Crass Dismissed: September 1998
Archived
“You’re talking to someone who really understands rock music” – Tipper Gore
Motoragenservice
This tiny piece of plastic packs plenty of punch. Motorsagenservice spew out a buzzsaw blend of crust, grind, hardcore, noise and even some metal (especially on tracks seven and eight). The music is punishing from start to finish with an emphasis on speed and fury, sometimes with the excessiveness of blur. The variety of vocal style used gives the disc some distinction although everything is harsh and maniacal, no clean vocals here! I know absolutely nothing about this band but I certainly hope I will hear more from them in the future because this is one of the best things reviewed in this issue.
Blue Yard Garden
No Good Sundays CD
Blue Yard Garden may be the most underrated rock ‘n roll band. Their soul-scraping emotion is packaged in easily digestible pop tunes. Their blues influence is readily apparent and their finesse is unparalleled amongst even major label acts who might be considered “peers” to BYG. “No Good Sundays” finds the band taking even bolder strides in carving out their own niche in pop music. Although even more catchy than its predecessor On the Galaxy, this album utilizes less traditional pop structures and more distinctive arrangements. BYG have managed to create something that is both radio friendly and genuine — no easy task.
Infamy
The Blood Shall Flow CD
Infamy play raw, harsh death in the California vein… fast, furious, and fierce. They utilize all the elements of death metal that make it exciting: throat-tearing vocals, rapid fire drums, technical guitars, harsh riffs, and violent lyrical imagery. The production is raw and in your face and helps give the CD a ’91 quality when death metal was in its prime. On a sad note, Infamy’s vocalist/bassist Joshua “Jagger” Heatley passed away recently.
Toxic Bonkers
If The Dead Could Talk CD
The cover art for this CD ranks right up there amongst the most brutal and disturbing I’ve ever seen. However, instead of being used for mere shock purposes or to “gore-ify” the horrific photo is a commentary on man’s inhumanity to man that is a fitting, albeit unnerving, visual symbol of the band’s political grind. Hailing from Poland, Toxic Bonkers carries on that country’s reputation of producing high quality, extreme bands. With their hardcore punk roots worn proudly on their sleeves, T.B.’s lyrical messages are pointed dissertations on the state of the world and the state of the scene. The lyrics are split between Polish and English which is cool because I think more bands ought to give their native languages a try in their lyrics.
Abramelin
s/t CD
Although this band has been a major figure in the Australian death scene since they played under the moniker Acheron back in the early nineties, they have remained fairly obscure in the rest of the world due to little or no overseas promotion from their various labels.
Repulse Records is rectifying this by licensing Abramelin for worldwide distribution via their established underground ties. Abramelin play a memorable death metal that combines quirky time changes and stop/start riffing with a semi-technical feel. Their vocalist is superb with a flair very reminiscent of some of the better American growlers. Their finesse playing and superior song writing easily overcomes the sometimes inconsistent production that is especially unkind to the drummer whose powerhouse pounding is a bit murky (except for the cymbals which are mixed way too high).
Rain On The Parade
Body Bag EP
This is totally ripping late 80s vibe sXe hardcore. This is the kind of stuff I lived and breathed for years. This is too good to think of as a “throwback” record. It is just a great hardcore record. Group choruses, lyrics with just enough attitude to be pissed but just enough hope to be posi-core. The songs are quick blasts of pounding, rhythmic fire. Maybe YOT meets Instead? I totally love every second of this! —Jeb Branin
Read more Crass Dismissed by Jeb Branin:
Crass Dismissed: August 1998
Crass Dismissed: July 1998
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