Released in '98 by our friends at Tian An Men '89, this is the second volume in a series of comps featuring bands the far corners of the punk universe. Malta's VALDALS open the tape with a blistering metallic thrash punk assault, sharing the first side with Paraguay's KAOS offer up mid tempo lurching Latin American punk that could have come from 1983. INFLATE hail from Moldova and come off somewhere between accidental goth punk and snotty garage weirdness - I can definitely hear him say "Fukkn fukkr, I'm fukkn drunk" and "Punk Punk Punk Punk Punk Punk Punk Punk Punk Punk, red wine," though most of the lyrics are a little tough to work out. Accidentally eerie garage sounds from Bruneis' PINK DAEMON (might be the best on the tape after repeat listens - such a weird vibe on this track), and and a Spanish language scorcher from EL BOSQUE representing Costa Rica. I know many folks who tend to write off TAM89 releases, chalking them up as a novelty label more concerned with geography and quality, but I think Luc is more concerned with community than anything else, and even though sometimes his releases don't melt faces, they are almost always far more relevant than whatever flavor of the month the kids are listening to. This time, the quality is as over the top as the achievement.
