LOAD Discography

The internet is a buzz with the sad news of Bob Johnston's death. Sucks it would take this horrible occasion to light a fire under my ass to get you the complete works of the band I have often touted as the best thing to come from Miami since 2 Live Crew. Supersonic, motherfucker.

LOAD

R.I.P. Bobby Johnston

Bobby Johnston of Miami punk band LOAD has faded into legend.

Beastly

Holy fuck, are you ready to fall in love with an obscure bit of punkified metal from the bullshit state of New Jersey? This gem was released in 1983 on the great Mutha Records, the concern that brought the world the brilliant Chronic Sick EP Cutest Band In Hardcore. The Beast were often associated with the Metal scene due to their contributions to the early Megaforce comp Born to Metalize, and while The Beast's material on that record are decent enough, they are by no means as awesome as the four blazing tracks on this EP. In fact, this isn't too far from what Chronic Sick were laying down. The opening track "The Beast" is the band's mission statement, it establishes The Beast as a no bullshit crew of leather jacket wrapped Jersey toughs who simply don't give a fuck, but can still lay down the hooks. This becomes more and more evident over the course of the next three songs. The secret weapons here are the absolutely charm slathered vocals of Scott Ruth. The guy is Danzig without the fanboy horror nerdisms, Rollins without the Manson/Jim Morrison affectations, but still remains Scott Ruth, Long Branch badass wise guy. Seriously, my words can't do this justice. This is one of those rare records that almost makes you ache this band didn't record more material. The amazing Devil Dick over at The Devil's Music Blog wrote a great and informative piece on The Beast and Mutha Records here, I'm going to shut up now, my ramblings shouldn't keep you from this bit of genius any longer.

Here

Last Rights

Here's a bit of youthful anger that may have eluded you the first time around in the 1980s. Perhaps you weren't born yet, perhaps you (like me) avoided the bulk of seemingly meat-headed Boston hardcore bands. Anyhoo, Last Rights was the short lived band of Jack "Choke" Kelly after the ridiculously awesome Negative FX and before the ridiculous Slapshot. Not as frantic as NFX and nothing about sports as was the case with Slapshot. The sound here is pretty standard Boston, reminding me of DYS. The B-side, "So Ends Our Night" even tells a typically Boston HC story of hanging out with your asshole buddies and beating someone up. Interesting factoid: some band called Dinosaur JR. covered "Chunks" on their album You're Living All Over Me.

Here

Vomit Virgins

1988 for this punk record from Japan. They got a lady singing, the band's name means "Vomiting Virgins." Beyond that I know nothing other than this kicks ass.

Here

Swankers

Swankers P.M.S. were a young bunch of Swedish punkers that managed to eke out one excellent EP called Anti-Oi before calling it quits. For taking such a fervent stance against Oi, Swankers P.M.S. played a somewhat '77 style Oi punk (notice the '77 on the cover.) Not the blistering hardcore assault of Avskum, Anti-Cimex, or Antisocial, but still a great piece of Svenne rebellion from the way back.

Here

Born Innocent

Born Innocent is the result of rich Hawthorne kids discovering the seedy punk rock of Hollywood and distilling it through their own love of pop culture and teenage snark. Redd Kross was started by the McDonald brothers as The Tourists and then Red Cross but changed the spelling to Redd Kross when the benevolent association of the same name took umbrage and threatened to unbenevolently sue the shit out of these kids. Originally the band featured Greg Hetson and Ron Reyes, but they left soon after to join the Circle Jerks and Black Flag respectively. Born Innocent brims with attitude, great songs, and enough references to the band's troubled anti-heroes to fill out a who's who of 70's and 80's icons, and hints at the full-on 70's retro concern the band would become with each subsequent release. I have pretty much loved everything Redd Kross since I myself was a snarky, pop culture-obssessed teenage punker, but Born Innocent remains my favorite.

Here

Cog Dis

On a tour stop in St. Paul, Minnesota, I had the extreme noise pleasure of seeing and meeting Cognitive Dissonance, an excellent crusty grindy band from Minneapolis. They played with such ferocity and conviction that I was pretty sure that while I stood there agape, sipping my watered-down whisky cola, the system collapsed and oppression was abolished. Such wasn't the case, however, and when they finished I promptly used my remaining survivor vouchers to purchase this fantastic tape titled Omens of Doom. Now I know the twin cities is known for this kind of filthy, anarchy-politico monkeyshines, but I think Cognitive Dissonance are miles ahead of the pack. Check it.

Here

Life Fucker

These folks may be done by now but Cervix is/was a fantastic young New York band that relives the glory days of Japanese Hardcore with a youthful vigor. Feedback, breakneck speeds, effected vocals, buzzy guitars...you know the drill.

Here

Bullshit Detector 1

I think I love the Bullshit Detector series of compilations more than any other CRASS related records. The first of the series was released in 1980. If clumsy punk and British accents are your bangers and mash, mate, dig in and fatten up on bullshit.

'Ere

Cemetery

Another nugget nicked from the treasure trove that is the Terminal Escape blog. Noisy Death Rocking Punk goodness from Chicago. There is something particularly inviting about the general atmosphere of this recording, captures an authentic '80s vibe perfectly. Reminds me of a bit TSOL's better stuff, Cortex, Christian Death and black nail polish.

Boo!

The Martian Brain Squeeze

The Neos, what can be said? They came from Victoria, British Columbia, they were insanely fast. In 1982 they bashed out two ridiculously awesome EPs. Here is one of them.

Here

From the Womb to the Grave

Massacre's 1986 album From the Womb to the Grave may be a bit late to the punk party but it remains hands down one of my favorite bits of Finnish teen angst. If you don't like this album, you don't really like Finnish Hardcore and you can take off that stupid shoe string headband thing that you wear to all the shows.

Here

F.O.A.D.

FUCK OFF AND DIE!!!

Valentine's Day Hickey

You know that Cosmic Hearse doesn't really go for holiday posts, and I especially don't care for the pseudo-romantic pablum of Valentine's day, but this relic was too good to pass up. Seems that the awesome Scotty Luv (younger brother of Matty Luv) was sitting on this rare recording of Hickey doing their thing on Valentine's day way back in '97. Steve Stevenson of 1-2-3-4 Go Records cleaned it up a bit and now it goes in your earholes. Also this is as good a place to mention that 1-2-3-4 Go Records is on the verge of releasing a massive gatefold double LP edition of Hickey's Various States of Disrepair with extra tracks and shit. The image I used is the Valentine's day card I made for my girlfriend using nothing but porn and an Indian takeout menu.

Here

War On 45

If you are old like I am, you remember those atrocious "Stars on 45" records that glutted shitty corporate radio in the early '80s. D.O.A., Vancouver B.C.'s greatest punk band ever certainly remembered, and in 1982 the band released an EP called War on 45. This stellar record collects eight songs, three of which have "war" in the title. War on 45 starts with "Liar For Hire" and it's trademark D.O.A. guitar intro. Lead dude Joey Shithead's instantly recognizable and most charismatic snarl rails against the untrustworthy and the false. "I'm Right, You're Wrong" is a classic D.O.A. singalong stomper. "America The Beautiful" might sound familiar to some, a live version was featured on the highly influential Rat Music For Rat People compilation. For Canadians, these dudes had quite a few songs about Reagan and the USA. After that searing political commentary, D.O.A. lighten up the mood with "Let's Fuck" a raunchy send up of the old Chris Montez tune "Let's Dance." D.O.A. return to the program with an excellent cover of the Edwin Starr classic "War." "I Hate You" is typically snarky D.O.A. "War In The East" is indicative of the type of goofy flirtations some punks had with Reggae (see The Clash, 7 Seconds...) it is wholly avoidable. This twenty minute conflict ends with a cover of The Dils best known number "Class War" and I almost hate to admit it, the D.O.A. version is better. D.O.A. in their prime were incredible musicians and really adept (for punk) song crafters. War On 45 only contains four real D.O.A. songs, three covers, and one bullshit bit of filler and still stands as one of the coolest punk records of the '80s. No other band could be this lazy AND this great. I love D.O.A.

WAR!

Flower Leperds

I don't know a whole hell of a lot about The Flower Leperds. They were on Mystic, appeared on a number of their comps. I think they hailed from Orange County. They put out this EP and then broke up only to reform with Tony of The Adolescents as the new singer. This kind of sounds a bit like The Adolescents, but a bit more grown up and jaded. Anyways, this is a great little record, even if it does contain a useless cover of "I'm Eighteen." There is also a pretty good discography CD of Flower Leperds material out there if you desire more.

Here

4 Tribes

Excellent four-way split of obscure Japanese bands from 1988. まつじ (Matsuji,) 666, Poison Arts, and F.O.A.D. play fast, fuzzy, metal-tinged Japanese Hardcore. All the bands deliver the goods and will sate any fan of the Japanese thrashing punk, but まつじ kind of standout with their occasional vocal forays into Bad Brainsisms. I can't think of a better way to kill fifty minutes than with four devil-driven far-east death tribes.

攻撃

Splatter Punk

Splatter Punx on Acid collects the entire discography of Swedish prettyboy metallic hardcore band Black Uniforms. I remember being kind of down on these dudes back in the day because of their corny image, but that aside, these guys hit upon something great at times. Their flirtations with metal seemed a bit more informed than Discharge's or Broken Bones', The Uniforms were at their best when they ventured into the more speed metal realm of their material, sometimes they remind me of a more haphazard Onslaught. Great hair.

Here

Witch Trials

The Fall were probably the nastiest, most cruel, and spiteful bunch of Englishmen ever to exist, and on their first album Live From The Witch Trials all the snark and venom is present and accounted for. The album opens with the menacing and slunky "Frightened" and the lyric "Someone's always on my tracks." The tension is laid out, the sort of embittered angst that make Mark E Smith and The Fall unique, their seeming disdain for their listener. However underneath the hostilities lay some amazingly concise and economically crafted rock songs. The genius that was The Fall starts here.

Here