Violent Reaction- Marching On LP review

Violent Reaction- Marching On LP review

This is what I’ve been waiting for!  The steady improvements that Violent Reaction have been since their flexi (when I started listening, anyways) have culminated into this monster of an LP, one of the best I’ve heard as of late.  The blue-collar straight edge skinhead/Oi! influenced hardcore punk they play hits harder than any mid-tempo band who focuses exclusively on breakdowns and sloganeering lyrics ever could.  The vocals are booming, the guitars are tuned and distorted just the way they should be (normal EADGBE and high-EQ distortion, I think), giving off a bit of an 86 Mentality vibe but better, the bass is bouncing like their Doc Marten soles, and the drums hit on all cylinders, large and small.  The lyrics are no doubt primitive at times, but still provoke enough though to be worthwhile and still fitting of what is no doubt a genre best left to the realms of simplicity.  From the brutal intro of M1 Stomp to the almost Blitz-ish Marching On, this is THE LP to get if you like hardcore punk, no matter who you are, or what subgenre therein you like.  This is the New Wave of British Hardcore, and VxR are the ones marching on into battle, waving its flag.

-Aunty Social

Violent Reaction- City Streets LP review

Violent Reaction- City Streets LP review

Harder than NAILS and more straight edge than Project X, Violent Reaction’s debut LP is a hard-hitting hardcore punk record that also happens to be catchy at points, much like the early 80s.  Burly, beefy, and deep-throated vocals are coupled with powerful guitars, bouncing bass lines, and dead-on drumming to make this one-man project a reality of a band- it’s hard to believe that one guy could be so fucking on point with all the instruments, not to mentions the vocals, the lyrics, and the genuineness of character, he (Tom Pimlott) is.  There’s no other way to describe this than pissed-off hardcore punk- put it in any subgenre you like (and I tried to, too), it’s the shit.  Where you’re punching a hole in the wall at a show or at home, or better yet, shouting the words to these catchy tunes at a show, at home, or in your car (my personal favorite) you will be moving.  Packaging and design work is superb- Painkiller is on top with good records right now, and this is one of their best.  The best of the best of the best, sir, uh… with honors.

-Aunty Social

Special Duties- '77 in '82 LP review

Special Duties- ’77 in ’82 LP review

Underrated, supercharged Oi! with a faster beat and a bleaker outlook- this is the epitome of what UK 82 was, and although these guys weren’t as well-known as the likes of their contemporaries like the Exploited, One Way System, Abrasive Wheels, and any band on a punk’s denim/leather jacket circa 2006 (that they probably didn’t listen to), these guys were just as good, if not better.  The rhythm is much heavier than the melody here- it’s downright thudding, stifling even, and not in a bad way.  The simplicity and brutality of these songs is what sets them apart from their predecessors.  Neither an evolution nor devolution, it was a progression that left a permanent imprint on the world.  This is what the “hardcore” movement in the UK was, the one that sprouted up alongside Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Negative Approach, etc.  Since the cultures were different, they progressed and manifested differently as well.  The songs and demeanor were different, but there still existed a camaraderie of sorts.  Those who make the effort to research history will be the ones who unearth lost treasures.  This is no doubt one of those.

-Aunty Social

Lay It On the Line- Crowhurst tape review

Lay It On the Line- Crowhurst tape review

A sort of street punk mixed with melodic punk/hardcore; the production value on this tape is damn fine, very polished and clear, strong if you will.  The guitar riffs are the most notable attributes of the songs here, though the gruff but not cacophonous vocals are another worthy piece of the music here.  This is largely a mid-tempo record, the energy evenly spread across all the instruments.  Though there is not a lot of overwhelming power in any of the parts of the music, it is still rather strong, especially for hardcore that emphasizes more on melody than on rhythm.  Not a piece to be broken up into individual songs, the record as a whole is pretty good, but the individual songs don’t stand out much.  Packaging on the tape is good, but I always like a lyric sheet with any record or tape.  A good investment for those who like the other side of hardcore, the one less traveled.

-Aunty Social

The Destructors/Ziplock- Pax Romanus split CD review

The Destructors/Ziplock- Pax Romanus split CD review

The Destructors side of this CD is modern-sounding Oi! with a left-leaning political stance.  The cover of Peter & the Test Tube Babies is notable, though it does seem to be a bit simplistic for the usually complex Destructors.  The vocals don’t do it much for me (it seems far too steeped in the sort of Dropkick Murphys style of Oi!), but the lyrics are intelligent, and the music, especially this time, is pretty good.  If the vocals could be a bit more gruff and grunty, I’d really dig this more than I do.  Still, a very worthy offering.  As for Ziplock, even though the name kind of annoys me, these songs too, are pretty good.  Gritty, heels-dug-in, ready to fight punk rock that could easily be hardcore or Oi!, but is neither.  These songs have some substance to them, no doubt.  I feel like their last song could have been a bit more urgent than it was, but no complaints otherwise.  Definitely the best thing I’ve received from the Destructors yet.

-Aunty Social

The Destructors- Ragnarok 12.12.12 CD review

The Destructors- Ragnarok 12.12.12 CD review

Compared to the previous releases I’ve received from these guys, this stellar.  This has a mixed Oi!/UK 82 sound that surprised me quite a bit- they do a couple of pretty good covers of the Exploited “Dead Cities” and Discharge’s “The Final Bloodbath”, albeit with a clearer, less cacophonous singing style.  Though I am not into the singing style the band usually employs, this is a modernized version of UK 82 bands, and it’s done very well.  Even the slower songs are pretty good most of the time.  The topics are still very political, one thing that’s never changed about the band in my time of being aware of them (and one thing I have mad respect for them on).  No songs that were notably bad, and the best song was the “War of the Worlds” jam; definitely above average.  If nothing else, I have a few tracks I’d certainly recommend off this record.

-Aunty Social