HEX – “Poison In The System: The Demos” CD
If you liked your punk, the UK in the early to mid ’80s was a good place to be. Not only were all kinds of genres flourishing within said rubric, but there was a significant community of like-minded souls, putting on gigs, writing (and distributing) fanzines, (cassette) tape labels, and whatnot. It meant that bands could (and did!) release demos, on cassette, and distribute them far and wide. The anarcho-punk “scene,” spawned by the likes of CRASS and their progeny (SUBHUMANS, CONFLICT, FLUX OF PINK INDIANS, MOB, et al.) were the inspiration and incubator for HEX. Hailing from the Northeast of England, they were part and parcel of the legendary (well, to us folks, anyways) Sunderland Bunker, a venue, and musicians collective. Herein you’ll find four demos tapes (fourteen tracks in all), recorded in 1986 and 1987. A variety of musical styles, evocative of KILLING JOKE, ANTISECT, and the FAMOUS IMPOSTERS grace the demos. It all features the music gifts of Dickie Hammond and Dave Lainey, better known for playing in HDQ and later LEATHERFACE. Really great stuff all round, and some excellent liner notes do a superb job of capturing the sense of community, and possibility that was nurtured by the scene. (Ramsey Kanaan)
(Boss Tuneage)

 

EBENEZER AND THE BLUDGEONS – “Peer Pressure” EP
Looky what I win this month! No one coulda guessed these OG Baltimore KBD punkers were such the lyrical geniuses, but there’s no doubt after any spin of this classique 1978 four-songer. I still remember first dropping the needle after coughing up some substantial lunch money in the ’90s. Side A doesn’t really do much bludgeoning, ’cept with the inescapable “al-bi-no” chorus of “Gerti,” but the B-side is the absolute apex of bar band punk. Ooh, the controversy of “Weekend Nazi,” only to be topped with the inexplicable punk paradox of “Oh! I Love This Weather” with one of the least climactic punk choruses ever. How can something that sucks so hard manage to also be the greatest thing ever?! I’m proud to be an American. (Graham Booth)
(Windian)

EUTANASIA – “Sentimiento de Agitación” LP
Here is the first vinyl rendition of a classic Peruvian punk tape recorded in 1990. Somewhere at the intersection of the RAMONES and RIP, EUTANASIA distills punk into its raw rock material essentials: catchy, pogo-friendly, yet serious and angry punk. Their commitment to carrying the torch of local underground rock is demonstrated by the covers of both LOS SAICOS “Demolición” and LEUSEMIA. Informative insert made for English speakers outlines the challenges of playing underground music during turbulent times. While your country is busy waging a bloody war between Maoists and a brutal state, one option is to go on creating something amidst the wreckage. This record is that plebian answer to the senseless violence. Forming in 1986, those members who stuck it out in Lima recorded this record in 1990, and then they too fled the country. Crucial recording for Peruvian punk history and a must have for anyone even remotely interested in Latin American punk. (Lena T)
(Rock SVB)