Top Sounds - C
CHANNEL THREE - To Whom It May Concern: The 1981 Demos {TKO} One of the great unsung bands of the early USHC boom finally get an official release for the demos that brought the band to the attention of Robbie Fields and Posh Boy Recs. Making up this splendid purple/ white split 12" vinyl slab are two demos dated May and late August 1981 that total 13 tracks. All the early favourites are here, albeit in a rawer, more primal but less intense form: ‘I Got A Gun’, ‘Manzanar’, ‘Fear Of Life’ - classics. What’s of note to the fan is a respectful blitzkrieg burn through THE WHO’s ‘My Generation’. Given the short time between recordings, the second demo sees a noticeable increase in speed and aggression, taking influence from the burgeoning USHC scene of the time. That said, the band always retained an accessible structure about their songs and that, even in such embryonic days as the band’s first foray into a studio after the garage band days at Courtner Ave that these recordings represent, is evident. This is something of a collector’s item already as it is limited to 1,000 copies (well, 999 cuz there is NO WAY I am selling mine!), includes a CD version and sleeve notes from vocalist Mike Magrann himself. (07.12.09)
CHILLERTON - Bleak Unison {Boss Tuneage} Newish British band made up of ex-members of JETS Vs SHARKS. You get 12 tracks of discordant but rocking melodic Punk. It never gets particularly fast but it does, in parts, hit hard when the band locks into a power riff, not dissimilar from some of the more bruising Touch and Go bands. It seems there’s a mid-period HOT WATER MUSIC influence, if mixed with the spacious, angular structures of ‘Repeater’ era FUGAZI. Add on a bit of RYDELL/ SENSEFIELD subtleties and you’re close. Highlights have to be the damage-inducing hit of opener ‘All We Know’, ‘Let’s Get Reckless’, the minimalist negativity of ‘Fingers Crossed’ and the pile-driving closer ‘You’ve Got Red On You’. Gotta say, I found some moments to be too mellow and introvert - they took my attention elsewhere - but soon a crunching riff and passionate vocal bellow drew me back into the cryptic and corrosive world of CHILLERTON. (19.06.09)
CHRIST ON PARADE - Loud And Live: KFJC Pit {Prank} Blazing 13-track, live-on-radio album from this semi-legendary USHC band. It’s the ‘all original members’ line-up, recorded in 2007, and has been remixed since its original radio broadcast. Original vocalist Barrie Evans makes a fine job of the tracks recorded after he left the band with ‘Riding The Flatlands’ and ‘Self-Serving’ in particular being crackers. There’s about five or six tracks from the classic ‘Sounds Of Nature’ album, the band is cutting and certainly shows no slowing of speed. The only real disappointment is opener, ‘Chaos Breeder’, that sounds a little too frantic and messy and the total absence of both ‘Landlord Song’ and ‘America The Myth’. ‘Another Country’ and an electrifying ‘Drop-Out’ provide highlights with the latter even approaching classic era DISCHARGE if mixed with a CRUCIFIX intensity. This is smoking HC played just as it should be - that is NO mosh-parts, NO death-grunts, NO horrendous Metal Power Violence influence and NO Screamo-Emo bollocks - just genuine, flat out, in your face, frenetic HC Punk. (22.06.09)
COBRA KHAN - Helgorithms {1157) Second release from this Kiwi band made up of ex-members of notables BALANCE, DAY ONE and, significantly, Milon Williams of Kiwi legends SOMMERSET. It’s a massive sounding album; one that makes the debut ‘Sleepless Lions’ sound whimsical (and it was anything but!). The influence of KILLING JOKE ‘Extremities Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions’ era pounding power can not be ignored, if mixed with the dexterity of ‘Real Thing’ era FAITH NO MORE. Add on some virtually orchestral arrangements and you have an idea of the wide, dramatic, aural panoramas created here. Highlights include ‘Fly On’ (the only track that could fit on the previous ‘Sleepless Lions’ without sounding outta place), the surging closer ‘Sixteen’, ‘Shutter’ that incorporates Sarah’s keyboards to stunning effect (in fact those keyboards are used to much greater effect on this release) and the epic pinnacle of ‘Walk Through Fire’. If there is a negative, it’s the vocals that are just too tough-guy Metal and not enough snotty Punk. Production and packaging are both top notch; on an international level, you won’t find many records that sound as massive or bludgeoning as this. A genre blurring release that COBRA KHAN and NZ should be very proud of. (12.07.09)
COLANTUONO, DEJHA - Tea And Vodka {Mad Meow} As dark and sultry jazz vibes mixed with breezy New Wave power pop, the vocals somehow sounded familiar. There’s good reason too - DEJHA COLANTUONO used to be in Seattle’s ROTTEN APPLES! This, her debut album, is a very different slice of tuneage though. In place of the sneering arrogance of her band vocal is a confident, rich swagger akin to Annie Lennox (had she come from New Orleans). Some of the mellow moments, like ‘Waltz For Lucy’ and ‘Miss Fortune’ were just too sombre for me, even if they displayed a wonderful fragility about COLANTUONO’s vocals. ‘Color Blue’ (which had a near on BLONDIE vibe), ‘Anxiety’ with its soaring vocal and quality chorus and the taut, mischievous power of closer ‘Poolside’ all provide highlights and emphasize what a great singer COLANTUONO is. Elsewhere inventive programming kept interest alive - especially on the rolling ‘Fences’. Definitely a release for sedate Sunday mornings and those moments where you want something that is subtle but with a bit of bite. (26.07.09)
COMMON ENEMY - Living The Dream? {Overdose On/ Horror Business} Imagine the words snotty, belligerent, boisterous, degenerate, scathing, relentless, profane and arrogant all put to the sound of a punishingly fast as fuck Punk Rock blast and you’ll have an idea of the cantankerous commotion these four fellas outta Pennsylvania spit out. There’s 20 songs here, totaling less than 28 minutes covering topics like partying, beer, skating, zombies, partying, computer games, the mundanity of the daily grind and partying some more. Only ‘Police Story’ (a veritable cracker), ‘Never Enough’ and ‘Shut Your Mouth’ show any socio-political leaning. Musically this is fast, uncompromising HC that welds the frivolous ferocity of ADRENALIN OD with a PENNYWISE bluster. Vocalist Gary Critical has one of the most petulant voices heard in years, mixing ‘Very Proud Of Ya’-era Davey Havoc with the noxious growl of Stza Crack. Highlights include the title track (featuring Jason Navarro outta SUICIDE MACHINES), ‘My Board, My Rules’, ‘Beer Bong’ and the locked in Thrash of ‘Just Another Enemy’. Blazing ‘core with enough breakdowns to prevent it being too one dimensional. Excellent art work also. (09.11.09)
CROSS STITCHED EYES - Coranach {Alternative Tentacles} Second album from this powerful bunch of internationals (members reside in USA, UK and Germany) and the band’s first release for AT. It’s an Anarcho/ Crust sound but with an injection of melody and structure that the genre often lacks, resulting in a mix of ANTISECT’s defiant power, pulsating KILLING JOKE rhythms, hints of DEAD KENNEDYS guitar (see ‘Suffer’) and a LEFTOVER CRACK-esque vocal attack. The band features Jason Willer formerly of ENEMIES (and UK SUBS), guitarist Tim Crow of BAD INFLUENCE and drummer Trotsky of SUBHUMANS! Highlights include the pulverising metallic clang of ‘Age Of Consumption’, the relatively melodic dynamics of ‘Breath Of Lies’, the blunt direct riffing of ‘Stitched’ and the claustrophobic ‘Become Earth’ which is not a million miles from the portentous sound of THE MOB. Can’t tell ya a thing about packaging as AT decided to send this out with nothing more than a press release. Neat. Soundwise, I can tell you this is a challenging and very satisfying slice of Anarcho-infused Hardcore Punk. (12.07.09)
CAN'T DECIDE, CAPTAIN EVERYTHING, CARPATHIAN, CHINATOWN, CIRCUS ACT, CITIZEN FISH/Leftover crack split, CIVET, CLOAK/ DAGGER, COLD BY WINTER, CONFLICT, COVEN AND CRAZY D, THE CRITICS (2 reviews), THE CROWD, THE CRUMBS