_ | \ | \ | | \ __ | |\ \ __ _____________ _/_/ | | \ \ _/_/ _____________ | ___________ _/_/ | | \ \ _/_/ ___________ | | | _/_/_____ | | > > _/_/_____ | | | | /________/ | | / / /________/ | | | | | | / / | | | | | |/ / | | | | | | / | | | | | / | | | | |_/ | | | | | | | | c o m m u n i c a t i o n s | | | |________________________________________________________________| | |____________________________________________________________________| ...presents... cDc core #8 original music reviews by The Pusher >>> a cDc publication.......1991 <<< -cDc- CULT OF THE DEAD COW -cDc- ______________________________________________________________________________ Note to readers: Not everything reviewed here is out yet. As I'm writing this in late July, the MURPHY'S LAW album won't be out till November, C.O.C. won't be out until October, and the "Live In N.Y.C. '91" video won't be out until September. So don't go badgering your local alternative record shop for the above releases.... AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL, GORILLA BISCUITS: Live in NYC '91 video (In-Effect) In January of 1991, the fourth annual "Superbowl of Hardcore" was held at The Ritz in New York City. Three of the bands that played, AF, SOIA, and GB were filmed for this video. You should know that it was done on video and not film, so don't be expecting grade-A quality from this. The live segments are solid, good sound, many different angles, fans of the bands will love it. Plus, you get interviews with members of the above three bands, along with Nuclear Assault, Cro-Mags, and Murphy's Law talking about everything you ever wanted to know about hardcore. At fifty-eight minutes, this is a must for any NYHC fan, not to mention a good introduction for anyone curious about hardcore. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY (Combat) C.O.C. were always on the metal side of hardcore, and now, with their first new album in four years, they've gone way metal. There is some good material here. Slow, creepy, BLACK SABBATH stuff, but a lot of it is just METALLICA rip-offs. This is going to sell solely because of the band name, not the songs. Still, I have a hunch that I'm really going to love this six months from now . DOWN BY LAW (Epitaph) What you've got here is hardcore legend Dave Smalley (DYS, DAG NASTY, ALL) teaming up with members of the band CHEMICAL PEOPLE. The result is a very catchy bunch of melodic hardcore tunes. It's all pretty poppy, most of the songs have sappy little hooks, everything moves along nicely paced by a speedy surf beat. If anything, it sounds like early Dag Nasty. The main fault I see with this is that it really doesn't break new ground. Smalley (who wrote practically all the music and lyrics) is just re-hashing old business. This would have been a lot more exciting five years ago. Still, I can't deny the fact that this album rocks! DYS: Fire & Ice/Wolfpack (on compact disc) (Taang!) This isn't new material but a re-issue of the two DYS albums. For all you youngsters out there, DYS were one of the first major straight-edge bands, along with fellow Bostonians SS DECONTROL. So, on this compact disc you get the first album, "Wolfpack", which is really the "Brotherhood " 12" with 3 extra tracks. "Wolfpack" is some really gnarly insane hardcore. Horrible playing, horrible production, horrible singing, but hey, it was 1982, what did you expect? It's pretty crappy by today's standards, but a classic nonetheless. It definitely provided the blueprint for future SE bands like YOUTH OF TODAY. Around 1984-85, most of the big Boston HC bands like DYS, SSD, FU's and Gang Green incorporated a metallic influence into their sound. A kind of SABBATH/MAIDEN 70's metal sound. "Fire & Ice" is the infamous "DYS metal album" which everyone really HATED when it came out. However, listening to it in 1991, DYS were definitely ahead of their time. Just as their first album inspired countless SE bands, "Fire & Ice" no doubt inspired numerous metallic hardcore outfits. You also get a booklet full of lyrics, but no pictures. JAWBOX: Grippe (Dischord) Dischord never ceases to amaze. I thought the HOLY ROLLERS debut was good, but this album is incredible! I suppose you could descr ibe Jawbox as hard-driving college rock with good hooks and a Dischord feel. This is a must-have. The one liability to this band is bassist Kim Colleta. She can't play for shit, but don't worry, the bass is mixed way down. If they're willing to give up their D.I.Y. ethics, Jawbox could probably get signed to a major label within the next few years. LEEWAY: Desperate Measures (Profile) Leeway, along with AGNOSTIC FRONT and CRO-MAGS, was one of the first hardcore bands to come out with a strong metallic sound. Leeway's 1987 debut, "Born To Expire", didn't impress me too much but I thought they had a lot of potential. Now with this new album, they progressed greatly, but I'm still not satisfied. The song "Stand For" is the best song on the album, and an example of what they should try to do more of. When they want to, Leeway can come up with some really dynamic original material, but too many times they resort to the old "stomp stomp mosh" chugga-chugga guitar parts which have no personality. This is enjoyable, but I'm waiting for the next one. MURPHY'S LAW: The Best Of Times (In-Effect) New York's Murphy's Law return with their third LP, and if you thought the last one, "Back With A Bong!" was wild, this one is ten times better than that album (which is ten times better than the first one). The two brothers from FISHBONE, Fish and Norwood are producing, and other members of Fishbone play horns on some songs. Also, Angelo of Fishbone sings "Ebony + Ivory" with Jimmy. Other covers in clude the "Monster Mash" and even a James Brown song! There're only two songs that can be considered hardcore, "Did You Play War", and "Harder Than Who", the rest is a combination of rock, ska, and funk. There're also two "screwing around in the studio" songs at the end. This album is seriously recommended for a raging party, as with this release, Murphy's Law firmly establish themselves on the A-List of party bands along with Fishbone and the Red Hots. PRIMUS: Sailing The Seas Of Cheese (Interscope) I don't have a lot to say about this. One thing I can say is that this is NOT, I repeat, is NOT "metal-funk". For some reason, Primus have been lumped in with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, FAITH NO MORE, FISHBONE (not that those bands sound anything alike) as "funk". Primus have a truly unique sound. There is no adequate term I can come up with to describe the music. There is no band that sounds anything like Primus. I'm not even sure if I like this album, but it's certainly original. CHUCK TREECE: Dr eam'n (Caroline) Chuck Treece has been in so many different bands (most notably UNDERDOG) playing so many different instruments that it was only a matter of time before he recorded a solo album. This is certainly a solo album. He produced it, wrote all the songs, played all the music, and did all the singing. Well, it's hard rock, kinda like the last BAD BRAINS album. Some reggae and ska, this is really more impressive than good. I hope he gets back in a band soon. YOUTH BRIGADE: Sink With Ka lifornija (BYO) Following Dischord's example of putting everything a band has ever recorded (or in this case, almost everything) on one compact disc, BYO presents the YOUTH BRIGADE discography. Made up of the three Stern brothers, Youth Brigade will always be famous for appearing in the "Another State of Mind" movie, and they were always an extremely popular band in LA. They play a basic punk style, nothing really too distinctive. The best part about the band was Shawn Stern's voice. On the CD y ou get the "Sound and Fury" LP, "What Price" EP, tracks from various BYO compilations, and songs from Youth Brigade's last show in 1985. Included is a booklet with lyrics and a history of the band. Luckily, The CD completely ignores the putrid THE BRIGADE, which consisted of the three Stern brothers trying a radically different sound. _ _ ____________________________________________________________________ /((___))\|Demon Roach Undrgrnd.806/794-4362|Kingdom of Shit.......806/794-1842| [ x x ] |NIHIL ISM.............517/546-0585|Paisley Pasture.......916/673-8412| \ / |Polka AE {PW:KILL}...806/794-4362|Ripco.................312/528-5020| (' ') |Tequila Willy's GSC..209/526-3194|The Works.............617/861-8976| (U) |====================================================================| .ooM |Copr. 1991 cDc communications by The Pusher 08/31/91-#183| \_______/|All Rights Pissed Away. FIVE YEARS of cDc|