Πανικός / WWK "καταστρέψει την αρρώστια / Vollalarm" split Lp, 1996

I have already raved excitedly, unreasonably even, about Greek crust in the past, be it on Terminal Sound Nuisance or on the airwaves of Radio Libertaire in Paris. And why shouldn't I? I have been a sucker for Greek crust since the day I bought the Χειμερία Νάρκη album in 2003 (truth be told, I got the cd version because there was an Ep included on it as well) during my formative crust years. A lot of metal-crust records got released between 2003 and 2008 and I tracked down every single one of them, and to some extent, I still do, probably more out of habit than youthful passion, but well, I am a loyal geezer. Retrospectively, I feel that the two strongest CRUST albums of that period were Χειμερία Νάρκη's "Στη Σιωπή Της Αιώνιας Θλίψης" and Filth of Mankind's "Final chapter" (ironically both bands can be seen as 90's bands in terms of mood more than 00's ones). These were strong, intense, genuine, dark works that I always returned to, and even though the mid-00's American wave was probably sexier, it quickly and fatally withered without leaving that many great records in its tracks.

Of course, the undeniable quality of "Στη Σιωπή Της Αιώνιας Θλίψης" meant that there had to be other Greek crust bands, because if there is one thing that I learnt rapidly about punk is that it never existed in a vacuum. So I started looking for more bands from Greece, asked "old punks" about it, read old fanzines, spent hours online searching for information (my quest coincided with the steady rise of file-sharing) and little by little I managed to get a full picture of an amazing scene that I tend to see as the passionate stronghold of good, inventive crust music that has its own strong identity (you can't possibly mistake Greek crust with anything else) and yet is inherently crusty. As I said in a former post, they just get it. And now is a good a time to write about it, as the past couple of years have witnessed some well-deserved renewed interest in that Greek crust sound as some classics are being reissued regularly and old bands are starting to play and record again.

Gosh... I really am terrible with a camera...

The years 87/89 appeared to have been dramatically pivotal ones for punk in Greece that saw the formation of such bands as Χαοτική Απειλή, Ναυτία, Ξεχασμένη Προφητεία, Ρήγμα, Χαοτικό Τέλος, Αρνητική Στάση, Βιομηχανική Αυτοκτονία... and of course of Πανικός, who started playing in 1988 in Thessaloniki. What is particularly amazing about this scene is that, while the bands shared common musical elements, none of them actually sounded alike and as they grew, each of them created its own identity but always kept that distinct vibe that set them apart from other scenes. These were bands that really wrote songs, even when they deceptively sounded simple, and I think Πανικός is a very relevant example of strong, innovative song-writing applied to the crust basics. Discogs characterized the band as being "lyrically angry anarchopunk, musically street punk with hardcore elements". Now, I know Discogs should not be read as the Revealed Word, but that is probably the shittiest description I have ever read about Πανικός. Come on, Discogs, get a grip! I don't disagree about the band's lyrical content, but really? "Street punk with hardcore elements"? You make Πανικός sound like The Unseen!

In the mid-90's, Πανικός were at the top of their game and listening to what they recorded between 1993 and 1998 gives one the impression that they could have achieved anything, that everything they touched turned into crusty gold. They were easily one of the very best crust bands of that time and I am not saying this lightly. The term "progressive crust" sounds a little ugly, as I am hardly one susceptible to be into prog-rock (although I am starting to wonder...), but in the noblest sense of the terms they can give you an idea. Πανικός did not start out as the creative monsters they would become though. Their 1990 demo, "Ο Πόλεμος Συνεχίζεται" was a raw and angry metal-punk recording that reminds me of the short-lived Χαοτική Απειλή (which makes sense since both bands shared the same guitar player), Ναυτία and Αντίδραση, and also, probably for its dark thrash elements, of Brazilian bands like Armagedom, RDP or Lobotomia. After this, the band evolved and turned into this old-school crust beast, blending heavy, mid-paced, crunchy metallic parts, fast and intense hardcore-punk bits and darkly atmospheric, progressive moments, that are almost psychedelic at times. On that level, in terms of intent, I suppose you could say that they could be compared to Bad Influence or, closer to home, to the magnificent Αρνητική Στάση, even though Πανικός always remained more amebixian than them. It is of course not a coincidence if each of these three bands had releases on Genet Records, from Belgium.

 

The split Lp with WWK was recorded in early 1996, almost three years after the recording session of the "Για Το Χρήμα" Ep, and I would argue that during that lapse of time, the band even further refined the progressive aspect (especially in the eerie, oriental guitar leads), but never lost sight of the crust backbone, which must have been a difficult task that required a focused vision and well thought-out songwriting. The four songs on the Πανικός side are breathtaking in their scope, their originality and their anchor. It sounds nothing like Counterblast's "Balance of pain" but it shares the same qualities. At this point the comparison challenge tends to be meaningless, because "καταστρέψει την αρρώστια" should speak for itself. Of course, I can hear some Amebix, Χαοτικό Τέλος, Dom Där or Misery in the masterful crust heaviness, some Antisect and Ξεχασμένη Προφητεία in the thick dark intensity, some Neurosis or Zygote in the gloomy progressive guitar work, but in the end Πανικός were never derivative and more than good and inventive enough to stand of their own solid feet, just like Greek crust. The production is not as heavy as on the Ep and clearer, but since the format gave the band more space to create a more sophisticated, accurate soundscape, I feel it works just fine. Aesthetically, Πανικός used and reworked pagan and traditional anarcho symbols, like on the Ep, and the drawings of planets and galaxies meaningfully conveyed the music's vibe. English translations are provided but some of the subtlety definitely got lost (how I wish I could read Greek...). The lyrics are angry metaphors about oppression, social fear and manipulation, resignation and resilience, but also about the necessity of hope and the connection with nature.

On the flip-side are WWK, from Westerwald. I must admit that I don't know much about them and that I bought the record for the Πανικός side. I doubt it was the same for the former owner though, as the WWK side has quite a few scratches and looks like it has been played to death, so I definitely apologize for the numerous skips (especially on "Nicht mit uns"...). WWK played metallic hardcore, pretty much in the crossover fashion, with a strong thrash-metal influence and a lot of changes in the songs. I guess it is well done for what it is, I can appreciate the fast and very pissed parts, but the genre is not really my cup of tea, unless you add a healthy dose of groovy crust to the blend like Acid Rain Dance. To be fair, the song "1 A Gemüse" is good, not unlike MVD meet Concrete Sox, so I suppose WWK were not bad at what they did (assuming you can hear it through the jumps and skips...) and this lot sounds very angry indeed. There must have been some strong connections between the Greek and German scenes in the 90's, since Ναυτία also had a split Lp with a German band, Graue Zellen, and that the last song of WWK ends with some traditional Greek music... This Πανικός / WWK split Lp was released on the Germans' own label, Vollalarm.

     Πανικός + WWK

Counterblast "Balance of pain" Lp, 1996

"Balance of pain" is probably the best Swedish metallic crust album ever recorded. Of course, Warcollapse win the title in the "heavy gruff crust" category, but even their endeavour into mid-paced old-school crust, "Crust as fuck existence", a genuinely great record, almost pales in comparison with "Balance of pain". It is hard to believe that it was released twenty years ago and listening to it now only confirms that it was indeed a monumental crust masterpiece and it has aged extremely well, although the production gives away its age (and by that I mean that it has much more spirit and consistence than most of modern crust records).

Counterblast have often been compared to Neurosis, more precisely to their 1992 Lp "Souls at zero". It is a sound, legitimate parallel because the Neurosis influence is obvious in Counterblast's music, but it can be a tricky one too because "Neurosis-influenced music" (is there even an adequate term for it? Post-crust? Post-hardcore? Post-metal? Post-critical thinking?) has become a genre of itself throughout the years, with its own set of references, rules and expectations, but Counterblast cannot be said to fall in that category. Well, the "Impassivity" album from 2002 might to some extent but "Balance of pain" certainly does not. So my point is that, while Counterblast were influenced by "Souls at zero" and "Enemy of the sun", I don't see them as a "Neurosis-type band". Now that this has been cleared up, let's get to it.

After the demise of the mighty G-Anx in 1991, two members, Steve and Hoccy, formed Counterblast. It is often said that late G-Anx shared meaningful similarities with early Counterblast and not without reason, especially when one considers that G-Anx recorded their last Ep, "Out of reach", after they had split up, while Counterblast were already playing (or rehearsing at least). Of course, G-Anx were never as heavy and gloomy as Counterblast would turn out to be. They relied primarily on relentless speed and hardcore intensity and their sound was essentially hardcore in texture. However, listening to late songs like "In harmony" or "The beast within" from the "Out of reach" Ep or even "Life?" from 1990's "Masterpeace" Ep, with their slow, dark synth-driven introductions, it was obvious that the band was going for a more ambient, atmospheric mood, perhaps as a means to emphasize the velocity and aggression of their fast as fuck hardcore parts. Some of these G-Anx tunes, in terms of composition alone, can be found in early Counterblast, although the sound and the textures are completely different.

The first CB record was the "Prospects" Ep in 1994 and it was much more than a mere confirmation of the direction that late G-Anx pointed to. "Prospects" is a heavy record building on the G-Anx legacy, infusing it with the atmospheric heaviness of early 90's Neurosis and an old-school apocalyptic crust vibe. Had the band only released this Ep, it would have still been the perfect link between Neurosis and Axegrinder, but compared with "Balance of pain", I tend to see "Prospects" in hindsight as a brilliant introduction to the monster that was to follow. That's subjectivity for ya. The Ep paved the way for "Balance of pain" and CB refined and expanded its best elements for the Lp. Arguably, the album format is best for dark atmospheric crust because it allows you to tell a good story (assuming you can write a good one in the first place) and create a proper soundscape and I feel CB used brilliantly all the advantages that a full album can give you in order to create something that is both completely unique (I can't think of any other crust records sounding like "Balance of pain") and yet familiarly crusty.

Counterblast had the excellent idea, from the start, to have a member (Palle) dealing only with keyboards and samplers in order to create an actually multilayered music. This allowed the band to have someone specially focusing and refining this aspect, in the studio and live, and this configuration can be found on "Prospects". For "Balance of pain", the band saw much bigger as three members of Sanctum, a local ambient/industrial/darkwave band that Palle was also part of, worked with them on the recording of the album. Thus Sanctum's singer (Lena), cello player (Marika) and engineer (Jan) took part in the creation of the Lp. Needless to say that it revealed Counterblast's intent to focus on textures and meaningful sonic background and that a lot of these elements echo throughout "Balance of pain", not unlike "Souls at zero" of course. I would argue however that Counterblast only used some of Neurosis' conceptual ideas and readapted them to fit a genuinely, albeit more sophisticated, crust sound. As I mentioned earlier, there is also a strong Axegrinder influence going, especially in the some of the heavy, synth-driven riffing, quite a few Sacrilege moments as well in the way they wrote the transitions from mid-paced to fast-paced crust and a definite Misery (the band that turns everything it touches into crust) vibe in the angry vocals and the filthy, crunchy breaks. Still, these influences are all reworked through the atmospheric, industrial, incantatory, tribal prism of "Souls at zero" so that they appear in a totally different way. Never have the interactions between the Neurosis-influenced sound and the old-school crust one worked so well: from eerie and creepy insanity-driven riffs, crushing and pummeling Scandicore parts, industrial interludes, mid-tempo stenchcore charges to absolutely epic, darkly synth-driven bouncy slower moments, "Balance of pain" is an awe-inspiring metallic monument that is both quite complex and yet very easy to relate to.

The musicianship on "Balance of pain" is absolutely perfect (the drumming is remarkable) and the songwriting is stellar, and it needed to be for the album to actually make sense as a cohesive unit and not just a set of good songs. The production is incredible, very heavy, intense and cold (like steel more than ice arguably) but still organic and gritty, you can hear how the different layers are articulated and give meaning to one another. Someone once pointed out to me that "Balance of pain" was a black-metal production (not of the thin, trebly or fuzzy kind, obviously) applied to crust music and it is actually a rather relevant comment. I am not a knowledgeable person at all when it comes to black-metal (I could never relate to either the aesthetics or the mood) but given the genre's obsession with atmosphere, it might make sense and I can hear where the argument is coming from in the way the drums are recorded and in the guitar's texture. The album was produced by Mats Siltberg who also worked on the late G-Anx Ep's and on Rövsvett records but I cannot say if there was indeed a conscious intent to give it a black-metal feel.

Lyrically, "Balance of pain" is as anguished and demented as it is angry and determined. Songs about depression, alienation and pain but also about capitalism, alcoholism as a means of social control or the ruling-class. This is probably the true balance of pain: the physical and mental effects of oppression. The Lp was a joint release between Skuld Releases, Profane Existence and Elderberry Records. Following "Balance of pain", Counterblast recorded the "Impassivity" album in 2002, a rather good work but that still lacked the intensity and inspiration of its predecessor.  

Balance of pain

Contropotere "Il seme della devianza" Lp, 1991

I often tend to see Contropotere in the same light as Bad Influence. Not that the bands sound similar (they do not) but because they are both unique anarchopunk bands with a creative sound of their own and a peculiar approach to both punk and anarchism, bringing relevant outside influences to the table. I love both bands an awful lot, sensibly and intellectually, although I do not necessarily overplay them at home (their music requires me to be in a certain mood actually). Contropotere and Bad Influence are powerful, meaningful and genuine and that is quite uncommon. Of course, both of them are incredibly difficult to review and aptly describe, and the second Contropotere album is quite possibly the hardest record I have ever dealt with on Terminal Sound Nuisance. Am I becoming a masochist?

I don't think you can love Contropotere's "Il seme della devianza" on the first listen. Of course, it does depend a lot on your own musical background, and if you have been listening to freakish music for years, they might make sense more rapidly. I remember that I just could not listen to it at first. It sounded tortuous, unfocused, disparate, like a set of unbound elements that did not create meaning. The first Lp sounded much more accessible and familiar (it still does in fact), despite an incredibly original dramatic atmosphere that was new to me at the time. As a weird protocrust band, Contropotere were unbelievable in the 80's and "Nessuna speranza, nessuna paura" remains one of my favourite Italian punk albums. It bridged the gap between the fury of classic Italian hardcore, mid/late 80's metal-punk and oriental/eastern music (as unlikely as it reads, I know...). No one sounded like them then and no one has since, despite decades of musical experimentation in the punk scene. In retrospect, it was only logical for the next album to be even more innovative, bohemian, eccentric and just plain strange. I think I just needed more easily palatable music when I first heard "Il seme della devianza" but the Lp does make more sense to me today. Does it mean I really get it? Maybe. Let's say I have come to terms with it but it is not really something you can play while chatting with your mates.

Contropotere was not really a band. They defined themselves as a collective, a family or even as a tribe. Music was an artistic means of expression but they were not a "rock'n'roll band". On that level, the parallel with Crass is not without relevance. Often seen as a Naples band, Contropotere originally came into existence in the Venice area but, as I understand it, the members came from different parts of the country. After a stay in Bologna, the collective settled and increased its activities in Naples after the release of the first album. Although their music grew to defy genres, Contropotere's origins were rooted in the 80's Italian hardcore scene. Some members played in Link Larm (who released a rather good demo in 1984) and in Elettrokrazia (a band I have never heard), the Lp was released on Attack Punk Records (the label's last record), and, as I mentioned, the early recordings of Contropotere were strongly reminiscent of the local brand of hardcore for their intensity and their desperate anger (think Rappresaglia). Undeniably, a band like Franti - with their Crass-like multivocal anarchopunk weirdness, their sense of atmosphere and their distinct theatrical vibe - must have been a strong influence. I would also venture that the propensity to innovation of the UK anarchopunk scene (especially on the All The Madmen side of things) and the heavy, ominous, pagan sound of Amebix may have been inspirations as well.

By the time "Il seme della devianza" was released in 1991, Contropotere had toured Europe and left strong impression on everyone, with their strong stage performance and their dramatic, atmospheric and yet tense, ominously aggressive music. But if Contropotere's nature had as much to do with drama than with music, how do you translate that multifaceted identity into an Lp? A near impossible task which explains the flaws of an album that is ultimately successful thanks to its narrative quality and its drama structure. I would argue that "Il seme della devianza" is as much an Lp as it craves to be a play. I am not saying Contropotere pulled that one through, but the fact they tried to confer their album a drama quality, with what sound like acts and a dramatic structure, points to such an endeavour. Thats is also why it is such a difficult Lp to listen to, it is not just a collection of songs, it must be dealt with as a modern play, a performance and therefore as an interconnected narrative whole. It is probably not as refined as it should be, and the production is by far "Il seme della devianza"'s biggest problem, but it is a fascinating work nevertheless and very few bands could have done an anarchopunk play as well as Contropotere did.

There is a lot going on musically. The songs (but are they really songs?) are usually long and convulsive, dark and fueled by tension, cold, heavy and almost sinister, especially with the anguished vocals of the female singer, but with an organic quality (perhaps one that has more to do with endless agony than sheer vibrance, but you get my point). They are almost never linear, the structures have been mostly dismantled, and sometimes have an incantatory feel, a ritualistic element that the sometimes mystic, pagan lyrics tend to complement (not being really a mystic person myself, I can only infer that they were summoning furious anti-capitalist spirits or something). I cannot really tell you what Contropotere sound like on this Lp. There are thrash metal elements (some parts remind me of their contemporaries and label mates Anarcrust actually, especially with the frenetic, epileptic vibe of the Lp), Nausea-like heavy crust bits, long industrial moments, some goth-like parts, some fast hardcore ones but also experimental punk sonorities (think late Crass, The Ex or Dog-Faced Hermans)... This is an intricately heavy, twisted, labyrinthine, anguished, exhausting album from start to finish that is close to impossible to render in words.

There is a massive, beautiful booklet with the Lp with English (and German) translations so that you can get what Contropotere were all about: liberation, empowerment, subversion and deviance. "For the power that everyone possesses as a potential for transformation. Against all kinds of imposed power". The band used metaphors of dreams, nightmares, occult visions or time to make their point and fight mediocrity and resignation in the face of modern alienation. Strong, passionate words that are vividly illustrated through the music and you can hear that the band spent time thinking about the complicated relationship between form and content (and let's get real, all great punk records blend the boundaries between form and content). "Il seme della devianza" was the second release of Skuld Releases and certainly one of the label's most challenging. After this Lp, Contropotere did another record for Skuld, the "Solo selvaggi" Ep in 1992, and released a work of electronic music in 1994 as CP/01 (which I have never dared to listen to...but hopefully I will one day find the courage to do so) entitled "Cyborg 100%".

Il seme della devianza

Armia "Legenda" Lp, 1991

How do you even start to describe, define or even approach "Legenda"?

I have loved this Lp for years and it is a regular listen at TSN's HQ, and yet, I feel like I don't comprehend its full meaning, that parts of it still escape me. "Legenda" is one of those rare punk records that have several levels of understanding, several layers of meaning. It is hard to grasp but completely enticing, be it on a very basic level (after all, it remains, first and foremost perhaps, a brilliant hardcore-punk record and that is how I first related to it) or from a more conceptual perspective. It has to be pointed out that the language barrier (my Polish is sadly non-existent) is particularly frustrating in this case as I can feel that the lyrics would definitely cast some new, meaningful light upon the album. The automatic translations I have read, although they do uncover some meaning, are useless in the study of the form (I encountered the same problem for the "melancholy Greek punk" series). More than ever, punk-rock makes me want to learn new languages, if only to be able to sing along correctly while showering.

Armia are a fascinating band. I am not knowledgeable enough to talk about what the band did after "Legenda" (I did hear some of it but never took the time to actually listen to it), but their 80's outputs are as powerful as they are unique and intriguing. Armia started in 1985 after Tomasz left Siekiera for whom he was singing (as I understand it, it was over a matter of musical direction, and Siekiera went new-wave after the departure of Tomasz) and founded Armia with guitar-player Robert, who had been part of the legendary, mood-defining Brygada Kryzys and of Izrael, a very popular reggae band (reggae has always been hugely popular in Poland, in fact, outside of England, I think they have the biggest reggae scene in Europe). On the drums was also a former Izrael, Tomasz Kozuchowski, and on the bass was yet another Tomasz (they almost could call themselves "Tomasz Army" really). From the beginning, Armia was a pretty mature band. All the members had had previous band experiences and had developed their musicianship and songwriting skills in the process. Even on their Ep, "Aguirre", you can tell that they knew what they were doing, it doesn't have a "young punk" feel, although it does sound like a band that is still trying to find its real identity, an ever-shifting one in Armia's case.

From the beginning, there was something unique and compelling about Armia. Although the band obviously built on the peculiarly intense Polish punk sound of bands like Dezerter, TZN Xenna, Moskwa, Abaddon and indeed Siekiera, as the texture and the structure of the riffs could attest, there was a different feel, a creative intent that was new, conceptual, almost metaphysical and could be seen in the aesthetics of Armia as much as in their music and words. The use of horns and other "non-punk" instruments gave the band a unique sound and pointed at their desire to create a unique soundscape (the fact that some members had already played in the horns-using Izrael also helped). The first 1987 Lp confirmed the band's amazing potential. Although it lacks the awesome power of "Legenda" and is still quite close to the classic Polish punk sound, some songs hinted at the songwriting tour de force that was to follow. But more important, the first album showed something central to Armia: the narrative intent. If you listen to it closely, there is a storytelling quality to the Lp, albeit in a still imperfect form. Taken individually, for all their undeniable quality as hardcore-punk numbers, the songs don't have the same strength and are not as meaningful as when the Lp is seen as a whole. A feeling of dementia and insanity floats over the album but it can only be heard when you listen to the whole work. That is a crucial thing to keep in mind for the "Legenda" Lp. It literally makes sense as a cohesive unit, a story in the telling, each song giving meaning to the other (I feel "Legenda" is as much a linear story as it is a circular one).

Prior to the recording of "Legenda", Piotr, who had played in Brygada Kryzys and intermittently drummed for Moskwa, and Dariusz (of Israel) joined Armia, on drums and bass respectively. I think the added power that Piotr gave Armia's music through his intense style of drumming cannot be underestimated, as he is obviously a very talented musician. "Legenda" is an ambitious musical project, a multilayered masterpiece that is meaningful on many levels and escapes easy categorization. The production is fantastic: the sound is dark and monumental but unpretentious, powerful but relying on the strength of the composition rather than on petty heaviness, it is also cold and yet organic and epic. In addition to the classic punk instruments, there are some flute, French horn, acoustic guitar, clarinet, trumpet and synth on "Legenda". I am usually very suspicious when punk bands start toying with what I often call "forbidden instruments" because, more often than not, they don't really fit in their songs and the songwriting has not been adapted to their particular sounds. It often sounds like your average punk song but with a bloody sax or violin just ruining everything. Armia's real achievement has been to use these uncommon sonorities (for the time anyway) in order to improve their story, not just their individual songs. The horns increase the epic, monumental quality of the album, possibly even casting an almost ironic, self-reflexive light upon it, and add a subtle moodiness when needed. The synth is very much an atmospheric tool and offers a postindustrial reading of the Soviet epics. For what it is worth, and as irrelevant as it might be, "Legenda" blends the distinctively Polish punk sound of Dezerter (noticeably in the riffs' structure) with the awe-inspiring power of "In darkness"-era Antisect (in the riffs' length and texture, I do hear that) in order to get the perfect ink with which Armia are going to write a darkly ironic, multi-instrumental story about madness and alienation.

More than a journey, "Legenda" is possibly closer to a dantean crusade such is its scope. The album is heavy, relentless and angry, undeniably, and is suffused with a demented and dramatic sense of epics. The presence of horns certainly adds a different texture to the dark, dischargy riffs and arguably even modify their intent as they convey a sense of unreality and foreboding. From the very song, the listener is taken into a overwhelming maelstrom with fast, pummeling drums and epic chorus, expressively potent riffing. The vocals are one of the many high points of the Lp, as Tomasz truly sings on this one with an angry, raucous yet strangely tuneful tone, like a man inhabited with a mad determination. I would not change a single thing to "Legenda"and it is an impossible, and ultimately irrelevant, task to isolate a single song as they all appear to be crucial steps of one story. "Nie ja" is possibly one of the most intense punk songs I have ever listened to, one that is both simple and yet articulate. My favourite has to be "Opowieść Zimowa" though, a passionate 6-minute long epic number that is beautiful in the emotions it invokes in the same way as a storm, with its circumvolutions and fluctuations. The multilayered quality of this song is exhilarating, it feels like a living thing, and I particularly enjoy the layer of classic guitar, closer to surf music than anything, that gives "Opowieść Zimowa" a sense of eeriness. It is truly amazing that Armia managed to put so many different moods, textures and emotions into one single song, and yet not making it sound like a patchwork, a disparate construct. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that "Legenda" was a landmark in Polish punk history and many bands have tried to recreate the narrative vibe of the album and it is no coincidence if Robert went on to become a skilled producer afterwards (he worked on Post-Regiment and Wlochaty Lp's, which makes so much sense). 

As I said, "Legenda" is incredibly difficult to describe but listening to it as a story is probably the most relevant stance. There are interludes that give fluidity to the album and confer meaning to what precedes or follows. The Don Quijote metaphor that pervades the aesthetics of the Lp tends to indicate that "Legenda" could be a contextualized rewriting. A blinded man living in denial, obsessed with ideas but discarding reality, as pathetic as he is heroic, the Quijote prism can be meaningful on many levels. It could be a comment on post-Soviet Poland (debunking the mythical representation), or on punk-rock, or on the shibboleth of ideology, or on the creative act itself. From what I understand, Armia's lyrics are rather poetical metaphors dealing with the existence of man, with nature, with faith, but there are always a political subtext to them. If anyone has good translations of them, I would be more than grateful.  

Legenda

  

Terminal noisy bollocks: rough songs of fast British punk 81-87

Terminal Sound Nuisance has perhaps never deserved its moniker more than today (the Eat Shit post being the obvious exception).

This post is not a record review for a change, because I wanted to do something new and fresh (well, assuming "fresh" is an adequate term to qualify what I am offering here). I went through my music collection (material or digital) and selected 56 bands playing 90 minutes worth of fast, snotty, raw British punk-rock. I only picked songs from demos, live recordings or rehearsals, which account for the rough and ready quality of the compilation. Some bands are famous (Varukers, Antisect, Icons of Filth) while others are really obscure (Caustic Filth, Panik Stricken, PBA), but I always selected little-known songs or recordings. I focused on elements that are common to UK punk bands, their feel, the textures and moods, in order to achieve this, and left out crust or hardcore bands on purpose (that will be for another compilation).

The quality of the recordings (and of the files) varies greatly from a song to the other. Some bands certainly knew what to do in a decent studio, while other just made a lot of noise in their bedroom. To be blunt, some sound genuinely great, while others are just a fast sloppy mess. But well, that's the punk spirit, isn't it? All songs were recorded between 1981 and 1987.

I put all the 56 songs into one single file and tried to equalize the sound levels. It was definitely a pain in the arse but it had to be done in order to give a nice "mix tape" feel to the compilation. To that effect, I also did my best to blend the songs together.

I also decided to upload the thing unto youtube (because that is what people do these days apparently), but the mp3 version of the compilation can be found here (no flac for this one since, to be fair, a lot of the original files were mp3's, though not all obviously, so it would have been a "fake flac file" and I just didn't see much point in doing so).

Will you survive this?


1. Antisect "Aftermath", live in Nottingham, 1982
2. Plasmid "And still", demo, 1984
3. Instant Agony "Anti-police", demo, 1983
4. Disorder "Daily life", live in Nottingham, 1983
5. Heavy Disciplaine "Dead-end jobs", live in Kettering, 1986
6. PBA "Death and destruction", demo, 1984
7. Dirge "Death the fact", rehearsal, 1983
8. Warzone "Destiny", "Britain" demo, 1985
9. Victims of War "Didn't fight for you", demo, 1981
10. The Fiend "Don't let them die", demo, 1984
11. The Plague "Drop the bomb", demo, 1984
12. Legion of Parasites "Dying world", "Death watch" demo, 1983
13. SAS "Empire of destruction", "Sing along songs" demo, 1983
14. Warwound "Final nightmare", demo, 1983
15. Panik Stricken "Fuck religion", "Riot City Records" demo, 1983
16. Skumdriblurzzz "Gabba's headache", live in Nottingham, 1984
17. Asylum (Belfast) "Health warning", live at The Station in Gateshead, 1985
18. Insurrection "Human waste", "The people are starving" demo, 1987
19. Brain Damage "In the event of war", "Death to Timmy pop" demo, 1983
20. Revulsion "Insane", rehearsal, 1986
21. Asylum (England) "Is this the price?", demo, 1982
22. Chaotic Threat "Jam sarnie", demo, 1983
23. Suburban Filth "Missile base", demo, 1982
24. Gutrot "Mummy and daddy", rehearsal, 1986
25. Varukers "Never again", demo, 1981
26. Leukaemia "New years' revolution", demo, 1984
27. No Dead Meat "Noise ain't dead", demo 1984
28. The Distorted "Norma Jean", "Desecrate" demo, 1983?
29. Symbol of Freedom "Now's the time", demo, 1985
30. Social Disease "Nuclear error", "Utter nutter" demo, 1983
31. Onslaught "Overthrow of the system", live at the Station in Gateshead, 1984
32. Freeborn "Paying for the system", "Imprisonment" demo, 1983
33. Death Sentence "Points on the wall", demo, 1981
34. Picture Frame Seduction "Rebellion", demo, 1982
35. Criminal Justice "Forefathers of the crux", demo, 1985
36. Electro Hippies "Say goodbye", "Killing babies is tight" demo, 1986
37. Ted Heath "Shades of grey", "To Russia with love" compilation, 1985
38. The Uprising "Slavery", "Screaming from the inside" demo, 1986
39. Caustic Filth "Smile while you can", "Death of a melody" demo, 1986
40. Post-Mortem "Society's new way", demo, 1984
41. City Indians "Spoilsports", "Spoilsports" demo, 1986
42. Violent Uprising "System sucker", demo, 1982
43. Reprisal "Systematic slaughter", "Forgotten victims" demo, 1984
44. Urban Chaos "Tell me the truth", demo, 1983
45. The Disturbed "This is the end", demo, 1987
46. No Brain Cells "TV depression", practice tape, 1984
47. John Deathshead Formation (JDF) "Unknown", demo, 1987
48. Subnormal "Vampire", demo, 1983
49. Solvent Abuse "Vigilante", demo, 1982
50. Icons of Filth "Virus", live in London, 1984
51. Chaotic Subversion "We've had enough", "Law and order" demo, 1986
52. AOA "Who are they trying to con?", live in Cowdenbeith, 1985
53. Ad'Nauseam "Who are you?", "Bad noizeam" demo, 1986
54. Anti-System "Why should it happen?", live in Bradford, 1983
55. Atavistic "Your time's up", "From within" demo, 1986
56. Death Zone "Youth is to blame", demo, 1984

Terminal Noisy Bollocks

The youtube version

"Meaningful consolidation" compilation Ep's, 1994

I don't know if I saved the best compilation for last, but it will certainly prove to be the most difficult one to review: an all-Japanese double Ep.

There are some familiar faces on this one and on the whole I think it is a really solid, thoroughly enjoyable compilation, but I must admit that it is still slightly out of my comfort zone. I have always had a tumultuous relationship with Japanese punk. There are days when I just cannot stand the unsubtle referentiality of it, and others when I find myself at home with it and wallow unashamedly in its deliciously blatant intertextuality. Don't get me wrong, I like Japanese punk and even love dearly some of its segments, but I sometimes feel uneasy with its spectacular, extravagant dimension. The first Japanese band I got into as a teenager was Discocks (what a terrible name in retrospect) and, even then, I realized that, in order to really get what the band was about, you needed a decent punk background (I remember that they overtly referred to The Ejected and Abrasive Wheels on their Ep). This fan-pleasing aspect was a little unsettling, not in its purpose but in its openness, and more than 15 years later, the feeling still lingers. Besides, I have this foreboding idea that if I get too much into Japanese punk, I would get completely lost in the geek netherworld and would never appear again. Really.

But that's enough cheesy reminiscing already, let's get to it. "Meaningful consolidation" was released in 1994 and was the result of a collaboration between no less than five labels: Blurred Records (a grindcore-oriented label run by a member of Senseless Apocalypse), DIY Records (run by Ryuji from Battle of Disarm), Forest Records (run by a Beyond Description dude), Icons of Crust (Iconoclast's label I guess) and Yasuo Records. The outcome is fairly impressive: seven bands from all over Japan, fifteen songs and a fine-looking booklet to boot. Judging from the line-up and from the well-respected labels involved in "MC" (apparently Datsu, Iconoclast's drummer, was the instigator of the project) I would presume that this compilation was a bit of a landmark at the time. There is quality on all levels and, as I see it, the process behind the record was as important as the record itself: bands and labels working together thus creating a "meaningful consolidation" of the scene. Or something? It would make much sense.

The opening band of the compilation is Iconoclast. Now, they don't make anyone's work easier by choosing such a moniker although, truth be told, I can't see how anyone could confuse this lot with the other punk Iconoclast (unless you have been living under a rock). Iconoclast were from Kanazawa and, as far as I can tell, their existence was fairly brief since they only recorded between 1993 and 1994. The band is probably most famous for the good "Who does the freedom and equality exist for?" Ep and the two songs included on "MC", "Warlike nations" and "Peace and blind", were recorded during the same session. The songs are fast, pummeling, distorted crusty punk, played in that distinctive Japanese fashion. Crasher crust I suppose. The boys were certainly into Gloom, although they don't sound as fuzzy or as noisepunk-oriented. They remind me of Battle of Disarm having a go at "Phonophobia"-era ENT in Confuse's practice room. As usual for the genre, the drumming is stellar (just listen to the rolls) and really upfront in the production (especially the cymbals) and the bass is distorted in a groovy way. I like the spoken part on "Peace and blind" as it gives a nice, comfortable anarcho feel. After the demise of Iconoclast, the singer Aoishi would form the excellent and prolific anarcho band Argue Damnation, while, later on, the font used by the band was recycled by Atrocious Madness from PDX.

Next are Disclose, a band I hardly need to discuss since I already did that when reviewing "Crust and anguished life". Two songs recorded in april 1994 but with two different drummers for some reason. I am not enough of a Disclose buff to be assertive about it, but it looks like the band actually had two different drummers in their early years. To be honest, the variation in terms of playing is underwhelming as they beat the D exactly in the same way (and why should it be otherwise?). The sound is satisfying to my ears and I suppose the two songs aptly deliver what is expected. I tend to prefer the idea of Disclose than Disclose themselves to be honest, as I have always found Kawakami's Discharge orthodoxy absolutely fascinating and honourable. It was all about unconditional love and I certainly can relate to that (I wish I could say the same about Disclose's discography but I am not going to pretend).

The lovable CFDL follow with two songs, a Blitz cover, "45 revolution", and a live track, "Punx rules", both recorded in august 1994. The mood on these is certainly lighter than on the rest of "MC". CFDL were (and still are) a fun-loving bunch who played punk because they truly loved punk and punks if you know what I mean. The two songs see CFDL in defiant boozy punk-rock mode, sloppiness included (I am still struggling to know if it is intentional or not), and while they are definitely not the band's best materials, they work very well here as mood-lighteners. I like it.

The band closing the first part of "MC" is Anti Authorize from Kyoto and they are probably the band I am the least familiar with. As a rule of thumb, bands choosing a name with the prefix "anti" at least get my attention, so let's give this one a good listen... Well, it does sound a lot like SDS' fast songs to be honest. The production is significantly different, beefier as it doesn't have that dry-yet-groovy, thick sound that only SDS can pull out, but in terms of composition, the intent is close. I can't help noticing a Nausea influence in the riffs as well. If you are into fast and gritty Japanese crust, these two songs, "Greed and deceit" and "The past meaning" will make your day. I love the specific vocal works here, from the gratuitous shouts and screams to the singalong, first-raising chorus on "Greed and deceit", they confer a dynamic Japanese hardcore atmosphere that is welcome. Anti Authorize used aesthetics deeply rooted in anarchopunk on this one, and from what I can recall, there was some Antisect-worship on their Ep. I should definitely check it out again.

Let's get to the second Ep then, opening with one long song (well, it is technically an intro and a song) from Defiance. Just like Iconoclast, they don't make things easy for the punks, but then, Defiance PDX had really just started in 1994 so it is only retrospectively confusing, and honestly, it is a great name for a punk band. Defiance were from Osaka and remain a slightly, unfairly obscure footnote in the Grand Book of Crust, in spite of the Gloom connection (Jhonio and Habi played in the mighty Gloom and later in Defector, while guitarist Okamoto used to play in the rather noisy Asphyxia along with Jacky Crust War/Framtid... A small world Osaka is). Defiance's music is interesting in itself though, and not just because the members make for a great punk trivia. The intro reveals an old-school, metallic crust sound that was not common at the time in Japan and that could indicate two things. First, that the influence of SDS on the Japanese scene cannot be underestimated, as hard as it can be to assess things from the outside, and second, that Defiance significantly predated bands like AGE or Effigy but might have contributed to water the seeds that would bloom into that sound, although their songs on "MC" are definitely at odds with the rest of their work, which is much more Gloomy. It is not an all out old-school crust attack though, as when the song actually kicks in after the filthy metal intro, it is with a pummeling, heavy D-beat, with still a witty nod to Sacrilege in the guitar riff. The vocals are certainly not as gruff or forceful as well, more akin to 90's Swedish D-beat than Japanese crust actually. A fascinating song.

Next are Abraham Cross, who were probably the best example of a great band with a poor name. Now, AC are definitely my pint of cider: crust pants turned into music. Quite literally as well. Hailing from Tokyo, AC formed in 1992 and seemed to have been more or less active until the late 00's. The bass player, Ao, was also part of crasher-crust pioneer Collapse Society, while the stand-in guitar player for the "MC" recording session (the original one, Maki, doesn't play on this one) is actually Yutaka from Life. Chronology is a troubled notion with Abraham Cross, as their excellent "Peace can't combine" 12'' (with yet another guitarist, Itokin, although Yutaka is also credited) was released in 2002 on Crust War, but was recorded during two sessions in 1994 and 1995. Oh well, at least they did not rush it like new bands do these days. I remember reading a review of "Peace can't combine" in an issue of the sadly missed Punk Shocker fanzine, from Newcastle, that has stuck in my memory to this day. Andy wrote that "Abraham Cross sound more like Doom than Doom do". And, to some extent, he was completely right. Obviously, the sound is much more distorted, fuzzy and blown-out than on early Peaceville records, the mastery is just not the same, but, as the two songs "Bad circulate" and "In there" attest, AC are probably the best early Doom/ENT/Sore Throat-worshipping band ever. The vocals are totally over-the-top, so gruff and aggressive, the riffs are simple and effective, and the drummer even mimics Stick's playing. In terms of aesthetics, the band keeps nodding heavily to the Brummies with that lovely dark clouds (the Antisect plant design on the back of the 12'' was a definite success as well) and the lyrics mostly revolve around animal welfare.

The last four songs are live tracks from the mighty SDS, that were recorded in 1994 at Huck Finn, in Nagoya (the CFDL live song was also recorded there). I have raved about SDS on two occasion for TSN so you pretty much know what to expect. By 1994, the band was undertaking a transition from their old Antisecty crusty metal sound to the fast, relentless, rocking Japcrust madness of their later years. On that level alone, the live recording is enlightening since the band played differently two songs from their first Ep, "Distort hope" (which would be reworked on "Scum system kill") and "Hell storm", and another early one from the 1991 "I will take no orders from anyone" compilation Lp, "False freedom". The shift from old to new is still underway but you can definitely tell that SDS were in a transitional stage. The energy and the intensity of the live songs are hard to believe and the crowd appears to go nuts, which is perfectly reasonable. I left the four songs on the same track to that effect. Visually SDS was still very much in an Antisect mood as the title of their art piece, "Bloody dark century 21", suggests, although the additional "Punk is spilitual music" at the bottom could mean that they were going wiser or, likelier, weirder. "MC" also includes one of my favourite thank list ever: "Mega we love: Discharge, Anti-Sectt, Amebix, Varukers, Anti-System, Sacrilege, English Dogs, Dirt, Flux of Pink Indians and.... CROW".

Mega I love SDS.

Consolidated meaning