(c) 1999 Epitaph Records
[rating:4/5]
A long time ago in a galaxy on the east coast of the US in a city called New York, came the Bastard Child of Punk Rock. Hardcore Punk! Music from the streets with an attitude for change and a strong sense of unity. At the forefront of this movement was a band call Agnostic Front. It’s 1999 now almost two decades from their humble beginnings and Agnostic Front is back with a brand new offering. “Riot Riot Upstart” is their second offering on Epitaph, the follow up to ’97s “Something’s Gotta Give”. Sporting the original “Victim in Pain” Line up Featuring: Roger Miret – Vocals, Vinnie Stigma – Guitar, Rob Kabula – Bass, and Jimmy Collette – Drums. “Riot Riot Upstart” is some kick ass Hardcore! I must admit that I found this album deceptive. I was expecting a fully brutal blast of noise and anger like I got on the new S.O.D. record. Instead I found something a little more tame on the surface but seething with anger and injustice charged lyrics and familiar yet fresh grinding fast beats. As I expected there are a few guest appearances from the likes of Manager Billy Milano, Toby and Rusty from H2O, and Kerry Martinez from US Bombs. This Disc give up 17 tracks of quality hardcore from the masters. The only thing I regret to say about it is the “Lars Freidrickson Sound” Sure it was produced by Lars (you can’t help but notice if you even turn the CD over slightly) but come on leave the Rancid tricks at home this is Agnostic Front show a little respect. Bottom Line – These guys invented Hardcore. Get this CD. Piss of your parents!!
–Jerry Actually
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Remember that one time when Hank III and the Butthole Surfers got in a fist fight in a Southern Babtist churh over who was going to get drunk and repent the most and the good preacher tried to set ’em all right or send ’em right to Hell? Neither do I, but Let The Sin Begin is something what like that might sound like. Scruffy growl and cow punk. Prostelitizing while carousing. Them Damn Young Livers muster up 15 rabblerousing songs to help you demoralize your previously chaste life. Kansas City’s Freight train cow punk for the young and drunk.
Where the heck were these guys when I lived in Portland? Not around I guess. I wish I would have would have been in town though. They sound like a hella good band. Folksy and punky with songs of sailing the seas and the drinking of beer. They swagger like Swingin’ Utters and The Pogues and rock out with less melodrama than most of the rain-addled cock-n-roll of many Portland bands. Cloudy Skies contains 12.5 tracks of the aforementioned variety of rock and it does not dissapoint. If you like the drinking and the singalongs and music that may make you want to steal a boat, then this one is for you. There’s more to it of course, but the jist of it is good time rock and roll. Enjoy!
Have you ever, as an ever tough punk rocker wanted to let you inner-emo out? But how could you and still save face with all your extra tough punk rock friends? San Francisco’s Get Dead holds the answers to your fears. Their “punkcoustic” anthems reek with their innermost feelings but still come across as cool and nonchalant. I venture to say that you can safely listen to Letters Home and you will still command the respect of your spike-bedazzled friends and maybe you’ll even show that cute little pale girl all dressed in black a little bit of your own tortured soul (but not too much) Aside all that, Get Dead brings some fine non-electrical punk rock in an anthemic and almost piratical way. If I had to make up some adjectives that you can use to tell your friends about them, I’d go so far as to say that they are both Clashtastic and SwinginUtteriffic. For those of you back east, you can say that they’re wicked sweet!
Welcome to the B-side. What have we here but no less than 32 tracks of B-side, demos, 4-track takes and BS schlock from none other than Swingin’ Utters. It is generally easy to dismiss B-side compilations as strictly for the die hard fan. Generally they consist of crap to lackluster to otherwise distribute. That is only partially true for Hatest Grits. Instead of the usual 90% garbage 10% diamond, the Utters give you a sketchbook chronology of one of the best bands of the hybrid folk punk genre. Of course you also get some crap to lackluster to otherwise distribute, meant only for the die hard fan. But thanks to the good graces of the band, the ratio is more like 75% kick ass takes and 25% filler. You slice it how you like it though. I for one am down with their brand of rock and roll. Highly recommended from your friends at !upstarter.