Zero Tolerance "Home sweet Hackney" cd, 1999

The sun is shining today, a rare sight lately, and I am not at work, an even rarer occurrence. The perfect day to lock myself in inside my infamous Crustcave and reflect upon a forgotten record illustrating the "three chords=three songs" philosophy. It's been a while since I last posted some proper, old-school punk-rock that will undoubtedly launch a cider frenzy upon the unsuspecting public.

Words have always had unstable meanings.

I remember an issue of the Game of the Arseholes zine from the first half of the 2000's that was about UK punk. In this issue, Stuart Schrader (ultimate punk records nerd running the brilliant Shit-Fi website) aptly and solemnly declared that, at the time of writing (2004 or something), there was nothing quite as unpopular in the DIY political punk scene (for lack of a better term) as 80's British punk-rock, also known as UK82. And of course, he was right (to some extent at least) and therefore decided to write a GOTA "UK special" in order to rant over bands and records that deserved respect and love instead of indifference and scorn. I was obviously really happy with this issue (but then GOTA never failed to deliver) since I have always loved this brand of punk-rock that the Partisans, Abrasive Wheels or Uproar stood for. Although Schrader focused on UK82 in his zine, a very similar comment could have been made about British anarchopunk at the time. Only 10 years ago, Disorder and Chaos UK were largely deemed uncool by the cool punx. It took a new trend that saw dozens of bands trying to be from 80's Bristol (and let's face it, some of them were really good at that) to put the UK82 genre back on the DIY punk map. Discharge of course has always played in another category and has never been seen as a "UK82" band (according to Schrader, seeing Discharge in this light, as part of this specific wave, somehow reduced their attractivity, something I can grasp the meaning of but that I disagree with). Being a bit of a moaner, I was bitterly surprised to see people, all of a sudden, starting to claim their love for Blitz and Disorder. On the other hand, this UK82 trend (which has steadily faded since the start of the postpunk one...) may have prompted, through renewed interest, some reissues that I would not have imagined possible before (take the Ad'Nauseam and Impact Lp's for instance).

To a large extent, the comments above apply mostly to the North-American scenes and are irrelevant to other places. But since trends pretty much start over there and since a lot of new record-buying habits are created on that side of the other world ("Gods are born in the USA" right?), I would argue that it had some impact globally. It would be a mistake to think that the second wave of British punk-rock had sunk into obscurity until self-proclaimed "UK82 type bands" started playing in the late 00's/early 10's. Very far from it. It's just that, until then, the genre had been adopted by another punk crowd, the so-called "streetpunx", people heavily into the Casualties and sporting perfect colourful mohawks, bondage trousers, studs and posing hard before brick walls. This is the apolitical Punkcore crowd that is apart from the DIY punk scene. Interestingly - it's even fascinating when you think about it and what it implies in terms of the listening process - Punkcore type bands and DIY bands, though both influenced by similar early 80's UK bands, don't sound alike at all. In fact, even when they cover the same songs, they are extremely different. It's as if they didn't hear the same things when listening to the same band. On the one hand, streetpunk bands usually aim for a heavier, clearer sound, they intend to build on the formula in order to improve on it through the addition of harcore influences, the old English bands being used as the basis. And they don't use the term "UK82", to them, it's streetpunk. On the other hand, modern UK82 bands, coming from the DIY punk scene, want to maximise the formula and stay close to the vintage sound and songwriting, they usually put an emphasis on UK82's specific characters (the binar drum beat, the slighly reverbed vocals, the flow and so on) and are highly referential. They are accurate and effective tribute bands aiming at the recreation of the 80's sound (this can be applied to a variety of other subgenres).

What do the British punks think about all this? They mostly don't give a fuck I reckon. In fact, I would argue that there has never really been neither an actual "Punkcore type band" nor a "modern DIY UK82 band" over there. One could venture that they don't see their legacy quite in the same light. Of course, there are many British bands still very much influenced by the 80's greats but they sound nothing like either aforementioned categories. Zero Tolerance formed in 1997 at the start of the horrendous, terrible "US streetpunk fashion" and 10 years before Germ Attak rediscovered Riot City Records. Like most 90's bands, ZT are about as hip today as Boyzone. To be fair, the name "Zero Tolerance" brings to mind tough guy NYC hardcore more than it does North London punk squats, but you would be wrong to assume that Zero Tolerance were fond of karate dance style. Indeed, you will find no song about a legendary "pit of death", or "honour and respect" and there is no reference to moshing, only genuine punk-rock with street-smart politics.

As the title of the album already gives away, the band was from Hackney, a rather rough working-class neighbourhood in London famous, among other things, for its mental punk squats. Originally, ZT had another singer, Martin, who sadly died after the release of the first Ep, "Sick of you" (which was produced by Lippy from Antisect). After that sad event, guitarist Simon took over singing duties. At the start, Clara, who was previously in the glorious Pissed Mouthy Trollops, was playing the bass guitar but was replaced with Mik from the mighty Coitus and the Restarts, before Clara returned for the band's last Ep, "Drugs runner". Line-up unstability also affected the drumming stool, as Criss, from External Menace, PMT and later Demented Are Go, replaced the original drummer after the first Ep. The band's best works, this album and the great split Lp with the Restarts, were recorded as a three-piece of Simon, Mik and Criss.

Zero Tolerance had this distinct 90's feel to them. Unpretentious, straight-up punk-rock that sounds like a slightly enhanced version of the 80's bands (especially the drumming) but still manages to be relevant in its current context and deprived of any nostalgia. This is old-school punk-rock by the punks and for the punks, like their brilliant contemporary Red Flag 77 and Suicidal Supermarket Trolleys. It's not that easy to record a full album of simple and direct punk-rock without boring the listener after two songs. After all, Zero Tolerance played pretty basic three-chords punk music but they managed to keep things interesting through catchy hooks and singalong chorus that don't sound forceful or cheesy. This is punk from the streets but not streetpunk, if you know what I mean. Listen closely to the music, and behind the simple chords and the snotty vocals, you will discern the clear and yet warm and slightly distorted guitar sound, the catchy leads, a smart bass part or a tuneful chorus that perfectly do the trick of making the songs memorable, not that they are punk hits, but in the sense that you will be able to whistle to them and hum their tunes after two listens. My only complaint is the use of "oi! oi! oi!" during some backing vocal parts that is a little systematic (but then, as punx in their 30's, I am pretty sure it made them laugh) but then some of the songs have a nice, old-school oi feel too (like late Mania or something), so that's part of the deal I suppose.

Most of the songs are bouncy 1-2-1-2 punk numbers with raucous and snotty that rely on catchiness rather than speed, although there are also a couple of faster tracks that show that the music's pace was a matter of choice. As mentioned, Red Flag and SST come to mind, as well as 90's era External Menace and Chaos UK, and maybe Chaotic Youth and Mayhem from the early 80's. Lyrically, Zero Tolerance were rooted in a particular context and sang about it, from the rise of the CCTV in England, the omnipresence of the police on TV, the urban planning and gentrification at work in Hackney, the dole office spying on people in order to control them, to rampant homelessness. There are also a couple of songs about everyday life, betrayal and being on the boozer. I especially like "38 bus", a song about the perfect-looking punks posing for the tourists in the centre of London.

There are two covers on this album. The first one is the anthemic "Don't conform" originally written by External Menace. A timeless punk hit that sounds as good as the original (that's no mean feat, believe me). The second one is far more original and surprising since it is a cover of "Breathe" from... Prodigy! It works astonishingly well as a UK82 song but it is quite difficult to recognize the original song if you don't already know. A great cover choice that makes sense since Prodigy's guitar player, Graham Butt, originally played in the Destructors, English Dogs (at the apex of their metalpunk years, no less) and even did a stint in Policebastard. I seem to remember when I bought "Home sweet Hackney", that there was some sort of connection between Zero Tolerance and Butt, but that was a long time ago and the internet reveals nothing. Any truth to that?

The album was released on French label Combat Rock, a record label that never really shone for its great tastes in my opinion but nevertheless released a couple of good records from The Sect, Red London, The Outcasts or Heyoka.

Home sweet Hackney

PS: being rather untidy, I lost all my bloody zines a few years ago (well, they were thrown away) and I would really like to read that Game of the Arseholes issue I mentioned, so if anyone has got a pdf version of it or something, I would really grateful.

  

Glycine Max "Violent mind // Peaceful heart" Lp, 1996

Really, how can you go wrong with a band paying tribute to Antisect and Sore Throat in their logo? Exactly. You can't.

Glycine Max crossed my mind a few days ago while I was looking for obscure and yet quality punk covers for the legendary Détruire l'Ennui radio show. We do a "punk covers special" at least twice a year and I always try to pick songs that are both little-known and likely to kick some ass. That was also an opportunity to play the Lp at home and realize how bloody brilliant it still is and how tragically overlooked the band remains. And of course, I played their Body Count cover yesterday (funny to think that this very same song has also been covered by Armistice, a band that came from that Californian anarchocrusy scene as well).

It never ceases to amaze me, in a rather negative way, how the early Californian crust wave has not profited from the 2000's stenchcore revival. In fact, this scene has remained largely ignored by the punks who discovered (or re-discovered) all the fantastic UK crust bands through modern acts such as Hellshock or Stormcrow. While it is not a rare occurrence to spot crusty punx sporting Axegrinder, Sacrilege or Deviated Instinct paraphernalia at festivals, I very seldom, if ever, see anyone with Apocalypse, A//Solution or Glycine Max patches. There could be several logical reasons for this discrepancy. After all, the Californian crust scene has been less prolific than the British one and therefore has had less influence globally throughout the years. You could also argue that these US bands were, to some extent, only trying to recreate what their UK counterparts had been doing for a couple of years and one usually has a higher opinion toward the originators of a genre (although the birth of musical subgenres can never really be tied to the bands only as there is a whole specific cultural context that precisely makes the appearance of a new genre possible, but that's another debate entirely). Finally, one could venture that the Cali bands involved in the late 80's and early 90's have had little influence over the mid/late 90's American crust acts themselves that were less metal-sounding and faster (more Swedish, less British perhaps?). If Nausea, Disrupt, Misery or even Destroy! remained classics, and not only in the States, it seems the Californian wave hardly managed to get out of California.

I have already ranted over the Californian scene in previous posts when dealing with Mindrot, Resist and Exist, Iconoclast, Skaven and Dystopia so I will try to not repeat myself too much. In their lifetime, from 1986 to 1991, Glycine Max only released two demos with a rather crude sound that had more to do with fast and raw hardcore punk than with mid-tempo crust punk. The first four songs on the B side of this Lp are taken from their second demo (from 1989 I believe) and show the band in a "peacepunk" mood (let's stick with the local term!) akin to Iconoclast, Diatribe, Body Count of course, early Antisect or early Legion of Parasites. It is good political hardcore punk to be sure but the real nuggets are to be found on the A side of the Lp. These were recorded in late 1990, at the height of the band's power and are vintage, classic crust anthems. Apocalyptic, dark mid-tempo metallic punk with a lot of personality (the terrific voice of the singer really helps) that brings to mind Hellbastard, Amebix or Axegrinder and fellow Californian crust heroes Apocalypse and A//Solution. Top of the shelf stenchcore indeed. The last four songs on the B side were also recorded in late 1990 and see Glycine Max in the same top-notch crusty shape but in a live environment at Gilman Street this time. The icing on the cake is the final Hellbastard cover, "Nazis killed", which, despite it being a 24 year old live recording, is easily the best Hellbastard cover I have heard so far (I will grant you that there aren't too many competitors in this category). To top it off, Glycine Max wrote great lyrics. The words to the song "Violent mind, peaceful heart", about social alienation's paradoxical effects on our own feelings and psyche, go so well with the angst-ridden tunes that the song, to me, is a prime example of a meaningful merging of shape and content. In addition to songs about similarly dark topics (see "Falling apart"), you will also mind more traditional anti-state protest songs that will make you angry and, hopefully, happy as well.

I am pretty sure that the four songs on the A side were meant to appear on a proper Lp at the time but I guess the band split up before recording the other side. That or it took six years for the labels to actually release them but that sounds a bit unlikely. By the time the "Violent mind // Peaceful heart" Lp saw the light of day, Glycine Max was sadly no more, a fact that might also account for the band's current anonymity. A fucking shame that should have been alleviated five years ago when a cd compilation with tracks from the demos and from the Lp (minus the live songs for some reason) got released. As a self-appointed nerd, it should be pointed out that the Lp studio tracks appear in slightly different versions as the quotes used as intros to the songs are not the same (digression: have you ever noticed that Scatha used the same Exorcist quote on the first track of their second Lp?). But enough digression, the cd was released in order to support the family of Glycine Max's drummer Mark (he also played in Apocalypse and Scarred for Life) who had sadly just passed away. This is a great cd and it can still be found for cheap so if you have any faith in genuine CRUST music, then do yourself a favour. The Lp was originally released on Misanthropic records, a Dystopia-related label that I already mentioned in a former post entry, and on Voltic Records, a short-lived project that released only two records (the other one being... an A//Solution cd!).

After the demise of Glycine Max, the singer Raygunn along with drummer Mark formed the excellent and underrated Final-conflictesque Scarred For Life (he also played in Dogma Mundista), while bassist John eventually played with Beat To Death.      

Glycine Max

         

Concrete Sox "Silence" Ep, 1997

It's been more than two weeks since the last post and I won't probably be able to post much in the next couple of weeks either, with summer being the time for boozing outdoors rather than being all nerdy behind a computer screen. But then, I might also be summoned by the unholy god of punk geeks and wake up in the middle of night, instructed to rant over some obscure songs no one really cares about. So who knows? I'm a man on a mission after all.

I already posted an Ep from the mighty Sox a while ago, a live recording from the late 80's that saw the band at the apex of their power in that decade. Although the band's best work remains arguably "Sewerside", it should not be forgotten that the Notts band kept playing and releasing good records in the 90's. "No world order" is a solid album despite a couple of fillers and "Silence", the Ep we are dealing with today, can be seen, in the light of the 90's British hardcore-punk wave, as a potent punk record too.

For some reason, "Silence" seems to be one of the lesser-known records by Concrete Sox. Indeed, it is not even mentioned in the band's chapter in "Trapped in a scene". I am guessing that they were no longer playing many gigs by 1997, though the internet mentions that they did some dates in the UK around 1997 and 1998. In any case, the line-up playing on this Ep did not last long and it is the only Sox record in which Les (usually on bass) does the vocals. In fact, by 1999, the only remaining member of this line-up would be Mark on guitar. The fact that it was recorded by a brief line-up that did not really play live at the time could be the reason why "Silence" is not often mentioned or even known. Although certainly not a crucial record in the band's history, "Silence" remains a solid effort and exemplifies what hardcore-punk sounded like at the time in the UK. It is hard-hitting, heavy and fast, and unpretentious. The bass is upfront and has a beefy distorted sound, the guitar parts demonstrate how metal-punk should be played, the drummer does a fine job in the "powerful pummelling" section and the vocals are aggressive and snotty, with heavy nods to classic mid/late 80's metallic punk. There are of course elements of the vintage Concrete Sox sound but I'd say that it is more relevant to listen to this record as a piece of the more global 90's DIY punk sound that prevailed at the time, with bands like Spite, Substandard or, even more so actually, 90's-era Final Conflict on the other side of the pond.

Lyrically, the three songs are pretty interesting too with "Silence" being about apathy and the relief one may find in TV or drinking; "Meat you maker" being about the meat industry and the symbolism that surrounds the consumption of meat; and finally "Hitler was a Jew", that was apparently written by a Polish Jew and is a song against prejudices and racism. The Ep was released on Blind Destruction Records, a still active label based in sunny Bristol and run by a bloke from Spite that also put out records of the Restarts, In The Shit, Spite (obviously) or more recently Bring to Ruin and Poundaflesh.

Silence

 

Acoustic Grinder / Turmoil "If you feel right you have to do it: suicide / Wanted" split Ep 1994

Great art is often tied to a specific time and place so that, in order to grasp its meaning, you first have to understand where it comes from. Indeed, there are records of which you can tell the year of recording or the place of birth in a heartbeat, or rather, in the context of this blog, in a drum-beat. Is the Acoustic Grinder/Turmoil split Ep great art? Fuck no and thanks fuck for that too. But nonetheless, from the very first chords, you can tell its sound reeks of the true political DIY crust/grind/whatever spirit of the early 90's then prevailing in Europe and on a rainy sunday, it is really all you need sometimes. For those of you who'd rather play American-influenced middle-class indie-rock, the emergency exit is on your left. And please never come back here.

Beside having a bloody great name, Acoustic Grinder emerged from the amazing late 80's/early 90's Belgian crust/grind scene. I couldn't find their actual date of birth, but I'd say 1990. Now, when you hear "Belgium", "crust" and "grindcore", there are only two words that can possibly come to mind: Hiatus and Agathocles (and if they don't, you now know where the exit is). Acoustic Grinder very much started off as an Agathocles-type band and in fact they even did Agathocles covers in their early days. On this record however, they dropped the blast-beat and opted for a "Private Jesus Detector meets Hiatus during an Intestinal Disease show at the Vort'n' Vis festival" approach. They offer three songs of raw and powerful, gruffy crust punk, that may be unoriginal but are of their time and are very well done. The neanderthal nature of the production (also called "no production at all") makes the songs sound even more energetic and adds to their sense of urgency. This is fucking brilliant and just what you needed for your cousin's wedding next month. As was often the case, lyrics are short, political and to the point: one song against the violent right-wing Flemish block, one against the 500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the Americas and the Native American holocaust, and finally one about suicide (I think!). Cut'n'paste artwork aptly reflects the lyrical content, in case English is completely lost on you. Although the record was released in 1994, these three songs were recorded in late 1992. Acoustic Grinder also had a split Ep with Entrails Massacre from Germany, a full Ep, as well as a split live tape with Extinction of Mankind. The band has been back together for a few years now and released a split Ep in 2011 with... Agathocles!

On the other side, you find Turmoil, an anarchopunk band from Istanbul, Turkey. I have to confess that I am not very familiar with the Turkish punk scene and when I listen to these tracks, I realize that's a crying shame. Apparently, Turmoil rose from the ashes of another band called Moribund Youth that was active in the early 90's and recorded two demos. While Moribund Youth lay on the US hardcore side of things, Turmoil was a more chaotic and noisy affair. There is certainly the influence of the fastest brand of worldwide hardcore in the music, but because it is a bit all over the place and especially because the vocals are very upfront and snotty, it reminds me of some British bands like Insurrection, early 90's Disorder, Dirge, or faster bands like Satananic Malfunctions, Atavistic or even Active Minds, although I doubt these were Turmoil's points of reference, with the possible exception of Active Minds, who were around by 1994 and, like Turmoil, used short songs with different paces and sharp breaks. If someone had told me that Turmoil were from Huddersfield and recorded a demo in april 1989, I might have believed it (after all they have a 10-second song like Sore Throat). Basically, fast and sloppy hardcore thrash with political lyrics and a DIY to the bones attitude. Songs about finding the real you and fighting back against religious alienation, against vivisection and animal abuse, against the military and the corrupt political system.

Turmoil seemed to be really into international cooperation since they also did split releases with Inkisição from Portugal, with the similarly shambolic Regeneracion from Mexico (I already talked about this lot in a previous post) and Depress from Malaysia. As I mentioned earlier, I don't know much about the 90's Turkish DIY punk scene but when you add Turmoil to the few other good bands I know of like Spinners, Dispute or Necrosis, it makes me thinks that there might be other hidden nuggets to be discovered. Suggestions anyone?

This Ep was released in 1994 on Grinding Madness records, a label that rather unsurprisingly was also responsible for records from Agathocles, Rot, Intestinal Disease or Active Minds. Reading the label's message in the record, I realized that Grinding Madness was meant to release a benefit compilation Lp called "Smash fascism" in 1995 with a cracking line-up: Disaffect, Disrupt, Subcaos, Agathocles, Disorder among others. Too bad it never saw the light of day.

You should be able to get this record in any one euro bin at decent gigs.  

Acoustic Turmoil           

Skaven / Dystopia "S/t" split Lp 1996

About a year ago, I posted one true crust classic with the Misery/SDS split Lp, with one of my most epic review to this day. And because I am aware I am one of the leading voices of the internet (after all, it is no coincidence if the Queen of England herself, when asked what her favourite blogs were, replied: "Terminal Sound Nuisance, definitely. Top writing from a top geezer and quality punk-rock from a true connoisseur. Each time I read it, I want to abolish myself.") I think it is high time I deal with another true (or cvlt as some wankers would have it) 90's classic: the Skaven/Dystopia Lp.

As you know, I am one to follow the news and lately I got hold of the wonderful Skaven discography Lp that the mighty Skuld Releases just unleashed (it did take five years to come out though... Good thing I didn't hold my breath). If you have to buy just one record this month, that should be this one. The songs have been tastefully remastered, the artwork is sick, there are two posters included, honestly it couldn't have been done better. However relatively obscure Skaven are, they remain one of the most potent American crust bands ever and one could only wish they had sticked around a little longer, at least long enough to record a full Lp.

Skaven were from Oakland and formed in 1995. Apparently, they rose from the ashes of a punky black-metal band called Black Maggot, which I have sadly never heard (assuming they recorded anything at all), a significant fact since there is a distinct, almost foundational, black-metal feel, to Skaven's music and songwriting. Although I remain largely unconvinced by most current bands trying to blend black-metal and crust or hardcore (Order of the Vulture, Dazd and Summon the Crows being two good exceptions), Skaven managed to pull it in a terrific fashion, probably because they did it effortlessly, just because it made sense to them, as if the cross basically just happened. There is an occult atmosphere in Skaven's music that is enhanced by the mean, gnarly vocals. However, don't picture some wankers arsing around in a dark forest dressed like cheap actors from an 80's Italian barbarian movie. No, if anything, the band's sense of evil comes from a filthy sewer where crusty punks would wait recklessly for an apocalypse that never comes, getting really drunk and listening heavily to Deviated Instinct and Bathory in the process. Claustrophobic, uncontrollable and insane.

As I see it, Skaven are very much heirs of the late 80's/early 90's Californian crust scene, a wave that had disappeared by 1996 (with the worthy exception of... Dystopia). You can actually hear influences from bands belonging to the aforementioned scene like Glycine Max, A//Solution or Apocalypse in the music, as well as classic UK crust like Deviated Instinct or Mortal Terror, with early Misery coming to mind too, and black metal bands like Bathory, Possessed or Samael. Skaven's strong point however lies in their intent to create a proper soundscape, to literally build a sonic atmosphere of their own, and in that respect the fact that they were playing with two bass guitars certainly helped. Although undeniably heavy, the band didn't really rely on heaviness or speed in order to crush you. Rather, they used twisted song structures with multilayered bass and guitar parts that manage to take the listener by surprise while still making complete sense. The music is dark, really dark, but is not sorrowful. It reeks of madness, desperation but remains really organic, slimy, festering, swarming.

Skaven's art is almost as impressive and striking as their music and equally as dark. Drawings that reflect the fate of mankind and our pointless, destructive wandering upon the Earth. There is a specific obsession with death that also appears in the lyrics, both literally with the worm-infested, decaying flesh and figuratively with death being the sole outcome of our actions, whether it be through pollution, drug abuse or the death of one's will through the acceptance of one's enslavement. Not particularly cheery stuff, I'll give you that.

Dystopia, on the other side, are much better-known and remains one of the very best American bands of the 90's (that statement is not open to any discussion. Thank you for your cooperation). Dystopia fucking rule. Although they have almost achieved cult status today, the fact that the band emerged from previous bands is not widely known. In fact, Dystopia rose from the ashes of the late 80's/ early 90's Californian scene crust scene, with Matt playing in the early Mindrot line-up (back when they were a Prophecy of Doom/Bolt Thrower crusty kind of band), Todd making a whole lot of noise in the grinding crust outfit Confrontation and Dino drumming for Carcinogen (possibly the closest to Dystopia from the three aforementioned bands in terms of music) and although the term "crust" does not totally fit Dystopia (but then the band escaped any easy categorization), the lads definitely grew up in that context (apparently the drummer of Apocalypse even played with them at some point). By the time Dystopia started in 1992, the crust scene was already on its last gallon of special brew and it could be argued that the variety of influences that can be found in Dystopia's music might stem from a need to break free from formulaic music. And they certainly succeeded in doing so.

I won't try to pigeonhole Dystopia because it would be time-consuming and pointless. To me, they have an old-school crust backbone with a lot of doom-metal and death-metal over it. But more importantly, they are just incredibly groovy, heavy and intense. When you know they were just a three-piece, this makes it even more remarkable. Dystopia belongs to this category of bands that sound like they are playing for their lives, as if they were all going to die the next day, as if each second of their songs were fighting Death itself. The term "Burning spirit hardcore" should have been created for them.

While Skaven have these occult and fleshy aesthetics, Dystopia's are more anchored in the daily struggle to survive in the social jungles we call urban centres. Hopelessness, mysanthropy, suicide, self-hatred, sickness, cruelty, there is a wide panel of social ills in Dystopia and their very music, the way they write music, somehow perfectly embodies them. This is the demented soundtrack of survival in our modern societies. To give you an example, the song "Anger brought by disease" is about a man dying from disease who wants to kill his enemy (his former teacher, a nazi or his boss, take your pick) before dying. This is social anger in the flesh indeed.

This split is probably one of the very best crust records of the 90's, not because both bands play unadulterated crust but because it stands for a particular time in history as it is basically the evolution of the South-Cali crust scene. Skaven were, to put it bluntly, the best American crust band of the mid-90's, along with Misery, and Dystopia were a uniquely intense band that went beyond genres and yet managed to satisfy everyone (right?). This record was co-released by Life Is Abuse, still run by Matt from Dystopia, and Misanthropic Records, a label also connected to the band that released the Skaven Ep and records from Phobia and Grief among others. DIY or die trying. After the end of Skaven and Dystopia, some members of both bands eventually ended up in the powerful crusty doom-metal band Asunder, but ex-members could also be found in Noothgrush, Demonsteed, Ghoul and more recently Kicker.

Mandatory.

The worms will inherit the dystopia