what the end of the world should sound like. Eight songs of crushing "just like" d-beat that abides by the inexpugnable laws laid by the Stoke-on-Trent apostles who saved punk-rock in 1980. I guess it would not be erroneous to point out that Dean is a bit loud in the mix but his presence has never been subtle on stage so that was to be expected. The band is otherwise really tight, in spite of the scarcity of their rehearsals, and if you are looking for the sonic equivalent of being powerslammed by the Hulk wearing a studded jacket with Discharge painted on his back in order to make your friday livelier, you have just found the correct artifact.

All sizes for men, women and children,

The cd itself comes in a cardboard sleeve and sadly looks like a promotional giveaway rather than the best example of a live d-beat album recorded in the 90's, which Throw Into Oblivion objectively is. And I hate when ads for band merch find their way onto the insert. I have just bought the bloody cd already, let me breathe. Disgust would record the mediocre A World of No Beauty for Nuclear Blast (a metal label once again) in 1997, an album that chiefly made all the mistakes that Brutality of War wisely managed to circumvent. It is the perfect example of what a d-beat album should not sound like, so I guess you can thank the band for providing a counterexample: an overproduced, comlacent, uninspired metallic d-beat mess that is gruelling to listen to. As for 2002's The Horror of it all..., seldom has an album worn its title as aptly as this one. With only one original member from what was not really a proper band to begin with, this last Disgust album is to be avoided at all cost and I feel a bit sad for Crimes Against Humanity Records to have been entangled with what was essentially a crime against d-beat.
  

Thrown into disgust

Antisect lives

For many reasons, Antisect were the stuff of legends. Well, of punk legends I guess as they don't appear so legendary to my next-door neighbour. This band had everything: they had a powerful, dark sound; they were innovative and stimulating; they had potent lyrics and their imagery is still a reference to this day for many bands. And of course, they pioneered the post-apocalyptic crust look, which changed dramatically the beauty canons in the worldwide punk-rock galaxy. Although they only released two records during their relatively short existence in the 80's (from 1981 to 1987... or was it 1988?), they have remained this iconic, slightly enigmatic, anarchopunk entity. Their story certainly contributed to their cult status, with their mythic second Lp - which would have been called "Welcome to the new dark ages" if I'm not mistaken - never coming out because the tapes were lost in a London cab and becoming as a result some sort of lost arch. You can't cheat karma, can you?

Wink and Pete Boyce from an early gig with Flux

The band toured a lot and were, according to anyone who were lucky enough to see them and sober enough to remember it, an absolutely incredible live force. Them touring so much may have been one of the reasons why they didn't record much back in the 80's, but then Amebix also played a lot and they were a rather prolific band. Perhaps they saw the stage as a more relevant means of expression, the only place where they could really unleash their power and communicate, where they could, quite literally, be, whereas the studio environment may have felt a bit contrived and limited. Even assuming there is any truth to my rambling, this perceived reluctance to enter a studio didn't stop the band from releasing one of the most potent punk album ever, so you could say quality was paramount to quantity. I am pretty sure that more than a few British punks were nailed to the floor the first time they heard "in darkness there is no choice" (I would personally compare my first Antisect experience with a chokeslam): an organic, atmospheric punk masterpiece that brings Discharge-inspired music to a new level with longer and darker songs, two anguished vocalists full hope and despair, expanding, crushing guitar riffs that emphasize relentlessness, blended with heavy mid-tempo anarcho beats that were soaked in a barrel of melted steel, the moodiness of Flux of Pink Indians and the tension of Conflict. Despite their short discography, Antisect still had a tremendous influence on the anarchopunk and hardcore scene in the 80's, first because of the incredible tour de force that was their first Lp and also, because they toured a lot, I suppose that their impact on other people was mostly conveyed through their live shows and that a lot of Antisect live tapes were around at the time.

Lippy and Pete Boyce

Much has been written about them and there are some really good live shows available on records. The best one, arguably, was released in 1991: "Peace is better than a place in history". Each side of the record contains songs from two different gigs, an early one from 1982, the dischargy pre-"In darkness" era and another one from their last tour in 1987 when they offered the crust genre to punk-rock before splitting up. 1991 also saw the release of "Hallo there... How's life?" (with the creepy baby and pup on the cover) and "Live in the darkness", two Lp's with the very same live show from 1984, with the classical "In darkness" setlist. I'm not really sure why there were two versions of this live record, on two different record labels but it sounds like a typical punk misunderstanding between band members and record labels... Oh well. "Live in the darkness" is probably the one Antisect record that looks the less like an Antisect record and, in a very nerdy way, that makes it kinda cool. Apparently, the band's live records always come in group since 2010 also saw two of them being released by the always reliable Antisociety records. Actually, one of them, poetically entitled "Demos/Live 82", only has one of its sides dedicated to Antisect's live performance with a rather poorly recorded live from 1982 that is far inferior to the one found on "Peace is better", though the songs are pretty much from the same period and some of them are very rare and hard to find with a decent sound anyway. Fortunately, the dantean "Live in Leeds 1986" also saw the light of day that year with a smashing entire recording from the crust era (there was only about half of the set on "Peace is better") and an amazing artwork straight up from the "Out from the void" mood.

That's for the official releases. You'll be able to find many more live tapes or even filmed gigs on the web and in an act of shameful self-promotion, I strongly advise you to download the awe-inspiring Antisect/Sacrilege live tapes that I posted on Terminal Sound Nuisance a while back. So with all this material already available online, why should you bother reading, yet again, a post about recordings that you could listen to elsewhere? Well, for a start, some of these live recordings are only available on youtube and I personally don't feel like it is an appropriate enough channel to discuss music. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes play music on youtube just like everyone, but I don't think it is a good place to read and talk about music and I often have the impression that it dilutes everything into a meaningless series of songs. And if there is one thing that characterizes Antisect, it has to be this: meaning. So I have picked three live recordings from three different times that marked a change or a departure in the band's history and I will try to show why they can be seen as turning points. Let's geek my friends.

Polly, during the last tour I guess

Live at the Union Club, Nottingham, 9.4.1983

Quite a line-up... Antisect and Napalm Death opening for Subhumans, Disorder and Amebix... In fact there was a version of this very same flyer with Chaos UK as well...

This is an interesting one. Recorded five months after the other Notts gig that is included on "Peace is Better Than a Place in History" and five months before they entered Southern studios to record "In Darkness There is no Choice", this show aptly illustrates the transition from one period to another. The very first Antisect period can be witnessed on the "Demos/Live 1982" Lp which includes recordings from early 1982 (call me Captain Obvious) when they had only one singer, Pete Boyce, and when they still played with Discharge. But in fact the band didn't play those songs for very long since by the end of 1982, as the "Peace is better" Lp attests, two new singers had been recruited, Rich and Carolyn, and very few of the songs from the "Demos" Lp were still on the setlist (only "Aftermath" can be found on both records and only "Hallo there... how's life" seems to have survived long enough to be on the album), maybe because the influx of new members prompted the band to write new songs that would fit several vocalist better and, more likely, because the very first Antisect numbers were a bit rough.

Rich and Pete Boyce giving it all

Antisect was a band that moved fast and whose songwriting skills rapidly improved. By the time of this 1983 Nottingham gig, the band had moved from their hometown of Daventry to Northampton and got deeper into anarchopunk and politics. Musically they were starting to leave the path of simple and direct dischargy punk that had characterized them so far and had written a couple of slower, heavier songs that would appear on the Lp. This gig showed the band at a crossroad with songs from their second early period like "Resist and exist", "Four minutes past midnight" or "Ghost of mankind" (and even the rather obscure and brilliant number "The plot thickens") as well as songs that would land on the Lp like "Tortured and abused", "The buck stops here" and "The world's biggest runt". This was a time when Antisect used the dual vocal very well and I think it became one of their trademarks. Although Rich and Pete Boyce were already singing together since late 1982, their singing style had been so far of the trade-off variety: one singer shouts and the other one screams in reply, very much what would become a crustcore trait a few years afterwards. On this mid-1983 live, you can hear that on the newer prototypical "In darkness" songs, the vocal dynamic is somehow more subtle and less obvious. Lippy's guitar sound has grown to maturity, it has this tremendous, devastating force that greatly contributed to making "In darkness" such a seminal hardcore punk Lp.

Polly with probably the first official crust pants

You will notice that some songs that would land on "In darkness" appear here in slightly different versions: "Channel zero reality" doesn't have the same structure and "Education or indoctrination" even has some guitar and feedback on it which actually sound great. It has to be said that during the "In darkness" recording sessions, the band rewrote a lot of their songs so it is quite likely that they had played these early versions at least until then. The sound on this recording is quite poor so it may take a while to really get into it. It was also at this time that Antisect started to play their entire set without pause (if you listen closely there are breaks between songs on the 1982 side of "Peace is better"), as if it was the same story told in one long breath, not unlike Flux really, which I find really great but which is a bit of a pain to cut into separate songs. In order to give the Antisect live experience its full relevance, I strongly suggest that you listen to all these lives in one go. They will make a lot more sense.

I think I took this one from Gabe's old blog, Slaughter of the Innocent (or was it still Nation on Fire?). So thanks for that!

Nottingham 83

Live at the Station, Gateshead, 6.10.1984

Antisect and Amebix for £1,50... You gotta love the "No glue" warning at the bottom!

The Station played an essential role in the making of the anarchopunk scene in the Newcastle area in the early 80's. Not only was it a self-run venue (a former police station, no less!) which saw bands like Icons of Filth, Alternative or The Clash (yes) play throughout the years, but it also served as a shared rehearsal space for local bands such as Blood Robots and Reality Control. As such, touring punk bands who ventured up North were bound to play at the Station at some point. This Antisect live show was recorded about six months after the release of "In Darkness There is no Choice", a record that reached number 4 in the indie charts at the time. This is an important factor when you listen to this recording. Before the Lp, Antisect's reputation was solely based on their live performances. After all, they didn't even have a track on a Mortarhate compilation to show for. One may think that the fact that they shared the stage with as famous a band as Discharge in their early days also helped make Antisect known, especially since, if one is to believe Anti-System, they were even more ferocious than Discharge (but then the dual vocal attack combined with fast aggressive punk music, unheard of until then in Britain, must have played a part in building this impression). Them also playing regularly with Flux of Pink Indians certainly helped putting their name of the anarcho map of the time. But still, they didn't even have a decent demo to sell the punters.

A caricature drawn after that very Station gig.

After such a successful Lp, one would think that Antisect would have tried to build on this achievement and give the people what they were expecting: the full "In darkness" setlist, just like on the "Hallo there... How's life?" live Lp that was recorded in February 1984. But listening to this late 84 gig, one thing is apparent: they did not. I think that two reasons can be given for that. First, there had been some significant line-up changes in Antisect with the second singer, Rich Hill, leaving and Wink, the original bass player being replaced with John Bryson. Perhaps the band decided more or less consciously to write some new material in order to go on and that it was made possible with the  new influence of John (a fellow who was into heavily into Black Sabbath). One also has to remember that by late 1984, a lot of punk bands were "turning metal" (some with little success... cough...Discharge...cough) and that acts such as Venom or Celtic Frost, without mentioning the early thrash metal wave, were gaining momentum. Second, I would suggest that Antisect was not a band that chose the easy way and they always followed their own path, and if that meant playing metal-punk songs before an audience expecting excitedly all the "In Darkness" hits, so be it. But back to the actual gig.

Carolyn and Lippy. Taken during the gig.

This Antisect live recording is one of the most peculiar I have heard. Pete Boyce and Carolyn are left in charge of all the vocal duties so that there is no longer a gruffy, low voice. You can feel that the band was between two important stages. There is a strong heavy metal influence but they have not yet reached the punishing heaviness of their late period. You can definitely spot early versions of songs that would appear in their classic crust setlist later on but under different names. For instance, "Out from the void I" is entitled "Towards the eclipse" here and "Tomorrow is" is a primitive version of "New dark ages". If anything, this gig illustrates the band's songwriting process as you can see which bits they kept and which ones were left out of the final songs. Only two songs remained from the album, "In darkness" and "Heresy", and despite several meaningful changes, the two songs that would make up the "Out from the void" Ep were pretty much already written.

During the gig as well

Musically, this is not unlike early Concrete Sox or Civilised Society? actually. I particularly love the fact that Carolyn has the chance to be really present in some songs. There are several cracking spoken parts backed up with eerie mid-tempo moments, I'm thinking in particular about the version of "Behind the lines" here, that are really worthwhile and will bring a new light on Antisect (so to speak, it is all darkness as we all know). As if that was not enough, you can find two exclusive songs on this one: "Chant", a classic singalong anarcho anthem with "There is no them and us, there is only you and meeeeeeeeeeeee" repeated over and over, and "Square pegs", an epic, long number with a dirgy tune that strongly reminds me of Nausea's crust era... During that post "In darkness" year, Antisect would tour Italy with this line-up, and, probably, with a rather similar setlist (this is a wild guess since I have unfortunately never heard any live recordings from Antisect's foreign tours). Who knows, their metallic anarchopunk approach may have pleased and influenced Wretched during that tour...

During the Crucifix tour!

Overall the sound is decent but not heavy enough so, again, you'll have to make an effort to get into this. And as usual there is no pause between songs. This was taken from youtube where you will find some pictures taken during the gig as well. And since I am a pretty magnanimous bloke, I have included an interview that was done just after the Station gig. Yeah, you're welcome.

The post-gig interview

Newcastle 84

Live at Planet X, Liverpool, 27.3.1987

With Napalm Death opening up...

Listening to these three lives, it feels as though they are not from the same band. In fact, you could say that they stand for Antisect throughout the different stages of the band's life. It is both the same band and a different one. A bit like, once you've played "Why?": there is a before and an after. I have talked about the first two live recordings through the prism of transition and inbetweenness. There was a band that hadn't reached completion of a specific stage, it was in a state of ambivalence, of change. But this gig from 1987, recorded during Antisect's last tour, showed the band at its full power, really tight, incredibly heavy and intense. This may be my favourite Antisect period, although they sadly didn't survive it. But let's go backward a little. By 1985, Antisect had become a three-piece, with Pete Boyce and Carolyn leaving the band. This led the band to become tighter and tighter, I suppose, since John and Lippy had to handle the vocals as well. This didn't stop them touring in Holland and Belgium and although I have yet to listen to a decent live recording from that three-piece period, they apparently didn't lose any of their power on stage. It was at this time that they consolidated their classic crust repertoire. In parallel with this metallic strengthening, the lyrics became darker, less direct and expressed precisely the difficulty to express oneself, to reach to people, to get out from the social void. Dark days indeed.

Last singer Tim

In 1986, the band changed members again, with John (who actually sang on the "Out from the void" Ep) leaving and being replaced with Lawrence from Anthrax and Tim being recruited on vocal duties. It was with this final line-up that the band reached the crust nirvana: Lippy and Polly as immortal founding members and the two fresh members, Tim and Lawrence. I feel that the several live recordings from that last tour from 1987 (one of them, recorded in Norwich, appears on the side B of "Peace is better"), are even better than the "Live in Leeds 1986", and I'm not saying this lightly either. By 1987, the band used a new intro, as epic and brilliant as the 1986 one, which would be "borrowed" in the mid 00's by Effigy on their split with Hellshock (geek mode [off]) and had added a few extra songs as well such as "Still in darkness" and "Burn it to the ground".

As a three-piece with John on the left.

They always looked good in caricatures

I have already talked at length about the greatness of late Antisect but to make it short, let's say that they took the crunchy and groovy heaviness of Motörhead and Celtic Frost to their own darkened brand of dischargy anarchopunk. Tim does a great job on vocals: the voice is gruffy and angry but still distinguishable (even from a live recording). My only complaint with this particular live recording is that the vocals are a bit too low perhaps but the rest of the instruments are as they should be.

Lippy in guitar hero mode

This was taken from a filmed gig that you can watch on youtube and witness the scenic presence that Antisect had. There was clearly a peculiar atmosphere settling when they played. This was recorded directly through the mixing desk, which accounted for the good sound, as were most of their 86/87 gigs that you can find on the web (I also strongly recommend the ones in Norwich and in Carlisle from this same last tour).

Final bassist Lawrence

Finally, searching through my Antisect museum, I found a flyer from 1988 which saw them play with... Anti-System and Anorexia in Bradford. Yes, that is a live tape I already posted on Terminal Sound Nuisance whose date perplexed me since Anti-System were meant to have called it a quit in 1986... until I found the confirmation of a reformation from 1988. All this to say that Antisect were apparently still playing by may 1988... The truth is out there.

From the last tour

Liverpool 87

OMG!

 

 

Filthkick "The Peel sessions 1989/1990"

Today's post will be an emotional moment for all of us (yet another one I hear whispering!). Because today I would like all of us to remember our fallen friends, those who did not make it through, who gave up living, for all kinds of reasons. This post is dedicated to all the fallen blogs, all the dead blogs that I used to visit daily and who are no longer with us. Is it because mediafire and co have become such a pain? Is it because of the apparent apathy of the blog-visiting population (myself included) who cannot be arsed to even leave a comment? Is it because sometimes we are under the impression that no one gives a damn about our rants and that what the punks really want is just the files and not the context? Am I being a cry-baby?

But anyway, more seriously, I would like to dedicate this post to a former blog called Panzer Badger that was done by an older bloke and documented very throroughly the mid/late 80's punk and metal scene in Norwich (among other things to be sure, but I remember it quite fondly for that). Of course you would find in the badger's hole (or wherever it lives) many unknown and obscure recordings of Deviated Instinct (from the very early stages to the later ones), a whole bunch of more or less listenable Rhetoric live recordings as well as many live tapes of big metal acts such as Venom or even fucking Metallica if I remember correctly. What I enjoy the most in Panzer Badger was the tone used, it was witty, informative, unpretentious and you could feel that the geezer really loves what he was writing about. Passion is what it is. For some reason, I never got in touch with him, assuming as we all unfortunately do, that blogs last forever and that bloggers won't get bored of getting little more than indifference. Panzer Badger was one of the blogs that prompted me to start Terminal Sound Nuisance. As a tribute to PB, and to all the other blogs that stopped breathing, I decided to make two absolutely crucial recordings that the badger posted at some point available again, two recordings that I had no idea existed but literally pinned me to the floor: the two Peel sessions that Filthkick did. I humbly thank the badger for making the world a nastier place by unleashing the sessions and the files that you can download from my post are originally his.

Filthkick should be a reference in hardcore punk today. Sadly, the are just "that band Extreme Noise Terror did a split with but I rarely (meaning never) listen to their side" and to be fair the songs on the aforementioned split are pretty average-sounding. Not that the songs are bad, on the contrary, the song-writing is strong, but you can hardly hear the guitar and the vocals are nowhere as mean and insane as on the Peel sessions. If you have always thought that Filthkick was an anecdotale band, be prepared to be refuted right now.

As you may or may not know, Filthkick was Leggo's ugly baby after he left Deviated Instinct and moved to Brum. The first Peel session of Filthkick was recorded in 1989 with the first line-up (the band has had a tumuluous, if short, existence it appears) that also included Jim from Ripcord (and much later on the brilliant Warprayer). In 1989, Filthkick must have been the meanest, most ferocious, aggressive, obnoxious-sounding hardcore punk band around in England. Influenced to a large extent by Poison Idea and possibly some Japanese hardcore bands, their music is like a sonic spit in the face, an nihilistic but smart embodiment of "fuck you". Don't expect childish provocation and fake misanthropy here, as Leggo can write good lyrics, a bit hopeless perhaps, but always snotty and quite smart. The seven songs of this first Peel session (among them a Poison Idea cover) will feel like being trampled to death by a rabid fox: fast, short with gnarly and ferocious vocals. Listening to this I cannot help thinking that Leggo should have used this style of vocals with Deviated Instinct at the time, because he does now and it sounds absolutely perfect. Missed opportunity I guess.

The second Peel session, just one year after, sees a different Filthkick in the BBC studio. Only Leggo remained from the old line-up as Pete from Doom and two blokes from death-metal band Obliteration now made up the band. Actually, in only three years of existence, more people came and went in Filthkick, among them future, current and future members of Acrasy or Policebastard. The fast and bitingly direct hardcore songs have not disappeared but you can also find heavier, venomous mid-tempo numbers that are probably my favourite songs from them. You have the same nasty voice, it is still bass-driven, still antagonistic but now aimed to pound you to the floor with a more crushing and groovy (dare I say crusty?) feel to the songs without going metal. Just terrific stuff.

The sound is not crystal clear as it was recorded directly from the radio I suppose). But really, who cares when the music is that good? This deserves to be reissued properly along with live recordings from the band as well (the badger had some cracking ones on his blog).

Filthkick         

"Oi! Sound of UK" compilation cd 2005

I have always been a sucker for reissues. When I was a teenager I would buy discography cd's of all the UK82 bands, crammed with songs (a lot of them mere fillers, let's face it), cheesy pictures of the boys before a brickwall and the history of the band told by either the singer or the guy from the label. It mattered to me because it made me feel that, through such discographies available to my generation for a decent price, the old bands also belonged to me: they were part of my history and I was part of theirs. It sounds really naive but I still get the same feeling when I get a good reissues with lyrics, pictures, liner notes, gig posters, all the artwork, a proper orgy of information. I know the trend today is to reissue records exactly as they were released the first time around. While I get why people would want that, isn't it just to recreate the illusion of the past in our current context? Just make-believe? The epitomy of nostalgia? But anyway, I won't talk about class reissues today (but there will definitely be a time for that). No, before one can spot top reissues, one has to know shitty, rip-off, idle, taking the piss out of you reissues first. And "Oi! Sound of UK" is possibly - and hopefully - the most terrible reissues I will ever own (yes, even worse than the crappiest cd bootleg I happen to have).

First, with a title like "Oi! Sound of UK", what do you expect in terms of content? You are entitled to expect Blitz, the Rejects, The Business, some shitty live recordings of 4-Skins and a demo version of Infa-Riot. You would be very wrong to expect this kind of line-up (and who needs yet another oi compilation anyway) since "Oi! Sound of UK" is actually a late 80's British hardcore compilation and the bands included are very far from boots, braces and hard-looking baldies. In fact, this cd is a reissue of a 1988 Lp compilation entitled "Airstrip One UK". It was released on notorious American hardcore label Mystic Records, probably as a means to promote the British hardcore scene on the other side of the Atlantic. While the original Lp looks quite good and seems to have at least some pictures and contacts, Mystic decided to reissue it changing its name to the pathetic "Oi! Sound of UK" with a fucking Union Jack on the cover and including absolutely no information whatsoever. Inside the "booklet" (assuming a sheet folded in two actually deserves the name that is...), you will only find ads promoting how fucking brilliant Mystic Records is, has been and will be. Not a word about the bands or even the original compilation.

I initially got this cd because I was flabbergasted when I saw what looked like your average dodgy oi compilation (the cover, as you can see, is not ironical in the least) with Deviated Instinct, Napalm Death or Karma Sutra on it (I was less surprised to see Oi Polloi, since, even 30 years after they stopped playing oi music, even 20 years after the "Whale song", a lot of people still think they are a oi band and not an anarchopunk band). I actually had to start a thread on he now defunct Profane Existence message board to ask about that piece of plastic. But anyway... In addition to the original line-up of bands that you can find on "Airstrip one", "Oi! Sound of UK" also contains 8 live songs from the Instigators. I have no idea why, when, how or what for, but here you are. Judging by the songs, this a late 80's live set from the Instigators, a time when they no longer were the catchiest band political band of the North and played rather bland US-influenced sticky melodic hardcore (not really our cup of tea at Terminal Sound Nuisance).

Have I felt deeply ripped off when I received this cd? Do I need to answer this? But enough bitterness and let's have a look at the songs. There are 16 songs and 17 bands (as if the horror wasn't already complete, the Karma Sutra song is split in two on the cd, so it stands on two tracks instead of one). First is Visions of Change, a band I have always enjoyed (not as good as their Depraved era if you ask me although this song sounds exactly like a Depraved song) with a warm, rocking, melodic music and great vocals. A smart band too. Next is Oi Polloi with a song from their - arguably - best period, when they tried to emulate the sound of Antisect, Anti-System, AOA, even Sacrilege. The guitar is distorted and thrashing, you have terrific solos all over the place, harsh, angry vocals with a long anarcho spoken part and a drummer dreaming he is with Discharge during the recording session of "Hear nothing". Cracking song, cracking band. A short live burst of vintage Napalm Death is followed by a too melodic a song from HDQ. I don't dislike HDQ, far from that, and I like tunes in punk-rock but I much prefer Hex because they still kept a distinct anarcho flavour in their blend of hardcore.

Deviated Instinct's "Mechanical extinction" proudly carries the crust banner on the next track. They hardly need an introduction from me as I have already written at great lengths about them in a previous post. Fantastic band and a top song from an excellent recording session (the so-called "Return of frost" third demo from 1987). Next is Offspring. Yes, Offspring. From the UK though but that's all I know about this band. Sonically they remind me of HDQ or Eyes On You, pretty typical of these British bands who tried to emulate a certain American sound but couldn't really help bringing typically British-sounding tunes and song-writing on the table (for my greatest pleasure). Cowboy Killers follow, the craziest Welsh hardcore band with smart, provocative lyrics, a instinctive approach to fast punk music and a distinctive singer who can both sing and sound pissed off. Not bad at all.

The ever-underestimated Decadence Within have their song on this one too, and a really good at that. While I don't enjoy their US crossover period, Decadence Within strikes me as a genuine, honest band that were not the best around but worked hard. Their song sounds a bit transitional as you will find traces of their more traditonnal (and amazing!) anarchopunk sound with the female singer as well as fast and punchy hardcore punk. I strongly recommend getting their double-cd on Boss Tuneage Records and reading Glasper's books. The next song (the two next tracks to be accurate) is the real standout song of this cd to my ears: Karma bloody Sutra. I'll grant you that they should have picked a more decent name but their Lp is everything a real lover of punk is bound to expect from a record: it is original, powerful, there is variety, there are tunes, there are real politics and above all honesty. I have no idea when "Crisis? What crisis?" was recorded but, judging from the pervading postpunk anarcho atmosphere, shortly after the album sounds correct. It is mournful, emotional, you can feel the frustration and the beauty pouring through each notes. It is just perfect.

Next are The Instigators in their not-so-good period. Still a decent song I suppose (the chorus is great) but give me their 1984-85 anytime. I am a bit harsh but when you have recorded songs as good as theirs, it is a bit disheartening to hear what followed them. Ripcord is next and I don't think they need much of an introduction. Famous Boston-influenced hardcore that left a strong mark on the British hardcore scene. They used to cover "Breakout" from Anti-System in their early days and ended up covering Siege, I guess that will give you an idea of what they sound like. The great Dan are next with energetic hardcore punk with a lot of hooks and top female vocals, not unlike A-Heads in a more American hardcore mood. Great band with a top notch double cd discography released on the ever-reliable Boss Tuneage. Eyes On You follows and again, an HDQ-type band to my ears, very tuneful in the American sense of the term.

Next are Autonomy, not the rarest moniker for a punk band and a band I know close to nothing about. The song is a bit sloppy but fits well with the other songs of the compilation: I hear American hardcore, a bit of thrashing here and there and a vocalist who tries to sing in tunes. Not bad but probably slightly anecdotal. Feed Your Head follow and that's more my cup of tea. They have this intensity that you cannot fake and proper tunes as well. Quite a unique band for its time I guess. I am not sure what they really intended to sound like but the addition of some synth at the end of this beefy punk-rock song definitely wins my heart (I must be the exception here, but you cannot change an old Amebix fan like myself!). Then you have another short burst of vintage Napalm Death. Finally, a classic song from the great Civilised Society?, also known as "and what if Chumbawamba had been into early thrash metal?". I have already ranted about CS? in the same post as Deviated Instinct so I won't start again. But they are great, they really are.

A word of conclusion? Don't ever buy this cd.

Oi! Sound of UK... for fuck's sake...

PS: the original cd was burnt very chaotically as you will hear so that you sometimes have the last seconds of a song overlapping onto the first of the next. Are they taking the piss? Yes, they are, thank you very much. Still, sorry about that but that's the whole point of my demonstration.                  

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