A touch of punky ska here with two young bands who know the circuit well and apply themselves with excellent efficiency as regards their musical awareness goes. The 2 Fractions track reflect the bands ever increasing maturity and craftsmanship at putting together solid toe-tapping songs that neither lack in anger or melody. 'Let's Get It Right' is a skip-a-long ready-steady ska track of the highest order and can compete with the more established bands output within this genre. 'Barrel with an S' is less melodic but still echoes The Fractions current musical state inasmuch that it is a tight, well delivered track that still packs a punch. The Harijan duo compliment The Fractions efforts excellently with 'Curriculum Vitae' being a very strong track that hints at a cocktail of jerky ska and Killing Joke. The excellent vocals carry this track and 'No Future' is an adequate finale to a CD that promotes good honest ska in all its streetwise glory. Any ska fan should check out these two bands especially if they are on the same bill because they really do go down well together like a generous helping of fish and chips that always leaves you pleasantly full but permanently considering more. Good stuff.

Sheer technical class is the name of the game here with the ever-improving Moggymen producing a modern punk sound that equals anything that this stylised sub-genre can throw their way. A coming of age CD that really sets the Mog amongst the magpies! Whoever doubted the quality of this outfit can now go and eat their own faecal matter because this (in my Dickensian yet not deviant 'umble opinion) is a solid CD. 'Spit', 'Buddha' and the re-vamped 'Ordinary Life' are the 3 that stand out but this really is a compendium of cultured crackers for the connoisseur. The production is very good indeed and being a collector of the popular 'Punkorama' series this is as good as anything on those admirable collections. Basically well worth the 3 golden nuggets the unaffected band charge.

Having just walked my second 4.5 miles for the day and in need of a much awaited crap I entered my house and opened my mail to reveal the CD under review. Quickly flipped into the ghetto blaster and switched on I went to the bog to discharge the expectant sausages of relief. Barely had my trousers hit the floor and The Day Man Lost had rattled off two brutal songs in quick succession. My buttocks were lowered and another ditty had been rattled off. The rest of the lavatorial excursion I leave to your gutter dwelling imaginations - but take my word for it when I say if you are suffering from constipation then this CD is not advised for a lavatorial listening. This is a violent aural onslaught of the highest order and is quicker than a bucket of diarrhoea being passed through a pin-hole anus. 'No fucking around' is the order of the day and anyone into death metal or pure hardcore must certainly buy this sledgehammer gem. Technically it is a work to be admired and leaves nothing to the imagination. This is music stripped to the raw flesh and bone and the sodden corpse is given a right fuckin' kicking for good measure. Apparently this 17 tracker retails for a nugget or two - bargain or what? Long live laxative rock - guaranteed to make you shit!

As quicks as the songs are on this CD so shall be the review. 9 tracks of blistering aggression in typical DIY fashion. For the hardcore, headbanging headcase this is a must as it is 4 and a half minutes of bludgeoning aural brutality. Some may loathe it but I love it as it encapsulates the punk as fuck/couldn't give a toss attitude that far to many bands lack. Quality. The CD I received was in a cut up Grolsch cover - taped and torn and very punk indeed.

Hardcase Oi 'erberts from Baltimore do what they do best here with a marvellous anthology of punch and pissed up ditty's that really competes with the top British Oi of any era. An over the top statement? Listen and learn then go and see live and be convinced. These guys love it, they mean it and they definitely know the score! Aggressive to the extreme with no holds barred the tracks on this CD reflect the blatant brashness of an all out band on a riotous rampage. 'Drunk and Disorderly', 'Fight Song' 'I Don't Like You' and the Blitz cover 'Razors in the Night' are the pick from 25 songs of pure streetpunk. A must purchase for anyone who likes their punk with a raw edge - go see these guys live as soon as possible

AFS - TALES OF A DRUNKEN GENERATION

Occasionally a CD comes along that you can't stop playing. For some inane reason various ditty's stick in your brain like velcro in your pubes and no matter what - you can't shake it out. In 'Tales of a Drunken Generation' we have such a CD. Punk Rock sing-a-long classics delivered without pretence and pomposity that any Herbert can relate to. This 77 style 16 track classic smacks of spirit and honesty and for the true punk connoisseur this is a must buy.

'Anarchy in Argos' 'AFS anthem' and 'Guns for Oil' stand out but for me the whole album is of an excellent standard and is a true reflection of the bands live performances. For me the comedic 'God Squad' and 'Minimum Wage' are the albums zeniths that encapsulate the tongue in cheek approach the band adopt so well. Making a statement and being funny is a difficult combination but AFS do it with such admirable ease that they really do stand out. With this being the only official release the future looks rosier than a freshly whacked buttock and anyone looking for a good night out needs to check this lot as soon as possible.

This is music for the man on the street and can transcend punk rocks sometimes limited boundaries and perhaps capture a wider audience and get back some of that true punk spirit. I for one hope so.

For fans of punk/metal mixtures with a hardcore edge then this is a choice chunk of musical meat. A debut taster from these Welsh warriors certainly leaves a nice taste in the mouth and no doubt will have the consumer gagging for more. Fuckerpunch is a great band name and the opening signature tune is an equally great start. Aggressive and with a distinct metal edge all areas of this opening mayhem blend together to produce a nice finished product. Next up is 'Gift' the weakest of the trio but continues in the same vain and for the connoisseur of this genre I'm sure will go down well. Finally the excellently titled 'First Punch is the Sweetest' rounds off a great effort with the grunting lady at the end obviously overwhelmed by what she's just heard and, like I said earlier 'gagging for more'.

The start of this CD is a transient offering of great guitar and vocals that blend so well so as to leave a feeling of expected promise. The problem arises when the promise remains unfulfilled and the toe tapping moments and headbanging outbursts become misplaced in an unintelligible mish mash of unrestrained aggression. The aftertaste is confused and the palpable talent that is manifested here is wasted. This is a typical example of a lack of focus and wayward direction that ends up neither being here nor there. Too busy to be catchy and easily overlooked I would recommend checking these guys out live and listening to some other stuff of theirs to see if they can play with more discipline and compose more ear pleasing melodies.

No I don't know what the title means either but what I do know is that this band from Belgium are pretty darn good live and this is almost reflected in a decent CD. I say almost because Koncept proved to be very good band when I gave them a gig at Bradford but despite a good effort here I am sure they can do much better in the recording studio. This though is worth a try and 'World Today', 'In Den Beginne Was Er Beton' and 'Protest' are 3 highlights from this above average 10 tracker. The Oi influence is obvious and puts a good boot in to a consistent sounding album. Definitely worth checking out live and definitely worth getting another CD by them too.

LAMBINATION - COMPILATION

Trying to concoct a good compilation CD is indeed a hard task. To appeal to each and every one of us and to offer at the same time a wide choice of tasty offerings adds an almost impossible quantity. So anyone taking up the challenge gets my full support. Fanny Craddock could take a mixture of unrelated ingredients and produce a choice dish – whom in the music industry is up to the task?

It is true that there are many such CD’s floating around ‘out there’ that are an un-thought of mish mash of the good, the bad and the shite. But every so often the odd CD comes up trumps and blends the right bands with the right tracks together on one excellent showcase of a varied musical genre. IN ‘Lambination’ we have one such example. Here we have a punk rock blend of contrasting brilliance which covers punks finer aspects. With bands from an array of countries this montage offers something for the connoisseur to cherish.

The opening 2 tracks set a high standard with Semi Komoly (Hungary) providing an excellent musical intro that gradually whips up into a frenzied verbal attack which sounds surprisingly americanised. AFS (England) change the tempo with a superb offering from the equally sensational album ‘Tales of a Drunken Generation’. The track in question ‘Texas Idiot’ oozes that elusive British punk rock spirit of yesteryear but contains a musical ability from the modern day. Other outstanding moments on this CD come thick and fast with, The Pints (Sweden) rattling out an adrenalin soaked ditty, Dogshit Sandwich (England) spewing forth a good sing-a-long chant and the acquired taste of Los Langeros (Ireland), all contributing to a choice dish. Evil Elvis (Ireland) will appeal to the Agnostic Front fans and even The Pogues fans are catered for with the Greenland Whalefishers (Norway) producing a solid beer swilling melody.

If you are keen on testing new waters then dip your tootsies into this CD and check out some of the more obscure musical talent that swims around us. Its always important to remember that CD’s like this are the key to some bands getting noticed and that can in turn contribute to a healthier music scene all round. These tasters are excellent value for money and here we have no exception. A must buy for enthusiasts on the prowl for new ear candy and an essential opportunity for new bands to get noticed providing there are follow-up CD’s to come (I for one hope there is).