GBH - Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne (1981)

 

GBH - Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne (1981)

Probably not the first band that comes to your mind in regards to Halloween or horror themed punk, but GBH had a fair share of Hammer Horror-esque lyrics in their earlier work. Especially here the dark humour shines through in tracks such as Lycanthropy, State Executioner, and my personal favourite,
Necrophilia.

For me, this and the debut LP, City Baby Attacked By Rats, show GBH at their best. Undoubtedly one of the forerunners of UK punk rock during the early eighties, GBH bring the bass heavy power of Motorhead and the senseless aggression of the Sex Pistols to create a unique style that has been much copied...but hardly ever surpassed!

Their later material isn't as potent when compared to the vitriolic power of Leather... and City Baby..., but GBH definitely deserve respect for their contribution to, not only punk, but music in general. And let's not forget to mention their defiant attitude to recording and touring throughout the eras, regardless of how popular (or unpopular) punk is at those specific times. 

Your hair is tied in a spiders web, you're dead!

Adolf Christ - Dead Punks (Demo)

Adolf Christ - Dead Punks (Demo)

UK Satanic Edge-Crust

FFO: GISM, Amebix, Axegrinder

Adolf Christ are a malevolent force of fuck off. Forged in the flames of hell, Adolf Christ blaspheme incoherently about hell, death, and the edge. We live in hell, motherfuckers.
- Adolf Hitler 

The best demo of the year thus far. My home boys have come far! Crust Punk straight from the ghetto. We live in heaven, bothers.
-Jesus Christ

Antidote - One Does Not Sell The Earth Upon Which The People Walk (1986)

Antidote - One Does Not Sell The Earth Upon Which The People Walk (1986)

No, not the New York hardcore powerhouse that gave us 'Thou Shalt Not Kill'. This is the British/Dutch collaboration between Chumbawamba and The Ex.

A bit of an oddity, Antidote are basically like early Chumbawamba. Good shit for sure, but while the Chumba records were known for longer, inter-weaved, tracks, none of the songs on this EP even reach one minute!

To say the guitar work is the highlight would be disrespectful to the other instruments. The guitars have that great mix of both chords and catchy lead melodies (Think Chumba's 'Revolution'), the bass bops along-with melody, groove and atmosphere, the drums range from spastic polka blasts to piercing stabs, and the vocals are antagonistic, bratty, and overlap in that classic melodramatic Chumba way.

The way they crafts their songs is incredible. While none of the songs reach the one minute mark each track is memorable, with certain tracks like 'Instrumental', 'The Sun' and 'R.T.Z. & B.P. ...Why?' offering ample twists-and-turns throughout the 8 minutes of anarcho fury.

Overall, this is an essential addition to the 80s Chumbawamba collection. Great, weird, experimental punk!

One Does Not Sell The Earth...

Rhetoric - Straight (Over The) Edge (1988)

Rhetoric - Straight (Over The) Edge (1988)

Rhetoric were from Norwich, UK. Which is a pretty nice place by all accounts. They play a raging concoction of punk and Frosty/Destruction riffage, otherwise known as Crust Punk. For those who don't know, or care, the UK was a hotbed for crust in the 80s. While there are a few different approaches to crust, Rhetoric fall under the anarcho-punk meets European metal-punk banner.

In a sentence: it's punks playing sloppy seconds metal-punk.

Crust is like thrash metals' weirdo third-detached, unhygienic, dreadlocked cousin who likes hugging trees and wearing Destruction t-shirts. In other words, you probably wouldn't want to hang around with him but he definitely has a cool record collection, so fuck it.

Rhetoric are a great example of crust. They pack a shit-load of metal-damaged riffs into short
hardcore blasts ranging from one to five minutes. As with a fair amount of crust, the Crass like anarcho leanings are present, certainly in the clean guitar intro to 'It's Unexplainable' and the subversive parodical use of the Hawaii 5-O theme music in opener 'H.5.0. - Theme Of The Rhetoric Crass-Surfin' Formation Team'.

Juxtaposed with the sensitive intellectualism and politically charged anarcho-yelps, is the barbaric chugging and guttural shouts. Tracks like 'World Inside of Me' are a good example of the varied influences going on within the band. Unlike their contemporaries such as Deviated Instinct, Filthkick, Axegrinder, and Generic, these dudes weren't all political doom and gloom. 'Theme Of The Rhetoric...' and 'The Burp Song!', which is a piss around with Hellbastard's 'Nazis Killed' riff,
show that these guys have a sense of humor.

Rhetoric - Straight (Over The) Edge full-tape

As for the tapes name 'Straight (Over The) Edge'. While it may have seemed clever at the time, is pretty fucking stupid regarding how hypocritical crusties can be. As much as i love crust, the whole pansy arse, dildo subculture around it is pathetic. One of my big reservations about crust is the political rambling about multi-national corporations...whilst fans and bands are supporting the alcohol industry. Possibly the worst industry to support in terms of institutions that are more powerful
than government. Institutions that want to 'normalize' their product within society. Institutions that don't face up to the multiple problems they cause by stating that 'as individuals we should know our limits'. Institutions that cleverly market themselves to make themselves seem innocent and 'cool' as opposed to the Nazi like indoctrination complex's that they actually are. Institutions that reinforce gender mainstreaming. Institutions that prey on genetic addiction predispositions. Institutions that don't give a fuck about the millions of lives they destroy, cripple, and hinder. Do I need to continue? I have no problem with drinking, and i have no problem with political activism, but I do have a problem with disingenuous posturing from pretentious wankers who see the world in black and white.

Other than that small, personal gripe, this is a great demo, a total crust relic. Fans of this style should definitely check this out if they haven't already.

Linky Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!hNZFzbxJ!QQ6sV2vUxKuTFkv78p6gXSzcYPQ7ZwGstZPdqgCfyj8

Dispossession - Self-titled & 'Plagues' EP

Dispossession: Self-titled & 'Plagues' EP

Dispossession are from Norfolk, UK, although, to be specific, i'm pretty sure most of the guys are from Kings Lynn, a pretty shitty town in the South-east of the UK. They play a fairly inventive style of 90s Brutal Death Metal ala Dying Fetus, and Deathcore.

Fun fact: Norfolk has the largest concentration of Medieval churches, as well as inbreds, in the whole world. 

Their four track self-titled EP came out in 2013, and from what i can tell, had a bit of a buzz about them. Whats rad about this EP is the mid-paced riffing, which permeates through all of the main riffs... as well as the monster slams, bruh. Can't forget dem' slams. Its like they're on a mission to put as many catchy riffs into each song as possible.

Since Dispossession are a bit cryptic in terms of where they fall genre-wise, they stand out from the pack. The riffs and slams (dat slam in 'Strangulate', sheeet son) makes them much more interesting than standard deathcore, but the breakdowns, albeit infrequent, can seem a bit forced, and take away from the death metal brutality.With that said, breakdowns, at least how metal bands play them, have never been 'my thing', bruh.

Their latest EP, 'Plagues', was released during the summer of 2014 and carries on in the same style, however, they have stepped up their game...

In terms of production, its a huge step up from the self titled. Truly a claustrophobic atmosphere, fo' sho. Obviously the guitar players, James and Aaron, have improved a good deal, experimenting with different riff styles as well as adding some lead shizznit. Unfortunately, the mid-paced riffing isn't as predominant, but, the brutal slams are still there. In fact, breakdowns take a backseat to the slams.

Such brutal, wow

Reviewing either of their EPs track-by-track would be seriously uninteresting to you readers because i'd just be repeating how 'rad' each riff is. What I will say is that Dispossession are a band to watch out for, bruh. And if you can  catch them live, as I've yet to do as I progressively become more scouse by the minute, deffo do so.

Dispo's music is on their Bandcamp fo' free (or donation, if you're feeling generous) and they've still got some merch left which is pretty cheap, providing that you're from the UK. Also, check out dere Facebook while you're at it.

I thnk u shud get ur gran dis t-shrt, so she cn luk fashnuble and coo, bruh

Cultfinder 'Black Thrashing Terror' EP 2012

Unholy Metalpunk at it's most blasphemous!

If you're a tea drinking, yellow teethed, limey bugger, I urge you to support this band. Their debut 7' 'Black Thrashing Terror' (which also comes with a cool patch and small poster/lyric sheet) is only £2.40 fer christ sake! and their full length CD is £4.00. So you can't say 'that's toooo expensive!' when p&p is like a quid or so.

Anyway...
Cultfinder play a really unique style of Black Metal. It's a bit 1st wave (Bathory, Venom, Voor), it's a bit Norweigian (Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem), it's a bit Brazillian deathrash (Chakal, Witchhammer), it's a bit 3rd wave (Abigail, Nifelheim), and it's also a bit crusty!

This is some lo-fi, fast, blasty, raspy-vocalled shit. 'Black Thrashing Terror' opens with a swampy, doom-bringing riff-accompanied by thudding tom-toms, which quickly erupts into unholy rasping vocals, blasting drums, and racing guitars. The chorus is where it's really at, in the vein of Abigail, we have a catchy refrain of 'BLACK! THRASHING! TERROR!' while the guitars continue to pump out blasphemous riffs.

'Archangel Burial' continues in the fast and blasty vein, while 'Witching Curse' is a rad tune that fluctuates from the fast and blasty sections to the ominous, helltanik chorus riff. And lest we forget that punishing double-kick drumming that plays under the chorus riff half way through.

Black Thrashing Terror
Heretic winds of torment, lies beyond compare
Blasphemous hordes lie dormant
For war we shall prepare!

Call to the hordes of devastation!
blasphemous cries our incantation
Call to the hordes of devastation!
Blaphemous cries: we rise!

BLACK! THRASHING! TERROR!

Towards the infernal darkness
Bastards of Belial
Hordes of blackened martyrs

Earth we shall defile!

Because I'm such a nice guy, here's the download link
http://www71.zippyshare.com/v/82672493/file.html

And in the name Satan, go buy some merch from:

http://unholycultfinder.bandcamp.com/merch

http://unholycultfinder.bandcamp.com/album/black-thrashing-terror

High Treason - Saturday Night Special

At least in my opinion, this is one of the best ‘NWOBHM’ songs, or should I just say Heavy Metal songs since how could there be a 'New Wave of' if there was never an ‘old wave’ to begin with? Some people consider Black Sabbath as metal, I love Sabbath, I really do, but c'mon, they’re more heavy rock than anything else. Anyway, this is irrelevant and controversial...

High Treason seem to be another one of those metal bands cropping up in the late 70's/early 80's, you know the type, releasing a few 7's or demos, possibly an LP if they were lucky. In High Treason’s case, they only released this single in their heyday.  As far as I know they are back together, but I have no idea what they sound like now (edit 06/4/15: they sound pretty rad). What I do know is that ‘Saturday Night Special’ is an amazing tune! If you like 77' punk it won't be too hard getting into this. With a relatively short length, good solos, a powerful voice, fantastic choruses, cool chord progressions and to top it all off, played fairly speedy, I don’t see how you couldn't like it.

The B-side, ‘Waste My Love’, is much slower and not as interesting. Not bad, but not mind-blowing either.

Saturday Night Special

Opening up with a relatively fast harmonized guitar lead, some busy bass lines and some tasty drum fills, we are led into a chorded section for the verse. The harmonized guitar lead pretty much acts as a short bridge into each verse. The pre-chorus’ and chorus’ are bloody catchy, like, really catchy and are the standout moments throughout the whole song.

The track pretty much takes the ‘verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus’ structure with a few interesting variations thrown in, so there is no point in repeating my boring diatribe.

The solos are great, particularly the one at the end of the track, very rough and Ritchie Blackmore-like with some nice arpeggio work going on. At least for my money, this is one of the best NWOBHM tracks ever. 

Waste My Love

Greeted with a muted guitar melody and a chord progression we are then subject to some relatively catchy AOR/metal, I can’t really say too much about it. It’s obviously rocky but with a slightly ballad-y sensibility to it.  I’d say that the main riff becomes played out and a bit boring after a while, however the chorus’ save the track with some very strong vocals. Surprisingly, there are no guitar solos; however we do have some nice bass and vocal work towards the end. Overall, it’s nothing even remotely comparable to the A-side.

I'd definitely suggest this to fans of early punk, ‘real’ Heavy Metal, or just fans of AOR. If you're looking for heavy riffs, don't look here, but if you're looking for a catchy tune with great solos and a strong voice, I’d suggest you listen to it.

Edit 06/4/15: Thanks to High Treason for getting in touch! Check them out on their website http://high-treason.net/ as well as Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/hightreasonuk

Apparently High Treason are looking to re-record this monster jam and put a music video to it. After checking out a few tunes on their website, i'm excited to hear the results. These dudes can still tear it up after all these years!

Direct Download link

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/68280635/HT%20-%20SNSs.rar

Boneyard Metal Blog:

http://bm-80smetal.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/high-treason-uk-saturday-night-special.html