AFI churn out another album for Nitro and boy this is cool very in your face and full of aggressive harmonies (is that a contradiction or what?). It’s sort of that Clash thing with the course vocals of Joe Strummer and the melody of Mick Jones’ that makes this raging punk album so cool along with sheer raw razor guitars driven it all along.

APOCALYPSE BABYS - Local Heroes EP MC (Smokin’ Troll Records)

Derby’s punk babes churn out another slice of punkadelic pop with their Local Heroes EP. The opening number is a top mid paced harmony riddled ditty which sets you up for the storming title track that feels very7 SLF. While the final guttural attack reminds me of that great UK Subs classic Emotional Blackmail - Another top vinyl disc from the Babys - Apocalypse Now!

BACKFIRE – All Bets Are Off CD (Century Media Records)

Sheer brutal raging hardcore from Backfire, this 14 track album crashes and pounds it’s way through some corking hardcore that reminds me of Slapshot and Final Conflict. Very in your face and up front this album at times is very Doom like and is full of pure adrenaline energy - awesome.

BAD BRAINS – Omega Sessions CDEP (Victory Records)

One of the most influential DC bands, Bad Brains who produced class anthems like Pay To Cum, I and I Survive and top albums like Rock For Light deliver a blast from the past with their Omega Sessions. This min album features some of the top tracks from Bad Brains including the awesome I Against I, At The Movies, I Luv I Jah, Stay Close To Me and Attitude. This is great and for anyone unaware of this cool band this is a great introduction.

THE BEEKEEPERS - Killer Cure CDEP (Beggars Banquet Records)

The Beekeepers are new to me and they certainly aren’t as sweet as honey, having more of a sting in their tail. The title track is very pop but it has a nice punky edge that gives them something that other indie bands seem to lack. The second track Faking is more like the Psychedelic Furs and has a very infectious riff in the verse but the chorus is a little too Bon Jovi with the backing, which lets it down a little. The final ditty is the best of all and has a great snotty feel to it while retaining a nice harmonic feel to it. How To Stand Up is a great track and should have been the title track and shows what the ‘Keepers are capable of. I look forward to future releases.

BETTE DAVIS & THE BALCOVETTES - Shegar 7" (Damaged Goods Records)

This 2 track 7" is taken from their Peel Session and the title track Shegar is not going to win any prizes for musical ability but it does redeem itself with a rip off of "Champion (Shegar) the wonder horse" theme tune. White Food on the flip is better and sounds like some latter day Crass stuff - very much an industrial cacophony and shouty female vocals. For me this is a bit of a "play it once and file it for reference".

BLACK GARDEN - Calliart Demo MC (26 Winthrope Grove, Hartlepool, TS25 2JZ, UK)

I couldn’t really get to grips with this grunge cum rock combination from Black Garden. It wasn’t really the music as that was OK it was the strange vocals that sounded like they were winding down all the time - maybe it was the tape, I don’t know but just as I thought I was going to get into it the vocals dragged it down again. Black Garden I’m sure are a different kettle of fish live and they’ve got a self released album out in the new year so I look forward to see what else this band offers. To sum up Black Garden they’re sort of like all those Sub Pop bands and they’ve probably got something, it just doesn’t show on this tape.

BRAIN & THE TEENAGERS - Mystic Viberosis EP 7" (C.N.Next Tuesday Records)

This is weird man, it’s kind of a cross between the Cardiacs and Mike Flowers Pops and has a name that would have happily fitted in the 50s or 60s. Special Smile is an excellent little ditty, that has a great little Housemartin’s bit in the middle. What I like about this is that it’s a little different from the usual stuff you get to hear. Great Stuff.

BRAIN & THE TEENAGERS - Digital Vasectomy Material Arts EP 7" (C.N.Next Tuesday Records) This EP isn’t as good as the Mystic Viberosis EP but it’s still weird but this time more along the lines of the Voodoo Glowskulls except for the final track which is a funky affair. This is good but not a patch on the other one.

BOUNCING SOULS - S/T CD (Epitaph Records)

The Bouncing Souls are totally cool, they rock like the top bands of yesteryear but with a 90s kick. This is attitude-laden punk rock that you just want to get up and dance about to - yeah it’s that good. The sounds on this are so raw and up front that if just moves you whether you want it to or not. Great chant-along vocals and catchy as chicken pox ditties, this album has everything an excellent punk rock album should have. There’s 16 totally fine tracks that have the sounds of all those fine US bands like Youth Brigade, Government Issue, Zero Boys, etc along with the influences of top UK bands like Stiff Little Fingers. Get this album and you’ll be literally bouncing on your souls from start to finish.

THE BUSINESS – The Truth, The Whole Truth & Nothing But The Truth CD (Burning Heart Records)

The hardest band to come out of South London, the Business, deliver a new album of punk rock anthems that bring back memories of cool hits from the past like Guttersnipe, Law & Order and Loud, Proud & Punk. This album is full to the brim with cockney banter and some great Business tracks like the title track, Crime of The Century, Hardcore Hooligan and Spirit of The Streets. Southgate (Euro 96) is a football terraces classic and the excellent acoustic Informer is sheer class probably the best track on the album is Justice Not Politics which is literally brilliant. The Business were a fucking excellent punk/oi band and what’s more they still are, churning out absolute class numbers like this.

CAUSE FOR ALARM - Birth After Birth MCD (Victory Records)

This is a six track mini album of Cause For Alarm’s basic hardcore with great Oi style chanting choruses. But this pails in comparison to previous releases and their most recent album Cheaters and The Cheated. None of the tracks really stand out as being amazing but they’re OK enough and are well played, just a little uninspiring.

THE CRAMPS - Like A Bad Girl Should CDEP (Epitaph Records)

This single is taken from the cool new album by the Cramps (reviewed last issue) and the title track is one of the finest of that album as is the second number Wet Nightmare. The cover features the dirty Poison Ivy flaunting her wears! Like a Bad Girl Should is a fine example of this archetypal psycho-billy band’s slow sexy numbers and the final track is a unreleased version of I Walked All Night which has certain Iggy Pop leanings with it’s rock-a-billy backing.

CHESTER - Living Room Tour Demo MC (10 Sutherland Court, 203 Albion Road, Stoke Newington, London, N16 9JT, UK) The Chesters are a married couple from London and this is the duos demo. It comes across as a Lo-Fi punk attack similar to Bis and the only instruments on here are vocals and guitar. With 12 tracks of fun, rhyming lyrics that the Toy Dolls would be proud of touching on love, space, aliens, parents and the A Bomb. This could have done with some more instruments to make it sound a little fuller and a bit more varied.

CLEATUS/FAIR DINKUM - Split EP 7" (Incoming Records, 39 Morley Grove, Harlow, Essex, CM20 1EB, UK)

Mac releases another top vinyl disc type thing which has two fine UK funsters. Cleatus take up half this disc with two top tuneful punky type numbers which rip like lightening. Fair Dinkum grace the remainder with 3 gravely, fast paced ragers which are just as cool. The artwork is great and this is a mighty release.

CUCKOO - Demos CD (Cuckoo, PO Box 116, Derry, BT48 6BH, Northern Ireland)

Posh or what a demo on CD, cool! Cuckoo are a rather nice Indie sounding band from Derry that sound somewhere between Sleeper, Teenage Fanclub and a selection of Sub Pop bands. 1^st track is a great up tempo number with lovely vocals especially the backing female vocals that really off set the main vocals with a subtle beauty. The 2^nd track has a bit of overdrive on the vocal track and has a delirious nature that feels very Beatles "White Album". Track 3 is a laid back affair and the final track has all manner of instruments in a strange concoction of off kilter pop. Cuckoo may be a little round the bend but they produce some great, interesting music so watch out for a debut album out in the new year.

ROY DAVIES JR. - Gabriel + Gabriel Remixes CDEP (XL Recordings)

Pretty average soulful groove outing from the man whose history lies in the 70s soul culture. As always with these discs you get a million and one different edits and mixes of the same track. The second CD with all the remixes on is a little bit more exciting with more go in it. Unfortunately none of the 9 tracks over 2 CDEPs moved me at all.

DBH - Unwilling To Explain CD (Dedicated Records)

Yeah this is stomping brutal hardcore with a metal slant that is very reminiscent of many bands that sprouted up in the mid 80s. There is plenty of energy and originality that is usually lacking in releases like this and certainly this is an exceptional debut for any bank. There’s some subtle traces of Mr Rollins in this along with a nice reference to Skin Yard on Assimilation along with traces of bands like Warzone, Agnostic Front and Nuclear Assault. The thing I most like about this band is there experimentation and their fusion of the USHC punk scene, metal and rock that has obviously influenced them. The band have got a lot of potential if this debut is anything to go by and I really digged this sucker.

DFA - Don’t Fucking Ask Demo MC (Richard Crawford, 33 Lascelles Ave, Hull Road, Withernsea, HU19 2EA, UK)

What a delightful name and hailing from the pits of the North East coast, Withernsea. For those who’ve never heard of this excuse for a Seaside resort it’s just north of Hull and slightly south of Scarborough and Bridlington - just so you know how to avoid it! Anyway on with the review, these boys play a very basic brand of raw late 80s punk along the lines of Doom and that sort of stuff. It’s not bad but does need some work. This is their first effort though and considering they’ve only done a couple of gigs under their belts and have only been together for a short time with a bit of experience under their belts they’ll probably record something a little more together.

D’JAIMIN & DJAYBEE - Fever CDEP (XL Recordings)

Big House sounds play host on this 5 track mix. The first mix and Radio edit is pretty catchy and has very soulful vocals that paste over a disco-dance backbeat, very clubland. The second mix is a lot subtler and has an almost jungle at night feel to it, 7 minutes in a club is OK but it’s a bit much at home - too repetitive. The same goes for the slightly bubblier 3^rd and 4^th Mix. The final mix entitled the Grove A Mental Mix has a nice spaced out groove and will most likely have many dance floors heavin’ across Europe.

DOWN BY LAW - No Equaliser EP 7" (SD Records)

This 7" is out on Suspect Device zine’s label and what’s more it’s totally cool. No Equaliser is taken from Last of The Sharpshooters album as is Concrete Times but they seem to be different versions (?!). Superfucked is a new track and while not being a classic it’s a good track and a spleen venter. Great EP on a UK label support it and buy this cool disc now.

DOWN BY LAW - Question Marks & Periods CDEP (Epitaph Records)

If you read last issue’s interview with Mr Smalley then you’ll know that this was one of my favourite tracks from the awesome Last of The Sharpshooters album. This is the perfect pop song with all the right hooks in the right places along with those heart crunching harmonies in the chorus - bloody marvellous. The single is available on 7" blue wax for the vinyl junkies and is backed with the previously unreleased The Superheroes which is has a great Clash riffing verse with a chorus that reminiscent of the bands first self titled album. There’s an extra track on the CD which is also from the Last of… album and is the epitome of the Dave’s songwriting in the Dagnasty era. There’s no question marks here or any need for a period of debate - just buy baby buy.

THE DRAPES - The Silent War CD (One Foot Records)

Sounding like a Teddy Boy band The Drapes are one hell of a cool band that play first rate punk hardcore. The opening track Missing Piece is a classic stormer and sets the pace for an excellent album of great emotive hardcore that brings to mind the top sounds of Farside. There’s some well written personal lyrics and the Drapes pay homage to fellow Portland classic band Poison Idea’s track Taken By Surprise. There’s also a cool impro of the that old number The Whiter Shade of Pale altogether making for a totally excellent release from this fine Portland band. Great Stuff.

THE DWARVES – The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking CD (Epitaph Records)

The Dwarves are a funny bunch and always have been if you’re looking to get a flash of a male appendage then a Dwarves gig is the likely place to start. This album with the "we’re trying to convince ourselves" title is a bit of a shock to me there’s a whole heap of melody and harmony in there – most unusual for this bands whose past had them growling into the mic with what sounded like lacerated vocal chords. Also this album has a flood of rock and roll overtones, now whether this is a band wagon jump, which let’s face it, they’ve done before or not it’s a good album, full of attitude and drives along at some pace. I don’t know whether they’re either "Young" or "Goodlooking" judging by the CD booklet, but they can sure kick up a great racket.

ERASE TODAY - Colour Sound & Vibration CD (JSNTGM Records, 51 Southbourne Road, Blackpool, Lancs, FY3 9SH, UK. Web: http:\\www.jsntgm-records.co.uk)

Yeah, cool as fuck punk rock with attitude. The cover looks like a tranquil holistic meditation CD but inside there’s a power chord explosion of sound that gels with a mighty rendition of intelligent social observations and biting sarcastic prose. Blackpool’s finest deliver a mighty debut album which sports a gutsy main vocal which is complimented with the fine backing harmonies, all cranked out in a basic punk sound that is very reminiscent of the excellent Terminus. 14 very UK and very cool tracks that rock big style.

FLAG OF DEMOCRACY - Everything Sucks CD (Blitzcore Records)

I remember buying FODs Love songs EP and the album Shatter Your Day and being blown away by the sheer intensity and obviously likeness in places to one of my all time faves the Dead Kennedys. Everything Sucks is no exception and their crazy brand of super fast melodic hardcore is cool especially with the exceptional music that is the driving force of this band. Great stuff and it’s good to hear them again.

FREAKS UNION - Demo 2. MC (No Address, Tel: 01964 53214)

Hull’s Freaks unleash their demonic curse upon the world. Freaks Union play harmony laden, snotty punk which reminds me a lot of Flag of Democracy. I love the cardboard box drum sound on here Waiting is a great track and shows the FOD comparisons. Union on the other hand holds to their roots with a UK Subs sounding number and a nice steal of the Blitzkrieg Bop riff in the middle. Friends is a great tune but with a blatant rip-off of the Exploited’s Alternatives and finally the tape rounds off with an Oi version of Polly Put The Kettle On which the Toy Dolls would be proud of. This demo is a pretty cool affair and is an amalgamation of fun punk with oodles of attitude. Freak… of nature…

GOOBER PATROL - Truck Off CD (Theme’s Good Records)

Originally released on Boss Tunage back in yonder years of Yore (er yeah, about early 90s) and is just as fresh as when it first came out on sexy vinyl. There’s also the 3 tracks which appeared on the split 7" with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (I think). Great melodic stuff that is totally cool.

GRISWALDS/THE KENMORES - Split EP 7" (Household Name Records)

The Griswalds kick off this EP with 5 tracks - wow; this reminds me of a lot of the mid 80s US punk bands with that Ramones simplicity yet with more speed. Suzy Thinks She’s Punk Rock is really cool and very Ramones in both concept and sound. The production is raw and basic but still pulls the songs through and I really liked this. Flipping over the Kenmores take up the remaining 5 tracks. They play fast controlled monotone punk which sounds great, tracks like Worry Wait and Apathy are cool. This EP is more like an album - 10 tracks. Great value top sounds buy it now. The cover cartoon is totally excellent.

GROOP DOGDRILL - Lovely Skin CDEP (Mantra Records)

Doncaster’s grease boys hit home with a dirty number Lovely Skin with the mighty lyric "You sexy thing, I love your skin" Groop Dogdrill come across as Mudhoney meets a Teddy Boy in a head on collision in a slick caddy. The remainder of the disc features the 12 bar rockin’ Rockabilly Workout which has the pleasantries of flick knives in the dark and a very Nirvana sounding Shrub… which brings up the rear and is also an extra track only available on the CD. Very interesting and powerful release that has a certain menace to it, fine stuff.

GROOVIE GHOULIES - Re-Animation Festival CDEP (Lookout Records)

Take the groovie Ramones and add the ghoulish obsession of the Damned or Misfits and what you get is the mighty fine trio Groovie Ghoulies. There’s 12 rockin’ tracks that have a real garage style to them. Top tunes like Graveyard Girlfriend, Zombie Crush, and Chupacabba and Evading The Greys. I love this kinda of shit and all I have to say is fucking get into the rocking sounds of the Groovie Ghoulies.

H₂O - Thicker Than Water CD (Epitaph Records)

Sick of It All’s roadie is the front man of H₂O and it shows. This is hard hitting hardcore that at times verges on Minor Threat (latterly) with cool as fuck tracks like I See It In Us and has an unrelenting power that makes this album so good. It encompasses all the greatness of bands from the early SE scene like Gorilla Biscuits and Minor Threat with class tracks like Ever Ready and Sacred Heart. This is what that NYHC sound is all about, this kind of stuff - melodic hardcore with a passion and some fine attitude and not the metal dross that parades as it these days is what made me get into it many moons ago. It’s really nice to hear H₂0 and there great music there’s also a great cover the mighty DC band, Marginal Man’s Friend and the final number, the title track, is a nice slow delayed number which sounds very much like latter day Clash and some of MDCs material. 16 corking tracks that will get you up off your arse and jump about like a total lune, cool.

The first track is great, Jam meets SLF and lobs in a bit of Channel 3 for good measure. The Hang Ups hail from Newcastle and rip up an excellent racket. The next track Deep Stuff has a very Ramones sounding riff to it and the lyrics match too. The Hang Ups use the cool basic sounds of the 70s punk and layer harmony-laden catchy choruses over the top. Brilliant combination, top stuff.

THE HIVES - Barely Legal CD (Burning Records)

Raw and gusty punk rock and roll, the Hives play their own brand of punkin’ rockabilly with some seriously obnoxious vocals. This rules with attitude and with tracks like I’m a Wicked one, Automatic schmuck, King of Asskissing and The Stomp you know you’re in for some totally cool 77 style pubrock with a serious rock ‘n’ roll strip down the middle. I could see these fitting in nicely at the Roxy in London in 1977 along with Johnny Moped.

IRON MONKEY - S/T CD (Earache Records)

Take the vocals of Carcass and the music of Doom and Iron Monkey is the blood cuddling hybrid offspring. 6 gravel crunching, throat rasping tracks of dark sounding metal with lyrics with very little to say except to try to show some shock value. Nothing outstanding here.

KID WITH MAN HEAD - Flapjack Hairpiece CD (One Foot Records)

I love this, totally cool melodic pop-punk-hardcore that reminds of a cross between Honey Crack and Green Day. 14 harmony laden tracks that are literally dripping with maple syrup and boy does the Kid With Man Head rock. There’s even a cover of Hotel California thrown in there, this album is just excellent and that’s all there is to say.

LAG WAGON - Double Plaidinum CD (Fat Wreck Chords)

The ‘wagon deliver another album that has stepped away from their original off-kilter hardcore and more towards a poppier song writing style. The end result is that Lag Wagon are becoming more and more like NOFX. The artwork on the back liner and CD booklet is great especially the Bay City Rollers theme and parody photo. As for the music it’s first class quality pop-punk with some nice touches, I think I did prefer the other material to this but it still a fin album in it’s own right.

LOOPHOLE - The Day The Monkey’s Charm Wore Off EP 7" (Household Name Records)

If Captain Sensible ever went hardcore this is what he’d have sounded like. Loophole have a great sound that sounds very Damned in the vocals and inflexions, and a skankin’ and razor guitar mix. There’s 4 tracks on here and this is a bloody fine EP. None of The Above is a great melodic hardcore pounder and Slush is ska-Sensible heaven. Top hole. Loophole Web site http://www.geocities/sunsetstrip/3772/loophole.html

MANFAT/HARD TO SWALLOW - Split EP 7" (Manfat, PO Box 47, Bradford, BD5 7TX, UK)

Well it’s a shame Manfat have bitten the dust because this EP shows them at their most brutal with 2 powerful and dark numbers that have a real industrial feel to them, great stuff. Hard To Swallow take the flip with Carcass style head on hardcore that delivers their brand of speedy metal hardcore without a moments hesitation. Blistering Stuff.

MR T EXPERIENCE - Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You CD (Lookout Records)

Like a spoonful of sugar this helps any medicine go down. The subtle honey dripping harmonies of this cool album just leaves me in a sickly sweet dribbling state like a kid drooling over the sweets in a confectioners. MTX are time-served punkers from the East Bay scene that sprouted many fine bands like Corrupted Moral, Crimpshrine, The Lookouts, Operation Ivy and Green Day. This is fine melodic pop with a lurvley sun shine feel to it in a Cliff Richard "Summer Holiday" musical way!!! You can just imagine MTX in the leading roles and breaking into each song from this album at every opportunity. What more can I say this rules like the 16 track beast that it is.

NO FUN AT ALL - The Big Knockover CD (Burning Heart Records)

You’ve gotta be kidding, this is awesome fun. No Fun At All crank out another absolutely corking album that’s stuffed to the gills with pure melodic punk rock hardcore that Sweden should be proud of and I’m Burning Heart are very proud of. The whole album just drives along at such pace on it’s own momentum overlaid with great vocals and great lyrics. Tracks Suicide Machine and Should Have Known have the flavour of Bad Religion at their very best. I could rant on and on about how cool this band are but I’ll simply say don’t take my word for it, get this album and see for yourself. I just keep playing this over and over again… those melodies - yeah!

NO USE FOR A NAME - Making Friends CD (Fat Wreck Chords)

"Does Anybody Care ?"… Too fucking right they do and this new album from No Use For A Name is a 12 track onslaught of melodic punk hardcore and is totally cool. This is so damn catchy that you want to puke, in a Bad Religion meets Farside kinda way. From the excellent opening vocals on On the Outside to the biting bass intro on The Answer Is Still No in fact I need not go on… This album just plain fucking rules and I suggest you make friends with this cool slab of plastic right now.

NOFX - So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes CD (Epitaph Records)

Mikey and the boys produce another full lengther that is full of all things NOFX. Really you know what to expect now and once again the boys don’t disappoint with there own brand of sarcastic humour driven skankin’ (at times) hardcore wrapped around subjugated middle 8s and dipping their toes in various musical styles waters. Tracks like All His Suits are great examples of NOFXs advancement and musicianship and the swimming into the seas of humour on tracks like All Outta Angst, Quart In Session, Desperation’s Gone and Falling In Love. This is a great album, but then most of them are this is just a little better and more accomplished.

ONE CAR PILE UP - Dr Robotnik EP 7" (Damaged Goods Records)

Ex-Gan members make up the bloody excellent One Car Pile Up. Dr Robotnik EP is a collection of 3 tracks of melodic punky hardcore including the brilliant 1^st track Money Man which has a great Propaghandi guitar line. Seize The Day is a cool ditty with a great chorus and a driving tune. The final tracks is the title track and a mid paced affair that rounds this fine EP off in style. Great EP, great band… Go Fuck Yourself!!!

ONE MINUTE SILENCE - South Central CDEP (Big Cat Records)

Paying homage to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, One Minute Silence are a band that crank out those ditties with that funk-metal-rap-ola kinda of thang. This was popularised by the Chilli Peppers, Faith No More and Scatterbrain a number of years ago. One thing about this type of music is that it’s full of life and is powerful in delivery. The title track is excellent as is the second and the third which is not as good has a Rage Against the Machine feel to it. All in all making for a pretty cool release.

PANIC - Gremlin Generation CD (Phoenix Records, PO Box 226, Barnet, EN5 5SS, UK)

At last Panic get a recording that does them credit. Stan has put a lot of time and effort into this release and it’s been well worth it this CD fucking rules. The last EP’s recording flawed the whole EP but this CD has a great sound. the title track is a excellent anthem as is I’m Gonna Be A TV Star. Panic have that whiney punk rock with a Ramones guitar sound off to a tee with tracks like Catage and their songs are funny and uncomplicated. 16 top tracks from Panic, great release buy it now or try to win it in our competition and then buy it if you lose!!!

THE PARTY - Hooks MC (James, 7 Aster Close, Clacton On Sea, Essex, CO16 7DA, UK)

This tape is weird but quiet cool in it’s own way. The first track comes across as Beck after being dragged through a pit of gravel. This is very off kilter pop but with a little edge in their that reminded me of some of the 70s New Wave bands. Track 2 follows in a similar vein and the third tracks has a Portishead-cum-goth feel to it before exploding into some razor guitars. The Cigarette Girl is a more conventional pop ditty and has a very catchy chorus. The vocals on this tape sound tortured and the music is certainly original making for an interesting listen.

PERIOD PAINS - Spice Girls (Who Do You Think You Are ?) EP 7" (Damaged Records)

This is snotty teenage punk from Lan-don. The Period Pains title track rants on about every bodies (and workman’s) favourite Royalist and Chart stars, which is a catchy little ditty. This gals remind me of the mid 80s punk bands like Action Pact and they churn out 3 top tracks in this vein - basic 3 chord punk strut with a monotone London accented vocal. Great stuff on Damaged Goods.

PEP RALLEY - Deadline CD (One Foot Records)

Hey this is a great CD from one of the early HH readers Ken Johnson whose band this is and wha-hey they’ve got this out on top US label One Foot, nice one guys. Anyway Pep Rally are a great melodic punk outfit that are like a more accomplished Chopper and have a great series of clips in between tracks of some pissed London punk talking about Sid & Nancy and various other shit which is really funny. This must be the issue for the covers as Pep Rally secretly cover the same cover Snuff made famous - see what living in London does for you! - I Think We’re Alone Now, but it is a cool number. The lyrics are either silly or personal like the great lyrics on Kinder Surprise and those Operatic vocals on Surf God are unsurpassable, Pavaroti eat your heart out and the final track Why is an absolute corker of emotive hardcore and like all cleaver bastards these a secret track tagged on the end of this track which is about Trix a young lady with large assets and who travelled on Greyhound buses this track has the innuendoes as in NOFXs Together On The Sand. Look, this is mighty fine so pep yourself up with a fix of the Pep Rally CD.

Are you hungry ? Hungry for skankin’ moonstomp, sexy soul, gusty rhythm ‘n’ blues man and healthy guttural vocal style that any respectable soul singer would be proud of. If so this album is for you, this just ouses class. The Pietasters are the punk Commitments and you can hear all the classic soul singers in here like Otis Redding as the trumpets blast away in a full frontal assault on your senses you can’t but hum along and tap your foot like you’ve no control over it. The Pietasters are just fucking ace, seriously proficient musicians and whether you like Mod, punk, soul, blues, ska or reggae this album just can’t help but appeal it has more hooks than a sweet shop window. This stood above nearly every thing else we received in for review this time because it offers something different than the usual stuff and a cool cover of Quicksand and New Breed. Hellcat are becoming a force to be reckon with if their releases are anything to go by so get a taster today…

PRODIGY – Smack My Bitch Up CDEP (XL Recordings)

This is the controversial Prodigy number that’s had it’s video slated and banned. Actually the video is quite entertaining and on its own merit is very funny and fits the track very well. I really liked the album and this was one of the tracks that I really liked so it gets a thumbs up from me anyway. It also includes another track from the Fat of The Land album and the excellent track from Spawn, No Man Army. Crank it up…

PULLEY – 60 Cycle Hum CD (Epitaph Records)

The second release from Pulley sees a more intricate song writing than their previous effort. As a result this is a more interesting album than the Esteem Driven Engine and shows a little more originality while remaining a typical Epi-type release. There are some really good tracks on here like Man Dingo and Endless Journey but they don’t make for an awe inspiring release.

THE ROCKING DILDOS – Horny Hit Parade CD (Osmose Productions)

Manic French punkers produce a their second album of their aggressive full-on brand of punk that sits at home as a cross between the Germs and the Macc Lads with a little Rupture in for good measure. 20 tracks of mayhem that at times brings to minds those fine Italian bands of the 80s like CCM and Negazione.

As the title of this release suggests this is a compilation of the great Samiam’s back catalogue while on Nicky Garret’s New Red Archives label. There’s nothing really new here with tracks from their albums Billy, Soar, Samaim and the Don’t Break Me 10". If your new to this cool band then this CD is a great taster of Samaim’s intense melodic punk with a hardened pop edge. If you’re a die hard fan then it’s not worth buying.

SNUFF - Caught In Session CD (Vinyl Japan Records)

I’d forgotten just how fucking awesome Snuff are until I got this cool CD through. Featuring two sessions, one from the mighty John Peel show and the other from the Evening Session, it sent me back to 1989 and sat by the radio with my finger poised on the tape deck ready to tape the cool Peel session and boy I certainly wasn’t disappointed, as I’m not again today over 8 years later. That Peel session was so cool as those recordings were so much better than the actual Snuff Said… album and really captured their excellent live sound. Just hearing the powerful Win Some again and the perfect pop harmonies of their cover of Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now send shivers down your spine. The Evening Session captures the boys in ’94 and plays homage to Snuff’s more mod-lodic era with Funny Faces and their humour with their Napalm Death tributes to Whiley & Lamacq. This CD is first class and captures Snuff at their best, totally excellent UK fodder. Buy this for your snuff box.

SOUTHPAW - S/T Demo MC (£1.50 inc post from: 3 Mardling Run, Acle, Norwich, NR13 3JR,UK )

To be honest by the name of this band I expected this would be a crunching Sick of it All or CIV type of band. But actually this is quite the opposite, this is pop man, with a sizeable chunk of melodic punk in there. Sort of similar to fellow Norwich groovers Mr Jolly, Vanilla Pod and the Goobers. I really like the vocals on here and even though the recording is a little too guitar up-front-to swamp-everything else. But the songs still carry through especially the second track which is a great melodic riffola that kinda reminds me of Samiam. Top Stuff.

Hailing from Detroit and formerly "The Ulgies" and "Jack Kevorkian & The Suicide Machines" The Suicide Machines deliver a powerful ska-punk-hardcore concoction that blends a variety of related styles into a fast paced all skankin’ all punkin’ melodic angst ridden collection of toe-tapping ditties. Destruction By Definition sounds like the energy of Operation Ivy mixed with the creative music of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. 16 very accomplished tracks with top vocals and very cool.

SUPER ELECTRIC - Blank Tape EP MC

Super Electric remind me of a hybrid concoction of Iggy Pop, The Doors, Half Man Half Biscuits and the Inspiral Carpets. Cranking up a mighty racket the Super Electrics provide 5 tracks of Hammond organ driven Indie pop that conflicts itself with the intensities of sounds. They’re playing all over London so you’ll be able to catch them live and see for yourself.

THE TIE THAT BINDS - Slowly Sinking Under CD (One Foot Records)

This is really cool emotive hardcore that rocks your soul along the lines of Farside and Dagnasty. There’s some classic tracks on here like Paycheck, Down and Remote. There are 12 tracks on here of excellent harmony gut-wrenching hardcore with personal lyrics and I love this Houston band.

TOAH DYNAMIC - Hip Hop Gymkhana EP 7" (C.U.Next Tuesday Records)

This is Brain & The Teenagers in Robot suits, apparently. To say that this is on another planet and it probably best describes this EP. Experimental stuff which I have to say I found some what boring. I really like the other stuff but this is stuff that you release on a demo only.

TRAVIS CUT - Complicated CDEP (Fluffy Bunny Records)

The ‘Cut hit home with another fine disc of their own brand of finely honed melodic punk. The boys deliver 4 cracking tracks that just relentlessly drive on with barely a chance to catch your breath, that brings to mind a Husker Du live gig. Look I’m Wrong is a great track, very up tempo and full of top hooks while Scars has a real Snuff feel to it. Not reason to get complicated this is simply, bloody marvelous.

TRAVIS CUT/SPEEDURCHIN – Promo CDEP (Fluffy Bunny Records)

This features the cool Travis Cut boys and there have 2 tracks from their forthcoming new album 7^th Inning Stretch. The 2 cuts on here are bloody fantastic, choice melodic punk with great harmonies and top sound by Dave Smalley. Speed Urchin take the remaining tracks which are very Oi sounding kinda of like Cock Sparrer meets Husker Du - pretty cool especially the second track.

TSOL - S/T CDEP (Nitro Records)

True Sounds of Liberty were one of the coolest US punk bands around in the early 80s. This CD compiles the two deleted 7"s, the Black EP and Weathered Statues EP, both of which are classics that go hand in hand with the excellent LPs, Dance With Me, Beneath The Shadows and Change Today. This is just total classics US punk.

UNDECLINABLE AMBUSCADE - Their Greatest Adventures CD (Epitaph Records)

This is a re-release of the album put out by Ignition Records. The first thing that comes across is that the singer sounds like the Crash Test Dummies vocalist, which kinda of sounds really different and good when backed with cool melodic hardcore and they also remind me of Farside a little too. The lyrics on here are pretty cool too and one thing I’m sure of and that’s that these guys are going to be big - they do what they do exceedingly well and I’m hooked. 14 killer tracks of melodic pounding creative hardcore with a singer who’s got a great pair of lungs. Absolutely class A.

This is great, totally up front punk rock that sounds like a cross between Rancid, The Business, UK Subs and Social Distortion all rolled into one. Fucking awesome basic raw attitude with melody and shout along anthems like all those cool old Oi punkers on the No Future label. I really like the CD packaging too a mini gatefold sleeve. This is seriously good and really sounds gutsy - just get this if you get one record for Xmas, make it this. OAP music for Old Age Punks, yeah!

VANILLA POD - Trigger CD (Them’s Good Records)

The ‘Pod come into their own on this cool CD, their first 7" showed the promise and the demos held even more this is the product of those plus time. Trigger is a top disc that has all that’s cool in UK melodic punk rock, harmonies, razor guitars and ranting verses. This is a catchy little bugger and has some fine tracks like the cool Friendly, Problems and the hard hitting Don’t Know. Bloody marvellous. My Own Victim, Strapping Young

VARIOUS - 21^st Century Media Blitz CD (Century Media Records)

A 20 track sampler from Century Media of hardcore and metal kicking off with Stuck Mojo and a real original metal style which would be best described as alien hardcore. There’s also Backfire on here with their excellent brand of (at times Doom like) hardcore, Sub Zero and the intense Skinlab plus the raging HC of Slapshot. There’s the cool weird Iggy Pop sounding Vasaria featuring ex-members of the cool Crumbsuckers, equally horror oddness of Samael, the metallic harmony of Rotting Christ, The Gathering provide a soothing pagan spell bounder with lovely vocals and there’s the dance metal crossover of Gurd. There’s also tracks from My Own Victim, Strapping Lad, Merauder, Turmoil, Exodus, Eyehategod, Power of Expression and Tiamat. A great varied sampler that has some really innovative bands on as well as your basic run of the mill metal stuff.

VARIOUS - The British Punk Invasion Vol. 3 CD (High Society International)

Keef from pop-punkers Leadbelly sent me this to review - cheers mate. This CD is the third in the line of UK show case compilations, this volume contains the great afore mentioned Leadbelly, Wolfie’s excellent Love Junk, the fine Guitar Gangsters, Red Flag 77 and Ex-Boyfriends. The Ex-Boyfriends take the first 7 tracks up with their very Indie punk which is pretty OK, not inspiring but listenable. Then Love Junk charge through the next 6 numbers which includes their great demo we reviewed last issue - just tops with cool ditties like Ethan & Emma and Own World. The Guitar Gangsters then take the floor with their fine brand of 77 style punk that commands the next 5 tracks with driving guitars and melodies, How Was I To Know is fucking excellent. Second to last are those drunken skunks Lead Belly with there happy go lucky (alcho) pop punk, sheer inebriation and top sounds like Seventeen and Pull Me Down. Bringing up the rear with the last 5 tracks are Red Flag 77 with their snotty catchy 80s punk all in all making for an great tribute to the prime UK punk bands around.

VARIOUS - Check This Out, Baby CD (One Foot Records)

A corking little sampler from One Foot, the opening band are Crank and they deliver a melodic hardcore attack which is closely followed by the Skankin’ ways of Stoned. Funbox have a nice Snuff sound with an over riding early ALL feel and are rather cool, following on Horace Pinker deliver their tuneful punk in the guise of Mrs Maffo. There’s also the top punkers Pep Rally on here along with the raw sounding and smooth female vocals of the excellent Blitz Babies. Adhesive are a totally cool Bad Religion sounding band that I instantly loved, All You Can Eat are a little more mellower with a subtle track that is very nice. Latex Generation have a Green Day sound with a little more snottier vocalist along the lines of Darby Crash - top stuff. There also tracks from Buglite, Migraines, Racer Ten, Five by Nine, Punkture, Steadfast, Lick ’57 and The Tie That Binds. 18 class tracks on this cool world sampler.

VARIOUS - Earplugged 2 CD (Earache Records)

This is surprisingly the second instalment of the Earplugged comps. Featuring the awesome Napalm Death with the driving Breed To Breathe, Cathedral follow with a pretty average metal track. Carcass redeem things again with the powerful Keep On Rotting In The Free World, At The Gates thrash it up with Blinded By Fear and Godflesh sample in some nice Ministry-like experimental stuff with Circle of Shit. Dub War provide their excellent metal dub ragga fix with Strike It, Pulkas, a new band to us, have a new demo track on here which shows some promise with a interesting mix of stomping metal with melodic disturbing sections adding real contrast to the track a little like Faith No More. Ultraviolence hit home with some hard dance similar to the Prodigy which is cool, Pitch Shifter crank up their industrial Big Black meets Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Extreme Noise Terror bring up the rear with a fine earslaughter Damage. Misery Loves Co., the Haunted, AC, Iron Monkey and Entombed also have tracks which don’t really offer anything significant. There’s some fine stuff on here and some not so fine but that’s the nature of the beast with samplers and generally this is a great selection at a real cheap price.

VARIOUS – Lucky Seven Records Sampler CDEP (Lucky Seven Records)

The first band up are Danish Neo-punks Cosmonks and I loved them really cool melodic punk with all the right pop hooks. They sound very much like the excellent Star Market and Loop The Tube is a great track. Next up are Creep from LA and they come across as a cross between Skin Yard and early Go Gos, melodic punk with a nice quirkiness and clean and distorted vocals. The final band are Heatfarm from Denmark they kick up a racket that sounds like they could be Latinos with a flemenco garage sound and their humorous What you gonna do with a fucking enchilada - eat it man! Top bands and I look forward to hearing more from all three.

VARIOUS - Ox Compilation #28 CD (Ox Fanzine)

These Germans have one hell of a masturbation fixation one of the zine cover and one of the CD booklet. Anyway there’s an awesome 33 tracks on this CD of various different type of music and bands. Vice Barons start the whole shebang off with an instrumental affair which is followed by the acoustic strummings of Bedlam Hour. Bad Genes remind me of the Buzzcocks with their ditty and Silent Fall are SE stomping hardcore stuff. 1000 mph HC from Insult and the cool Ramones (Animal Boy era) sounding Nobodys, the melodic the HC of Venera and the cool sing a long - Juicy. No Respect have a great sound with trumpets and fusing different music styles into one - cool. Recipe are just plain weird, the music sounds like a 33 record played at 45 with normal singing… strange. Butterfly Garden have a great track that crosses Iggy Pop with the subtleties of Bowie and the bass of the Stranglers, Samiam crank in with their top pop punk, Scumbucket sound like Nirvana on Flanger overdrive. Cobolt continue with a Shudder To Think sound followed by Candysuck and their female attitudinal punk and roll which is excellent and All Day crank the sweat up with an awesome track of hardcore stylee that is Bad Religion meets Sick of It All. There’s the melodic punk of 30 Amp Fuse and Sound plus the NYHC sound of Heckle. Others on here include Heal, Krail, Misconduct, Puffball, Rawside, Baffdecks, Another Sick Tribe, Elison, Furious George, Scheisse, No Brain No Pain, Petrograd and Bente Trio. Great sampler best sampled as directed "set your CD player on random or shuffle play"!

This 19 track sampler features a whole heap of garage, punk and metal bands of released and unreleased tracks starting with the metallic Hardcore of Entomed, which is followed by Leadfoot and psychedellic punk of the Nomads. The Hellacopters crank up some raw rocking grooves which is followed by the excellent Backyard Babies. There’s also tracks from Haystack, Kids Are Sick, Skelett, The Sewergrooves, The Robots, Zen, A-Bombs, Superbee, Henry Fiat’s open Sore, Lets’ Gos, Misdemeanor, Silvermachine, Friends and Gluecifer. Not a bad compilation.

VARIOUS - (You’re Only As Good As) The Last Great Thing You Did CD (Lookout Records)

What a great title, this is another one of Lookout’s samplers featuring the majority of their current bands. Featuring tracks from top bands like The Hi-Fives, Criminals, MTX, Auntie Christ, Avail, Squirtgun, Smugglers, Groovie Ghoulies, Pinhead Gunpowder, Crumbs, Queers, Blatz and many more. Great stuff if you haven’t got any of the discs already and makes for a good retrospective look at this year’s releases.

WARZONE - Fight For Justice CD (Victory Records)

Hard to the core, Warzone deliver another hardcore extravaganza following hot on the heals of The Sound of Revolution. This album rocks and is somewhat more melodic than previous efforts and at times sounds like a cross between Blitz and Gorilla Biscuits. Great album for this long running US band.

THE WRITE OFFS - Big Dawg EP 7" (Peter Bower Records)

With a parody of the Two Tone label (2 Drunk) the Write Offs are pretty cool. Featuring Aaron Beatup (My God… zine) on vocals the Write Offs come across as the Specials meets the Bhundu Boys with an injection of Oi. The Catch The Pigeon ode to Wacky Races nuts Dastardly and Muttly is great. There’s 5 tracks on here including Fanzine Girl, Cold and Words. Fine stuff, I look forward to hearing more.