Good bad Music for bad, bad Times!

A BAND CALLED DIABOLO. This is one of the latter Off The Disk releases in which I wasn’t really involved. I think Thomas was or is close to the band’s singer Andreas. To be honest, I never cared too much about this EP, but when I recently put it on after years and years, I seemed to understand why this is considered to be a “classic”. I’m asking this without irony: Is this “Emo”? I really don’t know because I never cared for retro HC too much (few exceptions). It’s weird, but when the Revelation-hype was going on, I began to understand that I didn’t understand the scene no more. When the 90s started with records like this (yes, this could be one of the first “real” 90s records), I felt totally alienated. Something had changed completely. Music and the imagery had become a pose: Self-reference, just like in Hip Hop, had begun to play a central role. It all felt so shallow and forced.
Upon doing a little research on ABC DIABOLO, I found an article in which somebody said that the band was heavily influenced by NEGAZIONE. Okay, I can hear that. It’s not only the screaming vocals, it’s also the weird, sometimes atonal riffing. A bit of CCM too, maybe? Apart from that and overwhelmingly so, it’s “the 90s” you hear. I think.
There’s something wicked and sick about this EP and from what I remember, the LP was hefty too. I thzink some of the pressing ofthis was on red vinyl, but I’m not sure. Maybe the testpressings only?
I wish I could tell you a bit more of substance, but I can’t. Fill us all in with your opinions, infos, corrections.

Hatredge.mp3
Superlative People.mp3
Their Choice for you.mp3
Mission.mp3

PS: Here are the exact pressing numbers (thanks much, Thomas!):

915 on red wax
130 on black wax
24  mixed colors red/black wax

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One of the pearls that never made it onto a KBD-type series bootleg, although it would perfectly fit on a slightly more whacko-oriented one and one of my fave 7″ from Switzerland and one of the weirdest for sure. Sung in swiss german. Most people here don’t count them among Punk, why that is, I don’t know exactly, but one can guess.
I wish I could tell you more about NILP other than the 2nd 7″ is more experimental and lacks the insane-organ-punk feeling of this one. Definitely highly original and nearly impossible to find.
I love all five tracks, with “Klöti” being the best – evil sounding, HYPNOTICS-like. “Mode” is great too, weird lyrics, “Nilpfrd” is maybe the weakest.

This is the only copy I’ve ever seen and as you can hear, it’s quite beat up (sorry about the jump at the end of the last song and the loud backgound noise). The former owner of whom I got this wanted to keep the picture sleeve, so I stole the cover scans from punk-disco.net.

Tuntschi.mp3
Schponti.mp3
Klöti.mp3
Mode.mp3
Nilpfrd.mp3

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Classic Connecticut Hardcore – VIOLENT CHILDREN featured past, future or part-time members of REFLEX FROM PAIN (and YOUTH OF TODAY).

Forget for a second what a comedy Hardcore soon turned out to be: This EP smokes! Snotty, raw, high-energy Hardcore, not too ambitioned, not too serious – just a fucking rager! When I ripped this today, I played it for the first time in maybe years and I was so surprised how fresh it still sounds. And “Warren the Thief” made me kinda think of Rob Noxious and Peter KBD. I couldn’t pick a fave out of these 8 smokers, could you? They’re all simple and effective, but really frisky and metal-free,

This 7″ was extremely hard to come by in the 80s. It was among my top wants for a long time, but I never was lucky enough to actually find me a copy. It was in a record shop in L.A. where finally in 1988 I found a pristine copy for 5$. I believe a meager 500 were made of this. In the early, this was booted in Switzerland by a friend of mine, who also booted the incredible VIOLENT CHILDREN demo tape (and others like STALAG 13, B.G.K. etc.). He died by his own hand nearly 15 years ago.

Split Scene.mp3
New Pride.mp3
Culture sucks.mp3
Hilton.mp3
Peer Pressure.mp3
The Smell.mp3
Live free or die.mp3
Warren the Thief.mp3

PS: In the meantime, Dave posted the demo 7″, called “Rock against Spindlers”. I’ve never seen this version, but I tend to believe it’s the official reissue. A smoking hot piece you need to download!

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It’s been some time since the last Metal post.

NASTY SAVAGE released this demo in 1984 and immediate fame followed with it. Fanzines from all over the pre-internet world reviewed it enthusiastically and so I took my chance and ordered a copy. Nasty Ronnie, who was anything but nasty, sent me the tape along with these little extras you just loved when you were 16 years old and from this point on, we kept in touch, so when Thomas, Roman and I tripped through the USA, we were welcomed by NASTY SAVAGE too (and it was Ronnie who introduced us to MORBID ANGEL). Ronnie set up some kind of a pool party for us – a rather bizarre event of which only some blurry images have left. And of course, we were invited to a NASTY SAVAGE rehearsal – and that was so extremely impressive, just like the other Florida rehearsals we saw in the the same week (MORBID ANGEL and MASSACRE, if memory serves). I think Thomas has photos from this session too and maybe one day, these will appear somewhere. The rehearsal was more like a private gig for us: They played a full set (which I recorded) in some kind of a storage hall. It was fucking hot & humid and for the first time in my life, I will never forget this, I drank water out of paper cups coming from one of these rechargeable water-things, you know, these with a turned-up, giant plastic bottle full of water on top. These little details were America to me – things that hadn’t made it to the small village in the swiss mountains I came from but which I had seen on television. The guy who this hall belonged to was called John Galt and after the session, he gave us a bunch of black shirts which said “Who the fuck is John Galt” on the back, haha. Wish I had kept one of those too, but just like so many things, I didn’t take as much care of them as I should have so in the past course, they got lost in space in time (just like my personal copy of “Wage of Mayhem” – thanks to David from Rocketscience, I hd the chnce to find me a new one).

So this demo tape contains much more than just music, as you can guess, but that’s so often the case, isn’t it. Whatever NASTY SAVAGE put out (and it wasn’t all too much, unfortunately), has got that very special touch, but the demo and the first LP are just unbeaten. The insane, impressive riffing and Ronnie’s high-pitched vocals coin a totally unique sound. Unique, but you can tell some of the influences: Mercyful Fate, Slayer, the heavier NWOBHM bands generally. “Wage of Mayhem” is without the slightest doubt one of the greatest and most influential demo tapes of the 80s.

“Unchained Angel” hits you like a motherfucking truck. The riffing stakkato is immense and so fucking well done. “Savage Desire” is a bit slower, calmer, while “Witches Sabbath” is a bit catchier again. The riff break near the end of the song is amazingly well set. “Triple X” is massive with the double bass drumming and again incredible riffing.

Two songs from the demo made it onto vinyl: “XXX” was featured on Metal Massacre V and the aggressive “Unchained Angel” was on  a rare and quite obscure LP compilation, called “Iron Tyrants”. It was released in regular form and as a picture disc on the no less legendary Azra label.

PS: This one goes out to Thorsten and BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE. Thanks much, mate!

Unchained Angel.mp3
Savage Desire.mp3
Witches Sabbath.mp3
Triple X.mp3

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This 7″ features exclusive material from the (almost) legendary recording sessions for one of my favourite comps, ever – the monumental ARE WE TOO LATE FOR THE TREND? Sampler. Texas Punk Grandezza recorded in 1978 and 1979.

SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND do the great “I ain’t no Asshole”, The VOMIT PIGS deliver “Hypo” & “Bomb the Arabs”, both are so-so, DOT VAETH’s “Mag Rock” is a real surprise. What a catchy number it is – and last but not least, we have the swinging SKUDS with “Twilight Zone”. As you can hear, the band follows the same formula as on the track mother-LP. I really hope somebody will dig up more by the SKUDS one day, cause they’re one of my fave Texas bands.

I reproduce the inserts in full scale so you can read Ryan’s ever great background information. Sorry for the moiré. Enjoy.

SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND: I ain’t no Asshole.mp3
VOMIT PIGS: Hypo.mp3
VOMIT PIGS: Bomb the Arabs.mp3
SKUDS: Twilite Zone.mp3
DOT VAETH: Mag Rock.mp3

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Does anybody know anything about this photo? I recently found this on a messageboard and I must say, this is so damn funny and scary at the same time, that I can’t get it out of my head. Is it a real snap shot or is it arranged? Could it be coming from Charlie White? If you know something, please help.

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I just come from watching Gus van Sant’s “Milk”. What a melodramatic, hollywoodesque soap opera was that?! Sean Penn’s acting was almost as funny as Adolf Hitler who played Bruno Ganz. If you want to see a great movie about Milk and the riots (check the first Dead Kennedys album cover!), do yourself a favor and get the documentary “The Times of Harvey Milk” by Ron Epstein instead.
While the movie was disappointing, this San Francisco band is not! but I know, this is not going to get the attention and appreciation  it deserves, and I never said the world was about justice and understanding. I never really understood why some people wouldn’t enjoy (IMPATIENT) YOUTH as much as I do. The posthumous LP released on Lost & Found records a while ago is just perfect. In fact, the LP is even better than this – cause it’s longer and it includes some songs of this EP in different variations, among many other timeless classics.

All the songs here on are priceless. Simple, charming, with a certain folk appeal and pretty much the opposite of “brutal”, “heavy” or “massive”. Fave song? (I)mpossible to say. Well, “Wasted Life” always puts a smile on that face of mine, what a shameless BEATLES ripoff (“I feel fine”). “Sex Affair” is the band’s fastest song, a true rocker. And the sleeve is neat too, innit.
A box of these EPs surfaced in the mid 90s, but I haven’t seen it too often ever since.
I labelled this PeterPop although I know Peter doesn’t like the band. He should make up his mind.

More of this criminally underrated band can & should be found here.

Definition empty.mp3
Working Girl.mp3
Wasted Life.mp3
Business Man.mp3
Don’t listen to the Radio.mp3
Sex Affair.mp3

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What worries me most about this album – is a 45 rpm LP really an LP or is it just a MiniLP?

And here are some of the highlights from the ongoing debate over at Peter’s, who posted the great “You’re so dumb” 7″ by the Skrewies. Some are dead serious, some are not – try to find out which is which. Let’s call this the Skrewdriver-mantra:

«I had this record, but could not play it. I despise anyone that uses hatred of another to justify their hatred for themselves. I gave this record away…I don’t care what the music was like before they became “racists”. Next record please. There were hundreds of other great records coming out at the time of this release…I would rather hear those. Thanks.»

«Hell, Hitler was a pretty good scenic painter.»

«i cant believe youre posting nazi punk now. …so uncool.»

«Once a bonehead, always a bonehead. You may justify your liking for this shit band all you want…I do not. That is all. I will gladly fix the brakes on your car for you….»

«A little academic nuance makes Peter and Erich such sophisticated thinkers. Reminds me of the type of thinking that causes women to bare their breasts and present red teddy bears!»

«Face it, the music is not too good either.»

«The music is really not that good.»

«My opinion with such bands is,that there are enough great bands why should I waste my time listening to SUCH bands,even if they were -in their formative years- “no nazi´s”. If I want Street-Punk without a hint of art, I rather prefer to listen to MENACE, instead.»

«Whatever your beliefs are, how you receive early Skrewdriver partly depends on your own racial background. It doesn’t matter whether good old Ian was a professed racist at the time–he influenced a lot of people to become racists and that makes the world a shittier place for me and my children. Likewise, I doubt there are a lot of gay Bad Brains fans out there.»

Download the first really good sounding vinyl rip of “All skrewed up” here.

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Let me present to you the best band in the world at this very moment:

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Okay, this is not exactly the biggest secret in music history, but just what I feel like at the moment. Not too many songs are better than “We who wait”. Enjoy with me!

Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.mp3
New Day Dawning.mp3
We who wait.mp3

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