MSB - CAFE TRAUMA

Who the fuck are MSB?   Where on earth did this CD come from?  How did they find out about the Fungal One?  Is there something I am forgetting here?

4 posers that still need an answer but after listening to this CD I may be able to clarify matters in one or two instances.  See what you think!

First impressions were transient to say the least with the verdict leaning towards a mundane, safety first effort produced through a run of the mill recording studio.  This opinion soon dissipated after a few more careful spins and in all honesty I wonder what the hell I must have been on when making the initial hasty judgement (sherry most probably).  This is a seriously professional piece of music with some obviously talented musicians strutting their skapunka stuff over 13 tracks of varying tempo and delivery.

Very accomplished in all departments with the opening musical intro ‘A Powerful Sense Of Dread’ making a startling impact as well as leading into the pacey ‘Ninjacore’ quite beautifully.  This second track is the albums zenith with an overflow of well timed moments merging spectacularly into one another resulting in a musical snippet of ska magnificence.  The ensuing ‘Milk ‘n’ Apples’ has a more clichéd construction with several tried and tested ska riffs but still the final result outweighs many lesser efforts and just continues the elevated and heady standard set thus far.

‘Kickin’ Doors’ bursts in and is abruptly arrested by a satisfying brass section that gives way to a snaking rhythm that slithers along in smooth and polished fashion before alternating with a venomous outburst.

The mean ‘n’ lean opening of ‘Massive Misfortune’ once again is accosted by a slower section that explodes, floats, explodes, floats ad infinatum.

The quality level of this CD continues on and on with ‘The Protagonist’ being nicely delivered in a lazy, laid back kind of way and signifying the academic lyrical content of this outfit which is both well placed and constructed.   ‘Punishment Shuffle’ shows a band unafraid to indulge in a somewhat unorthodox deluge of sounds with several other ditties backing up this idea.

The final assessment is of a very talented band who take care and consideration over their work and who parcel and package the end production with great thought and attention to detail.

A much welcome offering to a reviewer who is punk to the core and may overlook such choice cuts.  Any skanker worth his two-tone trumpet should have a bash at this as it certainly deserves serious attention.

GREENLAND WHALEFISHERS - AMAZING SPACE

A thousand comparisons will be made here but for me you can stick em' up your arse as this outfit have enough great tunes and general ability to be regarded in high esteem by lovers of this style of music. In truth its the best stuff I have heard of this type and the positive ambience and jig 'n' swig approach is a true pleasure and a more than welcome accompaniment to any punk rock piss-up.

'My Days Are Done' and 'Mary B' open up in real lively and optimistic mode and it really gets you listening with intent to the rest of the stuff on this CD. Other hearings of GWF have never really struck that chemical chord but this works a treat.

'Whiskey You're A Devil' maintains the fantastic sequence and pissed up or sober one would do well to stop the old foot tapping here. 'Lay Me Down' seques in and the flow is merry and joyous with the textured vocals a choice condiment. Tin whistles, mandolins, banjos and the rest all combine effectively to construct a thoroughly enjoyable listen with other chosen highs 'The Ghost Of Gerhardsen' with its reeling instrumental enthusiasm and 'Hit The Ground'.

From a critical stand point the tunes on offer are too similar and may be too much of a good thing but for many it will be a winning formula to savour. Personally as a punk rock reviewer its a delight but in prescribed doses as and when desired.

Unashamedly biased in this review as I in fact manage the Mog I make no apologies for the ensuing congratulatory textual matter that celebrates the musical ability of the band in question. This 3 track production is technically superb and exhibits what Crouch Mog do best which is produce and play intricate and exciting modern punk rock. Being the owner of many a fine American punk album this holds its own with anything I've heard so far and surely is a must for those with a preference for the Yankee yodellers. 'Never Easy', 'Jumanji' and 'Filthy Rich' are each as good as each other and reflect the whole groups ethos. A fine British piece of fresh faced punk here - go ahead old punk - make your day and buy a piece of this!

Another compilation to review that has a feel to it of the early to mid eighties when DIY punk took on a whole new raw edged sound that rekindled a flickering punk rock flame. When you first play this CD there is hardly anything that stands out and you treat it as a run of the mill offering that many of us possess in our vast and varied collections. However, after several more airings the reason why nothing stands apart becomes clear as the whole CD is of a constant and consistent reasonable quality. Almost every track is listenable and is a true reflection of the excellent underground movement so little of us seem to appreciate. There are too many highs to name so I'll recommend this CD on that simple basis. If you want to check out loads of bands on one great CD that personifies punk in its many disguises then get off your arse and buy this.

SCREAMING TARTS - COMPILATION VOL 1

Ariel-X commence this compilation in casual coffee table mode with the meandering 'With You'. The ensuing 'I Don't Care' from Planet of Women is a metalised glamour outbusrt via a screaming bitch from hell and her gravel laden voice. These two opening gambits signify what is to come both in terms of diversity and quality of production. 'Anhedonia' by Nebraska comes at the listener from yet another angle and is uncannily reminiscent of that early 80's 'pop and cheese' combo that had a flirtatious affair with the charts. A good tune nonetheless and albeit un-punk still enjoyed by yours truly.

Overall this compilation has many peaks and offers a solid enough variation of sound to appeal to most genre dwelling music lovers. The main source of attraction to this CD is the outstanding quality of production which does all bands justice and pinpoints the obvious careful and attentive approach the Screaming Tarts team have towards their releases. Other songs worthy of note are Tat and 'Live For Rock', Kinesis with the turgid sounding 'Everything You Thought You Knew To Be', Plan A and the infectious and albums zenith 'She Said' and D:Models somewhat cutey pie 'Sugar Rush'.

A couple of duff tracks on the 2nd half of this outpouring shouldn't detract from a quality release that I personally wouldn't deem as punk but is certainly not shite either. Lovers of a bit of everything and seekers of something different should try this out for size.

DUNCAN WILDER-JOHNSON - WORKAHOLICA

A 3 CD set from headbanging, hardcore musical observer of life otherwise known as Duncan Wilder Johnson. This is a 5 year diary of DWJ's 3 projects namely Destruct-a-thon, 'Kill It All Away' and his spoken word performances. Its more than obvious that here we have 100% inspiration and 100% perspiration with a sprinkling of utter madness and total dedication thrown in to a superbly packaged triumvirate of terror that is a must for hardcore metal/punk heads and lovers of off-the-cuff, no holds barred and may it be said, warped, US comedy.

CD1 is a collection of Destruct-a-thon songs. A band inspired by Slayer, Black Flag and the likes and one fronted by Mr DWJ. Its a heavy, incessant blend of jackhammer guitars and throat-ripping vocals that are only eased by the odd female trills thrown in as a lifeline from an assault of unadulterated aggression. 'No Diet, All Insomnia' is a crackerjack track and encapsulates the CD's ambience and focus with 'Daisy Cutter' a nice sinister piece. A subliminal horror sensation pervades all sounds and that adds to the macabre aspect of an overwhelming noise.

Next we have the spoken word angle of the artiste in question and it is at this moment that we finally realise what an unhinged maniac that DWJ really is. These ramblings offer an insight into a mind in turmoil, a mind filled with hate, a mind totally abandoned to lunatic thought and devious meandering. The disturbed outlook on life is what makes this CD so funny and the keen observational aspect is blatant. The only flaw really is in the fact that it is too American as far as being understood by us Brits is concerned. A two way problem too frequent foundwhen it comes to the exportation of comedy.

The main positive points are the way Duncan really gets into his routines and the infectious delivery and anti-macho stance is most appealing. Some of this stuff works, some doesn't but again this is all down to taste and the aforementioned Brit/Yank comedic barrier.

The last CD is Duncan's follow on project from Destruct-a-thon and comes under the name of 'Kill It All Away'. The CD opens in wild style with an explosive guitar blast that fragments into a hard, head-slamming, skull-splitting barrage of insane intent. Heavy, heavy stuff this and dwellers of the dark sanctuaries where music savages the soul will adore this deep unearthly nightmarish cacophony. 'Fail For A Lifetime' is a bold opener and creates a frontpage headline that proudly boasts 'Love it or fuck it - there's more of the same to come'. If you like your eardrums bursting on a regular basis then get a load of this - much more pleasurable than a rusty pin.

Overall this ain't bad and the price tag of $11.99 reflects that the artiste does it because he loves it and not for a fast buck. It may not be my everyday tipple but when in need of something aurally stronger this choice set would always deserve a spin.

This is a classic guitar laden CD with all the riffs and melodies that one could expect from a band with a conglomeration of well seasoned members. The opening 'Who Are You' sets a high agenda and gets the whole set moving with a nice supply of subliminal angst. 'Lunatics', 'The Chosen' and 'Into Retreat' maintain the high performance ratio with the chant 'n' rant 'F.F.F' being a simplistic fuckin' classic. 'City of Shit' is a speedfreaks haven with its 100mph lyrical output as is the Damned's 'Stab Your Back' which is done excellent justice and in my opinion far outdoes the original. The rest of the album is of the same high standard with 'Mohawk Brave' being a personal fave 'Out of Bounds' a good mellow touch. I've not seen this lot on the gigging circuit and will certainly try to check them out A.S.A.P. Definitely one to try!

MATT WOODS - ATTACK OF THE KILLER TWAT

Upon playing this CD I immediately phoned the relevant authorities and local security hospitals to see if the unhinged drunkard Matt Woods was still at large. To discover that he was utterly shocked me to the very core and I resigned myself to the fact that this deviant and his moronic material is here to stay. With constant nervous glances over my shoulder I replayed the CD over and over again and became swallowed up into the vortex of anal filth and degredation that is the artiste in question.

Songs filled with dubious subject matter such as burning old people, taking delight in the death of others and perhaps worst of all 'Peter Andre' rocked me to my tainted soul. Visions of rampant turds, homosexual albinos and beer sodden baldies sent my mind into upsetting turmoil and left me broken as a converted reviewer.

As I type with tremulous hands I sip my own urine and partake of the sunbaked stool and confess to liking this CD. Oh yes my frowning punter 'I Like it'! The admittance hurts me more than it hurts you but the talent is there. Ok I agree that there is an over-reliance on themes deemed as foul yet it remains blatant that this sharp card is on the cusp of some fantastic lyrical output and may be regarded by some as a vulgarised 21st century Benny Hill. Residents of the padded cell - go and enjoy - people who have no sense of piss-taking simplicity - leave well alone. Having uttered all these words I would still like to see this top bloke have a go at a no-nonsense album and really go to town with some intricate and thought provoking lyrics. The fun edge does work but it could conceal and hinder the chance of a real outstanding effort. Still enjoyable though.

GIMPFIST - BROTHERHOOD

Very Oi but in a classy sense, very British and very cultured this 3 song offering from a more than adequate band is a cut above most of the CD's of this under-rated ilk. All 3 tracks are consistently complimentary to one another and display a good standard of musicianship and song construction. The annorexic bitch we know as Mistress Oi has long been starved of quality concoctions such as this and the meaty goodness Gimpfist supply is ravenously devoured.

The uplifting 'One Life' and the bold 'Days Like These' are very good songs that are street-based and bootlaced giving a pub 'n' club feel that opens the bar for the final track, namely 'Brotherhood' which is an unabashed stomp 'n' romp affair confidently spitting defiance and passion.

The second Gimpfist CD I have had the pleasure of reviewing and a band that definitely leave an impression. Yet again an outfit that if borne 30 years ago would have been a major force of the Oi/Skin scene and if the crowds see sense these days I am sure they can do alright for themselves. A genuine thumbs up.