Ace Compilations for Less than a Fiver on Bloody Discogs (part 2): "Walk Across America - for Mother Earth" compilation Ep, 1992

Walk across America for Mother Earth. 

Walk across America for Mother Earth?

Walk across America for Mother Earth...

Almost 30 years after its release, the title of this compilation Ep - Walk Across America - for Mother Earth in case you are a bit slow - remains one of the hippiest of the whole punk history. Despite its unquestionably good intentions, if the Ep is unbeknown to the punk on the street, the title will conjure up horrifying images, visions that few men and women can claim to have survived without going insane. Many could never get over the blinding nightmarishness of the patchoulied worldview. Some became like possessed, converted, swallowed whole into the hippie ideology, never to return. Fucking sandals. Fucking magic crystals. Fucking white middle-class people reconnecting to "Nature" through dancing, playing fucking bongos and doing loads of drugs. Dodgy, fake fucking shamans blagging their way into a cult leadership, leaving you bollock-naked in a field making out with a bong. Ten-minute long fucking solos, Doors' cover and Manu Chao cosplay. I could go on. Abominations that are generally admitted to be the curse of the human race. These are the kind of thoughts that the title of the Ep would evoke out of context. A quick look at the cover of the Ep may also send shivers down the barmy army's spine. Some misdirected souls claimed that on full moons, one could sometimes hear cheesy folk music coming out of the record and that if it did happen, it was strongly recommend to immediately store the Ep next to Sore Throat or Gloom records, reputable talismans against the hippie eye. Of course, the quick-witted punk would not fall so quickly into the abyss, ignore the flying feather and actually read what accompanies the Walk Across America - for Mother Earth title: a well class lineup made up of Hiatus, Political Asylum, Mushroom Attack, Indian Dream, Silent Water and the rather enigmatic Teenage Kicks. And I personally have nothing against hippies, I mean I had a hippie friend back in the day and my cousin even dated one. I am not prejudiced.   

Before dealing with the cracking lineup of this compilation, let me reiterate that the idea behind it was very honourable indeed since, all joking and hippie-basing aside and in spite of confirmed sightings of crystal-worship during the walk, For Mother Earth was an organization responsible for the Walk Across America 1992 initiative in solidarity with the struggles of Native American people across the Americas. All the profits went to the organization and although they cannot have been incredible - it's a DIY punk compilation, not a U2 benefit gig - it is always encouraging to see punks actually giving a fuck. There were a lot of protest, notably from Indian activist groups in 1992 because many American states celebrated the 500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the continent by Columbus. Celebrating the start of an ongoing genocide against Native populations is about the most outrageously insulting they could have thought of, even for soulless politicians. The genocidal policies against Native Americans certainly kept going throughout the twentieth century and still do. A basic summary of the many facets of the oppression and genocide faced by Natives is included on the back of the foldout cover. It is, because of issues of space and clarity, short but it was meant to lead people to get interested and involved in the struggles and dig deeper into those issues. The same year, Profane Existence released the In Spirit of Total Resistance double Ep compilation coinciding with 500th anniversary and the Mohawk uprising in Oka. There were of course more compilations and cooperations between bands to protest against the disgusting, shamelessly revolting celebration, notably from Latino punx. Let's mention the Medellin Contra el Quinto Centenario 1991 tape (with Imagen and GP among others) and the Rock Subterraneo Contra el V° Centenario international tape (with Los Violadores, IRA or Atoxxxico). More recently, in 2005, the 512 Años Despues el Saqueo Continua digital compilation is equally worth investigating with a solid lineup including Doña Maldad, Dios Hastio, Apatia-No or Los Dolares. 

After a whole paragraph of talking about serious stuff, let's solemnly shift focus on the six bands invited to support the worthy cause. First are the mighty Hiatus from Liège. I once professed with authority that Hiatus were probably the best band to have ever walked the Earth and that was not an empty, alcohol-induced claim. There are days when I have the conviction that Hiatus were the missing link between the Neanderthals and modern human beings. Think about it. The Belgian heroes have been regularly included on Terminal Sound Nuisance so this one will be a sitter. The song "Confusion inside my head" was recorded in August, 1990, during the same recording session as the first Ep I don't Scare Easily But... and the split Ep with Reach a Mental Road. At that time Hiatus still had Raf on vocals while Wills was playing the bass (he famously went on to crust things up behind the mike after Raf's departure). This was Hiatus at their most primitive before they became the hugely influential eurocrust powerhouse they are known for. In 1990, Hiatus were rawer, simpler and not quite as impactful as they would become from 1992 on though they still packed a serious punch. Still, the band can be said to have been, maybe not the first - Extreme Noise Error were actually first with their 1988 demo - but certainly the most significant late 80's Doom/ENT/Sore Throat filthy cavemen crust worshipers on the continent so that we should be eternally grateful for that. Absolutely classic crust.

Next up are another former Terminal Sound Nuisance candidate with Indian Dream, whose first 1987 Ep Well Are you Happy Now? was reviewed here almost four years ago (gasp). Again, I am not going to throw myself into an elaborate speech about the merits of Indian Dream and rather, for laziness is also a virtue, encourage you to take a look at the aforementioned older review. With a name like Indian Dream, the inclusion of the late 80's Scarborough lot on benefit compilation in solidarity with Native Americans feels almost too obvious. It is widely known that British anarchopunks in the 80's were fascinated with American Indian cultures and the harmonious lifestyle they stood for in the psyche of young, idealist, pacifist punks. It does sound quite cheesy from the all-knowing arrogance of our 2020's selves and you would probably have punks accusing Indian Dream of naive cultural appropriation, and I suppose it is not an unintelligible argument, but at least the band gave an actual shit about the oppression of Native people and their lyrics reflected their outrage and their support to the struggle. I am not sure when "Discarded" was recorded, possibly during the same session as the second Ep, but it is probably my favourite song from them. Melancholy, moody but uplifting anarchopunk with superb poignant female vocals, this song has everything, from the disarming catchiness of classic anarchopunk to the charmingly cheesy 80's-inspired "tribal" chants that could be awkward but kinda work well with the pagan atmosphere, lyrics and imagery of the band (I may not be impartial here, truth be told). If you enjoy Lost Cherrees, Rubella Ballet or A-Heads, Indian Dream might become your favourite band soon. The two Ep's are brilliant examples of third wave UK anarchopunk and the Orca Lp is a genuine classic with a cover that is the visual equivalent of Oi Polloi's "Whale song". You were warned.

Next up are not Teenage Kicks at all but Pink Turds In Space covering "Teenage kicks" from The Undertones, one of the most famous punk songs ever written and certainly the catchiest chorus of rock'n'roll history - right next to The Exploited's "Alternative" and Doom's "Police bastard" - which the band took a manifest pleasure destroying. This cover actually already appeared on the Wild and Crazy Noise Merchants double Lp compilation (reviewed here) so I will not stun you with endless ravings this time round. PTIS were one of the best bands of the late 80's/early 90's Belfast scene with their fast, mean, magnetic thrashing hardcore punk with some of the raspiest female vocals I have ever heard. Everything they did was top but the split Lp with Sedition was particularly ferocious. Antisociety reissued the full discography of the band on vinyl so don't be a poser and support the scene.

On the B side, guests are welcome with the Scottish anarcho-progpunk champions Political Asylum which, once again, already made a memorable appearance on the blog with their Winter Ep. "Symptom" was taken from their Someday Lp from 1987 and at that point the band was becoming more and more proficient musically, more technical, with more rock and less punk, so to speak, but still deep into anarchism. I like the album and its energy and the tuneful distinctive vocals, almost folkish here, work well but I somehow miss the brooding melancholy of the 1985 Ep and the demos a little - but then "I prefer the early demo to their late material" as the famous ancient punk saying goes. This said, "Symptom" is a solid tuneful song with neat arrangements and a prime example of Political Asylum at the peak of their prowess. Still to be consumed with some moderation because of the unreasonable amount of solos. One is never too careful when punks actually learn how to play their instruments.

The next stop sees us stepping into a much dirtier territory, a dangerous place where toxic armpits rule and toothbrushes are banned: Mushroom Attack's squatters kingdom. This Groningen classic band briefly popped up on the blog through the benefit compilation Ep They ain't Seen Nothing Yet (here) that included a song of theirs. MA are often considered as a pre-Fleas & Lice band and the comparison is not irrelevant although they had no inclination toward crust music. Expect fast and raw anarcho-thrash with dual male/female vocals. I did not remember them to be that fast but the song "Squat and live" certainly delivers with a sound that epitomizes the essence of the typical sound of many European DIY political hardcore punk bands. Dynamic early 90's squat punk at its best that I often to associate with cities like Groningen or Liège that still cradle that sort of noise unit to this day. Early Disaffect definitely comes to mind (not by design but because the musical context led to the formation of bands with a sound like theirs) and other Flat Earth Records bands like Sedition, One By One or Health Hazard and even Jesus Chrust and (German) Enola Gay. You know the deal. "Squat or die" is a song about squatting and fighting gentrification, a battle that was sadly but logically lost. The two classic split Lp's with Ξεχασμένη Προφητεία and Disorder (the brilliantly named Masters of the Glueniverse) have a better, more powerful sound and also comes highly recommended if you are into raw dual vocal hardcore punk with honest political lyrics and into records worth a fiver since their 2001 cd discography pretty much goes for that little. Not the most crucial band of the decade but still thoroughly enjoyable for old-school types. 

The last song is "Your shark" by Silent Water, a band I did not know at all before grabbing the Ep. They were from Belgium, were active from the late 80's to the early 90's and released two tapes and a full album in 1991 with the rather depressing title A Joyride on Waves of Solitude. Hand me the fucking rope. Judging from the titles of the songs, Silent Water had strong anarchist leanings and them participating in compilations alongside Jesus Chrust and Earth Citizens beside the spiky lineup making up Walk Across America. I have no idea what the band sounded like in general - it is actually a one-man man so I probably should have used "he" instead of "they" - but "Your shark" is an acoustic folk song. Not bad at all and it reminds me of Chumbawamba but that is certainly due to the fact that I don't listen to folk music at all, unless I am forced to like that time I had to witness an Against Me gig. Long story. The one SW song I could find had a punky noise-rock touch but I am clueless if it is representative of the style either.

The compilation Ep was released on Be Yourself Records and Bonds of Friendship, the latter being run by the bloke responsible for Conspiracy Records. The Ep has some noticeable surface noise but since we are all half-deaf punks here, I doubt you will be too bothered. Let's call it additional vintageness. I paid about €5 for my copy and if you negotiate cleverly, beg pathetically or blackmail wickedly, you should able to too. 

               

Walk Across America - for Mother Earth 

Last Week's Trend is Now Passé (part 1): Political Asylum "Winter" Ep, 1985

It is hard to believe that it has been more than two months since my last proper review. To be honest, after Sonatas in D-Major, I felt drained, vapid, both uninspired and uninspiring. Of course, like any modern individual who believes in the performative power of virtual validation (the whole "like and be liked" paradigm) and actively seeks it, I was greatly confused by these feelings of self-doubt and insignificance. Why do I bother raving over proudly unoriginal d-beat bands or rough cavemen crust punk that actual cavemen would be likely to find a tad excessive? Does this existential scepticism and fear of irrelevance merely point to a coming mid-life crisis? If it is widely accepted that the average Joe, as he starts to get seriously bald, predictably buys a new flashy car to impress younger potential mates, then would getting some obscenely expensive Japanese punk records the equivalent for Western male punx who are reaching that same critical stage in life and thus have to wave goodbye to full on charged hair? I'm no sociologist but there could be some truth in this theory (it also works with obscure heavy metal and cheesy cold wave from the 80's obviously). 

Anyway, faced with the meaninglessness of life itself (oh yes, make no mistake, that is what has always been at stake), I decided to get back to basics for this first series of the year, and explore and revisit a couple of records and bands that, I feel, are underappreciated and you could say that this self-righteous, quixotic quest to promote and offer a critical insight about bands that our current superficial epoch unfairly ignores is at the core of Terminal Sound Nuisance, in that it makes feel somewhat useful and on the just side of History, a bit like a jedi but with a proper punk jacket instead of their hippie robe, although sucking hard at fighting and being shit scared of heights are rather unjedilike. 

So, basically, what I mean is that we should have a series about 80's anarchopunk from the British Isles, with a selection of 10 records that were all released between 1985 and 1989, a period that saw the decline of the anarchopunk movement and the rise of hardcore and crust in the UK. With the current renewed interest in the classic anarchopunk sound (although you could argue that the diversity of the movement renders such a concept irrelevant), the focus and attention have often been on the first half of the decade, and while I wholeheartedly enjoy seeing people get into classic '81/'84 bands, there is a relative indifference towards ulterior recordings, sometimes at the cost of overlooking genuine anarchopunk classics like Political Asylum's Winter.

It would be untrue to claim that Political Asylum were an obscure band back then and the mere fact that they were included on so many - usually homemade - compilation tapes in the 80's shows that they were a well-liked and rather popular band at the time, one that managed to sell 6000 copies (!) of their first demo tape, Fresh Hate. If Winter was PA's first proper record, they had recorded two demos before that, the aforementioned Fresh Hate in 1982 and the rather fantastic Valium for the Masses in 1984. It may look quite odd for a band to wait that long before releasing their first vinyl, especially at a time when anarchopunk was lively and at its top, and far lesser bands than PA got to have records under their belt. But then, if you manage to get your tapes around efficiently, tour a lot and get your message across, why bother doing a vinyl if you don't really need to (and I guess being young Scottish lads didn't exactly help either)? In our present day when more and more bands can release a full album before having even played ten gigs, the idea of taking one's time to put out a vinyl almost sounds blasphemous, but I suppose that many youthful anarcho bands of the time were just not as materialistic. Shame on them.

Despite the anarcho/UK82 trend that swept through the last decade and saw relatively confidential bands like Vex or The Mad Are Sane retrospectively gain a virtual cult status, PA, although one of the most important Scottish anarchopunk bands along with Oi Polloi and Alternative, are rarely discussed and, I suppose, seldom listened to (Valium for the Masses is not even on youtube, for that matter). At a time when self-proclaimed cool kids are prone to wear shirts from even the most obscure 80's anarcho bands, I have yet to see a PA shirt, a clear sign of a slight contemporary indifference toward the band. If they are a genuine classic anarchopunk band, PA never sounded like what we modernly reconstructed as "the classic anarcho sound". In fact, PA, with their overuse of vocal harmonies, their endless guitar solos, genuine prog rock moments and a folk influence, sounded like no other band and that's precisely what I loved about them. I remember being really confused the first time I heard them. I had ordered a cdr online and did not know what to expect as I was only aware that they were an anarchopunk band from the 80's and that was why I wanted to give them a go. I shall not palter with the truth and readily admit that the out of control technical solos almost killed me and in other circumstances would have had me burning the cd and calling for an exorcist, but there was a sense of melody, an incredible tunefulness and an intensity to the songs that compelled me to keep listening. Of course, they also had punkier songs that were easier to relate to (like "Disarm or die" of course), but the ones that really stuck were the moodier, darker ones. And I couldn't believe they just shamelessly ripped of a Black Flag line. I suppose it is the band's uniqueness that both made them quite popular at the time and rather unpopular nowadays as we always crave for comprehensible styles that can be pigeonholed, and while it makes sense to do so with the d-beat genre for instance, you cannot really do that with PA and with large fractions of the 80's anarchopunk world.    

I am not going to write about the band's history as they are well documented (their chapter in The Day the Country Died as well as the booklets to their cd reissues come highly recommended and showcase Ramsey's witty sense of humour). Suffice to say that Winter is one of my favourite anarchopunk Ep's of the 80's. It just has everything I look for in an anarcho record, it is angry and yet melodic, melancholy and yet strangely uplifting, the lyrics are political and sensible, the harmonies are perfect to sing along to it in the shower and I have even grown to like the epic solos. Winter may not really be classified as a punk-rock record nor is it a postpunk one, and I guess it effortlessly transcends genres without ever sounding artsy or even intentional. The song "Winter of our discontent", an obvious reference to the Winter of Discontent of the late 1970's, is a poignant antiwar ballad (I guess the term is somehow fitting) with plenty of harmonies and solos (the PA trademark) and an instantly recognizable opening. An absolute anthem that is authentically emotional. Ace. The next song, "Do they care", is a bouncy punk-rock number with a great vocals, a simple but highly catchy chorus and an eerie atmospheric moment toward the end. "System of war" is another beautiful, moving punk ballad that even the excessive use of solos cannot spoil. The folk element in the music can definitely be felt in the songwriting and in the ways PA conceptualized their two slower songs and there is an acoustic version of "Winter of our discontent" on 1992's How the West was Won 10'' which makes a lot of sense. The two issues I have with this Ep is the use of a drum machine (the cymbals were laid down afterwards) that sometimes sound a little unnatural and too mechanical and don't fit perfectly with the very organic and warm vibe of the songs, but I concede that it might make the Ep even more unique and different. My second issue is that Winter will always be the name of an Amebix record for me.   

Winter was recorded in early 1985 and released on Bristol-based Children of the Revolution Records, of which it was the fifth record (right between AOA's Who are they Trying to Con? and Potential Threat's Brainwashed). If you have never heard PA, today is your lucky day. Just imagine a fusion of Zounds, Chron Gen and Lack if Knowledge with a folk music vibe and a prog rock guitar player. Or maybe just listen to Winter and feel the unstoppable power of the harmonies. And sing along my friend, just siiiiiiiiiiiing.

  

Winter

The Tumult of a Decad (part 10): Terminus "Fear, despair & hate" Ep, 1989

This is the last stop of The Tumult of a Decad, it has been a pleasure as usual, thank you all for coming and please make sure to sign the guest book on your way out. Ta. I honestly could not think of a better band than Terminus to end the series, first because of the band's name (pretty subtle, right?), second and more importantly because Terminus were one of the most unique bands of their time. Like Indian Dream, Terminus are no newcomers to Terminal Sound Nuisance since I have already raved about them on two occasions, for the Eight Years Too Late article (here) and the Endless Struggle compilation double Lp (here).

I know the term "unique" is being used so often and in such a lazy way when discussing music that it has become almost meaningless and, ironically, a bad sign. When I am being told that a band is "unique", I instantly think that it must sound like all the other ones similarly characterized as being "unique", as if the adjective was purely descriptive and a reference to a preconceived set of specific traits that - for some reason - were deemed reflective of "uniqueness", as if bands could claim to play "unique punk-rock". Know what I mean? It is all very silly and bourgeois in the end since being "unique" is possibly the most pregnant obsession of the middle-class that is always so terrified to be perceived as being "like everybody else". But then, you can be "unique" and terrible at the same time... Anyway, Terminus were genuinely unique and like most unique bands, they were pretty much a Marmite band which you either loved or hated. I remember a particularly nasty review of The Graveyard of Dreams cd in an issue of Gadgie which stated (from memory) that it was "shite on toast". There were also very positive reviews of Terminus' works, of course, but the good as well as the bad ones all had one thing in common in that they struggled to define the band's sound and find relevant points of comparison. Terminus have been compared to The Damned, The Mob, Motörhead, Anti-Nowhere League, Bad Religion, Naked Raygun, The Stranglers, Subhumans, Hawkwind, Bauhaus, Amebix... And as endless as this list might be, I would gladly add Leatherface, Social Distortion, Cult Maniax, The Dark, Ritual and The Misfit to it. 

The trouble to aptly locate the band in a relevant frame of references and influences teaches us three important things. First, that the music of Terminus escapes easy categorization. Second, that we often project our own musical background and reference system onto a band we struggle with. And third, that, in spite of the apparent difficulty to correctly grasp Terminus, the band still reminded all the reviewers of a familiar band (even very unlikely ones sometimes). This last point makes Terminus a band that sounds both familiar to an experienced amateur of punk music and yet remains strangely undefinable and out of reach because it resists easy musical parallels. The best thing about all this was that Terminus did not consciously set out with the idea to sound like no one and everyone at the same time (quite a feat if you think about it), like your run of the mill, ordinarily mediocre, self-absorbed arty indie rock band from a university city would have. They just did their own thing and wrote music while keeping in mind the diverse tastes of the band members (and there have been quite a few of them in the band's history). Another element crucial to the making of Terminus was that the band took its time. Very far from the quick prolificity that was usual in the 80's (with the short-livedness that often came with it), the band waited almost four years after they formed in 1983 before releasing their first Ep, which would be unthinkable for most bands by today's standards. 

Terminus were from Scunthorpe, a steel town in the North-East, a place I know so little about that I cannot think of another punk band from there. They recorded three demos before the first Ep: a self-titled one in 1984, then Catalog of Crimes in '85 and finally Body Count in '86. They are interesting listens, quite low-fi and cover a large musical scope in terms of genres, from '77 punk-rock, to fast and tuneful hardcore, goth-punk, folk music, heavy rock and psychedelic punk, while remaining cohesive works at the same time, without that patchwork feel I always dread, all tied up with great dark tunes, a rocky vibe and a sense of warm melancholy and combative pessimism. I am tempted to bombard you with parallels and comparisons right now but it would be a pointless effort so let's just say it sounds like heartfelt, rocking but dark anarchist punk-rock. 

The Star Born Thing Ep, self-released in 1987, confirmed the band's potential and gift for catchy hooks and cracking tunes. It also epitomized what Terminus did best, writing paradoxical songs that sound dark and rather desperate but still retain some human warmth and organicity. In that sense, they are completely romantic and the lyrics certainly reinforce that feeling with "Star born thing" being about social otherworldliness and "(Waiting for the) purge" telling the story of a revolutionary waiting for his executioners to take him. The evocatively named second Ep that interests us today, Fear, Despair & Hate, was released in 1989 on Terminus' own TPPL Records. It has a rockier production than its earthy-sounding predecessor and is a strong, powerful follow-up. I suppose you could compare it with that strange, loner kid from school, the odd one out that still somehow belongs. When compared to what British punk sounded like in the late 80's, Terminus had no equivalent but still managed to fit in the punk-rock family, albeit on the edge of it (not unlike Crow People perhaps?). 

The Ep starts with a rather macabre metal-tinged ballad (yes, you read that right) called "Dance with the dead". It is a long, heavy and epic number which stands out in the band's discography with over-the-top guitar solos and borderline cheesy riffs. And although I would not listen to a whole album of such songs, it works remarkably here thanks to the intense singing of Mark Richardson, full of passion, melancholy and indignation, and great, moving lyrics about the power of illusion and the doctrine of unavoidable defeat that the powers that be impose on us. It contains some memorable lines like: "Your 'love' is a disease, a symptom of the fear of a lifetime alone. / A glittering chimera that we search for in vain and grinds us down." The second song (my favourite) is "In another time" and is a faster, rocking one, with a depressive, atavistic and eerie The-Mob-meets-Motörhead-and-GBH feel. Despite the dark, hopeless lyrics about the impossible fantasy of a better, more fulfilling world, the song feels warm, uplifting even, like a bizarrely desperate feelgood song. The last one, "Hunt the hunt", is an anti-hunt fast hardcore number that sounds like Bad Religion having a drink with Leatherface (but probably not, they are just so frustratingly impossible to categorize). 

Terminus released two brilliant albums and three more Ep's after Dear, Despair & Hate that are all highly recommended if you need a revolutionary romantic punk band with working-class politics, fantastic tunes, deep moving vocals and - gasp - variety in their songwriting. The review of this Ep that was published in NME in 1989 said this: "Back to basics, dole boy rock, unimpressed, primitive and powerful". Pretty fitting. 

Terminus have a thorough website that I encourage you to visit. 

Fear, despair & Terminus

"Endless Struggle: the worst of the 1in12 Club vol 12/13" compilation 2xLp, 1995

This is the last one of the double Lp compilation with yet another 1in12 record. "Endless Struggle" was released in 1995 and was the last vinyl compilation on the label (the very last 1in12 sampler, "Decade of Dissidence" was released on cd in 1999). Few records offer a better, more relevant snapshot of the British hardcore punk scene of the early 90's than "Endless Struggle", despite its slight Northern bias which has more to do with the location of the 1in12 Club I presume.

From a 2016 perspective, the line-up is fairly impressive and firmly rooted in the early 90's, both in terms of genre and political content. "Endless Struggle" is a highly contextualized record from its inception that reflects a time as much as a place, and that's why it is also a significant one. As it says on the backcover, the compilations are meant to "chronicle the musical history of the club". While "Wild & Crazy Noise Merchants" still offered a wide range of musical styles, "Endless Struggle" however was an all-out punk compilation, granted it was a rather diverse one, but gone were the indie rockers and the folk singers (and strangely enough, I kinda miss them to be honest). Looking at the flyers of the 90's gigs that were put on there, it did not imply that the 1in12 Club had turned completely into a punk venue but I am under the impression that the punk tendency noticeably increased at that time. In any case, "Endless Struggle" is undeniably a punk-rock compilation, musically and visually and one could see the record as perhaps the most relevant embodiment of the importance of punk in the making of the 1in12's identity.

The cover was drawn by Simon, from Bath, who used to do the brilliant "Arnie" fanzine and is now a pretty famous comics artist (I am proud to say that I have an Arnie poster on my door saying: "Subvertman: he's been on the cider and he's fucking angry". Priceless). "Endless Struggle" was a benefit record for the Anarchist Black Cross and the Zapatistas. A text entitled "Support class struggle prisoners" opens the thick booklet and states the principles of the ABC and stresses the importance to support and show solidarity toward those on the inside. Although it was released in 1995, the Poll Tax Riots, which were all about class inequalities and class anger, were still fresh in people's minds and the text is strongly reminiscent of these events. Good one.

All the bands included on "Endless Struggle" (with a few exceptions) played the 1in12 between July, 1990 and July, 1992.  

- Terminus: and what could be a better opener than Terminus' "Dark carnival" for a class war-themed compilation? I already wrote about Terminus, from Scunthorpe, in the article about 88/92 anarchopunk but I don't mind repeating myself when writing about such a fine band. Although Terminus formed in 1983, they were never a hasty bunch and their most potent recordings were released in the early 90's. I think "Dark carnival" rates as one of their very best songs. Terminus played powerful and inspired anarchopunk that, although not earth-shatteringly original on the surface, strangely remains difficult to describe and inventive. They played a brand of heavy, dark and moody punk-rock that was passionate and, dare I say it, emotional with Mark's vocals ably conveying a whole range of feelings. They've been compared to virtually every band on the planet, Bad religion, Anti-Nowhere League, Leatherface, The Mob, Amebix, The Dark, The Damned... If you blended them all together, you might get close to Terminus to some extent, but I do feel that the band had a really unique twist. "Dark carnival", recorded in 1994, is a song about class unity and solidarity. Fitting.

- Disaffect: everyone's favourite thrashy anarchopunk band with male/female vocals. And for good reason. Smart, triumphant and catchy riffing on this one with a dirty, crunchy guitar sound and Lynne's vocals still rate among the best in the genre: raucous and yet tuneful and powerful. Definitely looking forward to the 90's anarchopunk revival that, according to my calculations, should start in 2018. Brace yourselves.

- Sedition: I know I am being redundant but how intense can you really get? I have always loved Sedition but I don't play them that often. But whenever I do, the level of ferocity and aggression of their music fills me with awe. They just sound unstoppable and the vocals sound so angry. What did they have for breakfast? The two songs, "Disgrace" and "Abuse", are early Sedition songs of absolutely raging, rabid hardcore punk.  

- One By One: another fantastic band with members located in Leeds, Newcastle and Bradford (at the time) that is seldom mentioned in everyday conversations (how odd, right?). One By One were undoubtedly one of the most crucial English anarchopunk band of the early 90's but didn't really sound like anyone else. Although you can definitely spot a whole range of different influences in their music, when assembled, they produce something quite unique that could be best qualified as "anarchopunks having a go at playing intricate hardcore music". OBO played hardcore punk that was both heavy (but never metal) and tuneful (but never poppy) with great vocals from Karin and Micky which were cleverly arranged. The band also wrote smart political songs that were radical but from the heart and never pretentious. "Prisoners of conscience" is a late song, written when the band was at its peak, about resignation and the need to keep fighting and dedicated to "those who've not given up the fight. All those buried alive in prisons for daring to fight back". Winner. After One By One split up, Sned and Alec kept playing with Health Hazard while Micky and Karin formed Ebola.

- Cluster Bomb Unit: this punishing song from CBU makes me think that, perhaps, this band is unfairly forgotten when discussing post-80's käng-inspired hardcore. Despite a longevity of more than 15 years (or perhaps because of it since we often overvalue the transient), CBU's worth as a solid purveyor of intense and abrasive scandicore. "Without a warning" is an absolute scorcher recorded in 1990, which, in the history of referential shitlicking music, is pretty fucking early. Top-shelf.

- Blizkrieg: a well-recorded live version of the classic "Lest we forget". By that time, Blitzkrieg sounded heavier than in their 80's days, as if they had added some Motörhead and Venom to their anthemic punk-rock recipe. And it worked. Beefy and snotty old-school UK punk-rock.  

- Sarcasm: the great Sarcasm already made an appearance on Terminal Sound Nuisance a few years ago so you know what to expect from this Leicester lot who were one of the finest crust bands of the 90's: raw and gruff quality crust punk with a love for distorted Japanese punk. "Mist of confusion" is an ideal meeting ground between the early Doom/ENT/Sore Throat's cavemen sound, the Bristol chaos tradition and a distinctively British love for the Kyushu noise of Confuse and Gai. To some extent, you could see Sarcasm as being the English Gloom, not that they sound alike - they do not - but in terms of intent. This song was recorded in 1994 and also appeared on the "Mist of confusion" demo tape.

- Wat Tyler: I think it is WT's first appearance on TSN so it is cause for celebration. I will be honest. A lot of their material is rather forgettable musically (though "Hops and barley" is a genuine hit and "The fat of the band" is actually a pretty good album) but I must admit that their lyrics always made me laugh. For instance, Sean wrote down his favourite places to eat in South London on the band's insert. And to give you an idea, here is what he has to say about a pizza place called One Plus One: "Not the greatest pizza. In fact me and my mate Stuart had a fucking right dodgy pizza a few months ago. Almost inedible, and I'm telling you, that is serious for me. The best thing about one plus one is you buy one pizza, you get another free. Annoying if your by yourself, but I very rarely do it by myself. The drink and extras are pretty slack". As for the song, "James Whale", introduced by a few jokes in bad German, it is basically a cover of Stevie Wonder's "I just called to say I love you" with blast beats but with "James Whale, you're a fuckin' cunt" instead of "I love you". And, if you need to know, James Whale was an English radio host famous for being quite rude. Oh well...

- Sore Throat: well, what should you expect? I am not quite sure who actually plays on this ST recording from 1994 (Sore Throat had been dead and buried for a few years by that time) but my best bet is that it is Cracked Cop Skulls (Rat, Nick and Jim) with Rich Militia on vocals. Not an entirely wild guess since there is a cover of CCS' "Retribute". "Hurry up Garry '94", introduced by a short spoken-word by Danbert Nobacon from Chumbawamba, is a distorted and gruff oi-inspired song against Garry Bushell that surprisingly works and reminds me of 90's-era Disorder and Destroy!'s mid-paced moments.

- Oi Polloi: a classically anthemic Oi Polloi song and certainly one of their most iconic. "Guilty" is a song about fighting back and supporting political prisoners. Musically, the early 90's were a good time for Oi Polloi as well, they still had that heavy crusty sound that blended very well with their 90's hardcore punk sound.

- Voorhees: mean and aggressive hardcore heavily influenced by the US school. Voorhees are pretty famous and they were really good at what they did. Although it is not really my cup of tea, there is no denying the intensity that permeated their music. And of course, there is a Negative Approach cover.

- Ironside: funnily enough, I actually like Ironside. All the straightedge visual and lyrical folklore notwithstanding (truth be told, the band didn't use it that often, the song on this comp being an exception), I think they were really good and the "Fragments of the last judgement" Ep is great. To be completely honest, I am not sure I understand properly what Ironside were trying to do. The vocabulary used in "Armed With Anger" is unknown to me. I have no idea what "Holy Terror" is, I don't any hardcore band from Cleveland, and I have never listened to Sheer Terror, Breakdown, Integrity or Ringworm. However, if it were not for the very guitar-driven production, a song like "Suffocation" (about smoking obviously) is really not that unlike late-Antisect and Deviated Instinct or Prophecy of Doom although I know that was not intentional (at all!). It is groovy, raw, dark, with a filthy metal sound and gruff vocals. Well it sounds an awful lot like old-school crust to me. Winner.

- Nailbomb: a band with Rich Militia that I don't really relate to... I probably don't know enough about US metallic hardcore to get it properly I suppose. I like some moments in the song (the last minute is quite good, between doom-metal and heavy hardcore, though I don't really like that kind of drumming) but I am not sure I could listen to a whole album of Nailbomb. Apparently, this brand of metallic hardcore was all the rage in the North at the time.

- Wordbug: a band from Exeter that I do not really know that much although the name is definitely familiar. Wordbug is a bit like that bloke you have been seeing for 10 years at punk gigs, that you casually say hello to but never really had a proper conversation with because he appears to be far too much into Dag Nasty for his (and your) own good. Wordbug was made up of members from Hate That Smile and Mad at the Sun and played melodic, American-flavoured hardcore with catchy guitar leads. Not my thing but it is well done.

- Decadence Within: while I really like DW's early recordings, I never really enjoyed their hardcore/crossover period, although I admire their resilience, longevity and honesty. "A stitch in time" was recorded in 1993 and is actually pretty good. I don't like some of the arrangements (they would have benefited from simplifying the song I suppose) but the tunes are good and the chrous is pretty catchy.

- Contropotere: I already raved at great length about the mighty Contropotere in my infamous "Prog-crust series" so I will try to be brief. Here is a live version of "Attacco al visus", a song that also appears on their "Cyborg 100%" album (that I am not familiar enough with to say anything relevant about). I love the song of "Endless Struggle", heavy industrial post-crust with the usual anguished, ominous atmosphere that the band could create. It is not that far from a more progressive "Life cycle"-era Nausea or some Saw Throat songs. Good shit.

- Doom: a Motörhead cover with different lyrics recorded in 1993. At that time the line-up comprised two members of Excrement of War (Mall on bass and Tom on vocals) as well as Scoot (later in Extinction of Mankind and Hellkrusher) on second guitar. I don't think the song is that good to be honest, especially when you consider the fury they were able to unleash in the studio at that time, but then, I am not a Motörhead fan (I said it. Shoot me). What interests me the most about "(We hate) the brew crew" is the topic: jitters. A jitter is, according to the band's description and Simon Arnie's drawing: "a traveling youth of untidy appearance, usually found in gangs outside gigs begging, while having enough money to buy drinks all night. Enjoy being the centre of attention by being as offensive as possible. No respect for others (...). usually end a perfect night by fighting or ripping people off". Now, all punk scenes throughout the world have their own brand of "jitters" but judging from the 2000 DS patch on the drawing, I suspect these were somehow connected with the growing rave culture of the time that attracted and colluded with a large section of the punk scene (arguably, the one that was the most into drugs and living rough). Or am I mistaken?

- Concrete Sox: a regular host on Terminal Sound Nuisance. This is the early 90's incarnation of Concrete Sox and, indeed, a good one. Ripping and pummeling metallic hardcore punk with that specific UK vibe I am such a sucker for. No recording info here but I suspect "Speak Japanese or die" (another version of "Speak Siberian or die") was a tribute to the recent Concrete Sox' Japanese tour. The guitar sound is perfect, thrashy but dirty, and the raspy, snotty vocals are always a pleasure. I think this version was recorded live and as such, is a testimony to the band's power at the time (a 1993 studio version can be found on "Crust and Anguished Life").

- Scraps: in the 80's, good French hardcore bands were few and far between. Scraps are from Lille and have been active since at least 1985. The band started out as a noisy hardcore punk outfit, not unlike Lärm or early Heresy, and I suppose that is what they are best remembered for. "Familiar patterns" however was recorded at a time when Scraps had changed a lot and no longer played short, fast and loud hardcore. I suppose it could be described as modern and intense hardcore, heavy and mid-paced with political/personal lyrics, not unlike a disencrusted Unhinged or something Nabate could have released. Pretty good. The song also appeared on the "Dismantle the machine one cog at a time" Lp.  

- Virtual Reality: VR was the follow-up of The Next World, a lovable anarchopunk band with a drum-machine and a unique postpunk feel that was reviewed twice on Terminal Sound Nuisance. As much as I like The Next World, I cannot say I am into Virtual Reality. The duo went for a rockier, grungier sound that lacks the necessary heaviness due to the absence of a proper drummer. Good lyrics as usual from this lot though, about the class war and not taking it any longer.

- Hiatus: another regular customer at TSN. Hiatus were a crust powerhouse with terrific riffs, smart breaks and an intensity that few can reproduce. This is a live version of "They really got me" which corresponds to the "From resignation...to revolt"-era of the band. Top notch as usual.

- Protest:  well... Protest, the Swiss distorted anarcho-hardcore band, were meant to be included on "Endless Struggle" but, due to a human error, weren't and their song was replaced with one from Momido 7, from Germany. Apparently, Protest sent a tape to the label but someone picked the side B instead of A and ended up including Momido 7 instead of Protest... DIY or Die. So you do have the nice visual provided by Protest (a band with members of Earth Citizens) but the songs are from Momido 7, a sideproject with people from Die Schwarzen Schafe (Armin also ran Campary Records). And actually, Momido 7 are pretty good. Noisy, raw, distorted and chaotic fast punk music with male/female vocals with some synth, cold-wave moments and long ominous spoken parts in German that give the song a disturbed, deranged vibe. Experimental noisepunk with a cold-wave touch? The recording is rough but I do want more of it. Sorry Protest.

- Beer Beast: I know absolutely nothing about the unfortunately-named Beer Beast. I am guessing they were from the Bradford area as their address is the same as the 1in12 Club's. Apparently, they recorded two demos "Homebrew session" in 1990 and "Abuse of technology" in 2000. Chances are there are some familiar faces in this fun-oriented project. Beer Beast played sloppy and fast crusty punk with a strong death-metal feel on "Govern-mental system". "Ilkley Moor" is a joke song, probably a cover I cannot identify, that sounds like your usual spoof punk-rock song. I am sure they must have been fun to watch live and have a pint with: "If anyone wants to complain about our use of the word 'twat' then complain to Beer Beast, not the 1in12. Or Gary. Or your mum".

- Immortal Dead: be prepared for an incredible revelation here and I am not kidding, although I almost wish I were. Brace yourselves as I never thought I would write the following association of words in my entire life and I am almost struggling to do it right now... Immortal Dead were... a Christian anarchopunk band from Bradford. Yes, I know. WTF. And it is not a fake, I checked. If you need some proof of this atrocity, you can read these links omg and please kill me. In an interview, the singer declared: "There's different sorts of anarchy, there's a really loving, peaceful kind of anarchy - we'd like to have Christianity at the forefront of that movement". I honestly couldn't believe what I was reading. According to that bloke, the other anarcho bands welcomed Immortal Dead well enough although I doubt everyone knew about their religious stance and their playing in Christian music festivals. ID are a complete mystery to me, an oddity and I wish I knew more about them.
The worst thing is that it all started so well. When I played "Endless Struggle" again for this review, I immediately thought that Immortal Dead were amazing. That is the good thing with such massive compilations, you always find bands you had previously ignored or overlooked at first and Immortal Dead were definitely compilation's winners. Old-school anarchopunk with tunes and energy, great male/female vocals, this is EXACTLY the sound that I crave for and can't get enough of. Immortal Dead reminded me in the best way possible of Toxic Waste, DIRT, Dominant Patri or Tears of Destruction and the prospect to look for other recordings from them was enthralling. Unfortunately, the disappointment was inversely proportional... I usually never have to worry about a band being devout Christians, because my two main passions - crust and anarchopunk - are free from this kind of problems. To me, Christian punk-rock was like MTV punk-rock. I know it exists but it is so far from what I am into that I have no time to waste on it, or so I thought. Besides, while I can comprehend that one member of an anarcho or crust band is religious, it does look paradoxical but I won't judge, it is a whole different thing to claim to be a Christian anarchopunk band ready to convert the scene to the love of Jesus Christ... This is frustrating, because the music is really good. There are a few scratches on the ID song, probably because the former owner realized the real nature of the band and, in a fit of rage, damaged their track. Please, someone tell me that it is a joke band like Hard Skin. For fuck's sake, a Christian anarchopunk band... I need a drink.

- Phobia: this is a really weird one and the last song of "Endless Struggle" which is not even listed on the backcover. Apparently, this is a live song from 1976 from a band called Phobia (formally "The Underdogs" whatever that means, as it is not the same band that did the Ep on Riot City). This is a rough song of proto-punk/garage that is pretty uninteresting in my opinion and I am clueless as to its inclusion on the compilation. Odd.
 

Endless Struggle