bollocks

CD/ZINES

CD´s:

The Hostages - S/T (D.I.Y)

This pretty new band amazed me after a few listenings, combine 2-tone and ska-punk tunes (aswell as some slower stuff) with mad fucked up 80´s hardcore. It´s fast, angry but keeps melodies and slings that are inrrestiable to stand still to. Live these guys must be something different, their vocalist´s total force of energy alone i would pay to see. Check out this band and get your hands on this record if you can stand the exotic mixture of hardcore and ska. It will atleast be a new experience.

V/A - Bored Teenagers #3, British Punk Orginials ´77 - ´82 (Bin Liner)

At last, i´ve been looking for a upcommer since the last issue of these brilliant compilations. This is 16 tracks of brilliant ´77 style punk that was never reached out to a broader audience. Ashame that beacuse bands like The Perfectors, Model Mania and Tje Incetors are really great bands that with no doubt could stand themselves besides bands like 999, S.L.F, Menace and more. The CD comes with a full info booklet and pictures of the bands and it´s a very well worked trough record. Get your hands of any of these compilations.

M.I.D - Vet Din Pappa... (Second Class Kids)

Swedish M.I.D have existed now since the late 90´s and are one of the unknown swedish punk bands around that still play swedish punk so called "trallpunk" in the tougher style like Barbaras Grannar, KKPA and more. Well this record is actually pretty enjoyable altough the riffs have been heard hundered times already, however they power are in their lyrics where they inmerecly attacks sluts on the internet, swedish tax politics, exhibionits, rich kids etc. So they stick out - they have not fallen completely to putting out things "nice". Worth to check up if you are into more cocky "trallpunk".

KDSP - Children Of Satan (D.I.Y)

Karlstad Shit Packers are back again with their homosexual and boozesmelling attacks and sick, twisted sense of humour. This time around, their second demo, they take up issues like being a sperm inside your mom´s womb, straight edge, retards, beatings, racial riots and matters of treating jealosy with extreme violence towards your girlfriend. But what really sticks out is their total slaughter of Last Resort´s "Violence In Our Minds" and have simply made it "Gay Skins In Our Minds". Which is, absolutely the best song i´ve heard in weeks. The sef distance is at it´s top and all you kids wanking around to "Oi Oi Oi" will probably go crazy listening to this "attack on skinhead culture". Give me a break, this shit is hilarious and KDSP will with no doubt follow in the tracks of Onkel Kånkel in a few years. The Music? Well they kick off, as we already said, one Oi! song, two classic punk songs, one disturbingly bad synth song (racial riot) to end up with making a joke of all these "nice and easy" pop bands nowadays in "Rosette". Get this CD, soon it will be banned from everywhere. And get some fuckin help Adam i´m seriously starting to worry about your mental health.

V/A -Brewed In Sweden #3 (Kjell Hell Records)

So here it was. The talk of the year. Before i review it here is the list of bands that finally made it onto this years issue, and crown of our scene, this year. Ruthless Bastards, Dim´s Rebellion, Voice Of A Generation, The Flap Jacks, Malte X, Scams, Agent Bulldogg, The Sluggers, Hathor, The Mockingbirds, The Drive-In´s, Royal Stakeout, Contemptous, The Accidents, Inglorious Bastards, Frontlash, Bombshell Rocks, Terrible Mistakes, Frenzy Four, Voice Of ´77, Bombdolls, Ticking Bombs and Troublemakers.

Overall i must say this years edition of BIS feels a bit weaker then usual, band slike Scams, Hathor, Bombshell Rocks, Flap Jacks, Bombdolls, and Terrible Mistakes don´t impress me at all on this compilation as i´d expected. Agent Bulldogg´s contribution ("Dissapear") are also a bit weak, being an old song from the Tribute To Madness record made years ago (but thank god it wasn´t Pöblers United with "Our House").

However some tracks keep a good standard and are worth mentioning like Dim´s Rebellion who makes an ok performance in "So Low" altough i think they have lost some of the touch they had in their first songs,

Ruthless Bastards "Salvation" is an song i´ve heard now in what must be four different version during the years but this one is best yet. Just too bad that they don´t seem to work on new material - they have the knowledge and just commit themselves to a new demo instead of polishing old songs. Malte-X i actually thought was ok altough the song "Din Pistol" wasn´t taken but "(Ge Mig mer) Alohol", it´s a classic drinking song and works well before hitting the pubs.

The Sluggers contribute with "Never Say Die", however it feels like a bad choice compared to "We´re against it" which is true hitmaterial. Hopefully an album is out sometime and then we all can enjoy them better and discover some of their unknown songs, and in my sense, the best ones. This song feels a bit to filled up with old Oi! cliches. Frontlash´s "Terrorist Hunter" adds aggression to this compilation in a true manner, but their song feels a bit weird, to say it nice, this isn´t USA and we ain´t got madmen flying around in planes dropping down houses, bombs on houses or whatever so it feels like an strange subject to sing about and alot of "We wanna be in the USA" mentality.

Frenzy Four got the spirit of becoming a good standard Oi! band however the song "One Night Stand" just bores me, there is already about 1000´s Oi! bands singing songs about cheap sluts, expensive drinks and hangovers. But then this is a very young and new band so i can understand some children sympthoms. I´m really looking forward this band´s progress. Troublemakers are one of my favourite bands ever. However this song "Hatlåt" feels like on their weaker side of things but it got that gothenburg feeling and i can´t say their bad - they ain´t.

The Mockingbirds are one of the bands i really like in the swedish punk scene and they doesn´t dissapoint me here either their songs "Regrets" are very good, great lyrics.

Royal Stakeout plays off decent streetpunk, however in the typical swedish streetpunk stylee, and feels a bit done before. However it sounds they are having fun and got the spirit there.

The Accidents plays off their track, it´s pretty hard and it get´s you in a good mood and are with no doubt one of the five best tracks on this compilation, however after a few times it´s get pretty overplayed this song lack that little bit extra.

Inglorious Bastards are as usual, very good and "My Life My Way" are one of the best punk songs in sweden this side of 90/00 centuries. However i´d rather see a new song here when this song is already "out there" in the crowd. But of course, it´s an appreciated number.

Voice Of ´77 from Gothenburg have shaped up since i last heard from them, but they are also struggling in a pretty stereotype streetpunk sound. However it´s a step forward for them.

However some tracks included here was actually some of the best ones yet so far in the series.
Voice Of Generation really chocked me this time the song "The Upbringing" is THE fuckin best song they have ever made and it got me in the core, this is how so called "swedish streetpunk" should sound like - it´s just a fuckin carnage of attitude and energy. Great job guys!

Contemptous - What do say? I just fuckin love their song "Nagel I ditt Öga" (here also backed up with Thomas Botos singer of Agent Bulldogg on 2nd verse) i´ll like not to take water over my head but this is probably on the top five Oi! and Punk songs in and from Sweden, ever! Somehow they just fuckin managed it, to do a punk song in swedish that just put chills and sweat pouring down my back. The attitude, the lyrics, the song - just fuckin wonderful. Best song on the compilation, with no doubt. haven´t heard anything this good in swedish since...fuck..don´t know KSMB "608" maybe? Well..this song is a fuckin pearl!

The Drive In´s are one of the few "new" bands on these compilation, sadly they have already split up (with some members reforming The Pints) but they suprised me with their spitting rock n roll. If anybody have their demo left i´ll gladly buy it from you (being a drunkass i lost mine in the fogs a year ago or so..therefor no review).

Ticking Bombs are in my eyes one of the best bands in sweden with mainstream potential since Randy and they proves it bigtime with "Battlecry". Superb lyrics, great singalons and with their equally great vocalist their pogo loaded melodies hit me good and as usual listening to these guys i´ll put up a smile. Fuckin great.

To sums things up.
This is probably the most mixed Brewed In Sweden yet, with all it´s consequenses, some bands are in my mention too boring and stuck in the swedish streetpunk stereotypes or are just simply too boring for me. Especiallywhen they are superb bands out there like Vectors, Fistful and Regulations out there.
Then we have a load of promising bands that keeps from an ok standard to above average.
But the bands that really stick out are Voice Of A Generation, Contemptous, The Drive In´s and Ticking Bombs.

Notable is also that this issue got least "pure" Oi! bands so far, personally i´m split about this desiscion maybe one compilation for swedish oi and one for (the obvious difference is already here so i dare to say..) "streetpunk".?

Ah and until next time, i want new material from Agent Bulldogg!

Bottlejob - S/T (D.I.Y)

Bottlejob is a new Oi! outfit on the international scene, and altough being very new they are already in contact with a record company (won´t tell you which) they play old style British Oi! with songs about drinking, fighting, pride, cops and the lot. And i must say i like them, though the apperance of which i just wrote sounds like your typical garande demo Oi! band i think Bottlejob sticks out with a more genuine classic Oi! style in both attitude and music. It feels real to put it straight. bands that comes in mind are Scum, Argy Bargy and Section 5. And it somewhere between these three Bottlejob can be found. Keep an eye after these lads.

The Riot - Dr Martens Bootboy (Bulldog Music)

Chezh The Riot (released by Bulldog fanzine and recordlabel) was a new experience for me. I´ve read and seen the CD in some zines so i was glad when this record found it´s way home to me.

Musically this band put´s out a sound that reminds me of Perkele, Volxsturm, Razorblade & Toxpack. It´s keeps a pretty slow, but modern, sound with focus on vocals and guitars with singalong parts on some songs. However it feels to new to be compared to bands like Condemned 84 and the likes.

Lyrics deal with massmedia, anti-rascism, shittalkers, politicans, the street, skins & punks, skinhead culture. You all know it.

Well overall this is a pretty common sound to very common subjects and the lyrics keep a pretty low leven (i.e. easily written) but i personally liked it just to hear some Oi! from Chezh. Well nothing new under the sun but always fun to hear bands from other countries.

Turnbulls - S/T (D.I.Y)

This record is, no matter the further review, an important one. In january the bassplayer (Jonas/Ögat) sadly took his life with a friend of mine (Juan) - In my eyes, perhaps the bands, this is a record of memories.
For that, you should buy this record if you knew him.

Turnbulls played an classical Oi! sound. 4-Skins, Last Resort and Templars is probably the bands that influenced the sound most. The quality is not all that good, but then this only reached to a demo level. However this is seven tracks of good Oi! who haven´t falled completely into the lyric traps and cliches. Tracks like "No Side" and "Keep The Faith" got that edge what it takes for a good Oi! song.

If things were different and the band could have countinued i would really liked to see them in a good studio recording a real album.
Buy it.

V/A - Still Going Strong (I Scream)

I Scream Records own compilation is at last out. Bands featured are Blood For Blood (With the best track from their new Cd - "Hanging On The Corner"), Agnostic Front ("Take Em All" WWTOi #2), Stars & Stripes (From their latest CD), Vision, Deviate, Discipline, Slumlords (One of my favourite bands for the moment), Tech-9, Backfire!, Slapshot, Hardsell, Awkward Thought, Do Or Die and Spider Crew...to mention a few.

As you see, it looks like christmas, however all tracks are taken from their releases so if you already have bought most of these records it´s nothing new under the sun for you. But i bet not many of you have that much money, for you this is among the best compilations out there just now promoting I Scream´s great HC, Oi! and Punk bands. This compilation proves once again that I Scream is one of the best labels in a very long time so get your hands on this compilation and sit down and enjoy. Or just go frenzy in the pit, that works too...

Royal Stakeout - S/T (D.I.Y)

Royal Stakeout contributed to the latest Brewed In Sweden (See review above). This is their new four track demo and in my ears they have really evolved from the track on BIS. This demo is alot better, altough still in the "swedish streetpunk" norm musically much of the time tracks like "Streetfight" and "Anti-You" are top punk songs. "Odd & Proud" however feels a bit weaker when i really a problem with people who see themselves as "odd". Well the energy sure are here on this demo and they have really touched a level of deserving a real full album.

Stars And Stripes - One Man Army (I Scream)

Yes. You´ve read correctly. One Of Us-Oi´s most discussed and known bands are back with an album. However this is hard to compare to their old stuff this is still a good album. The attitude from Slapshot however shines trough times to times, and sometimes it´s really hard to judge this when you have the "Digital Warfare" CD back in your head, which is probably one of the best CD´s i´ve heard in a long time.

However.. Stars & Stripes newest creation (and i can bet my money that it´s a certain "someone" from Radio 69 who´ve drawn the front and back of this cd) are a good dose of modern us-streetpunk and tracks like "One Man Army", "Hang On (To Your Dreams)", "S.T.F.U" and "Bored Bored Bored" are fuckin great songs, lyrical and musical. Some tracks however feels a bit stupid like "Subway Stomp", "Garden Goons" and "Let´s Party". But overall i must say this is one of the records of this year that is a must in your record collection. The tracks that are good here, are really fuckin good.

Fistful - Abused (D.I.Y)

One of the demos i´ve really looking forward to is this one. The first demo by Fistful really was one of the best ones last year, owever i must say i´m a bit dissapointed with this. They have slowed down a bit and i think vocalist loses alot of her charisma in this, her voice is perfect for pissed off speedy punk songs. Instead they have evolved more towads a streetpunk direction and slowed down, and i hope don´t offend the band when i say that they might had The Distillers in their minds when doing this demo?

Well however Fistful are however a very skilled and good, hard working band and they play live with all energy they can find. This is a very good demo it´s just that i had too big expectations. Their still the top girl vocalist band in sweden.

The Heartaches - Move On (I Scream)

The Heartaches are a new "street rock n roll" band on I Scream. However i´m not all that impressed. Sure they know what they are doing, and some of the guitar slings are really top class, but still it feels like that they are missing out something. I can´t say what beacuse i don´t have a fuckin clue but something´s missing. It feels already done by dozens of all these "street rock n roll" bands (altough very very good lyrics) out there right now and i´m getting annoyed by the vocalists whiny voice. However i might just need to "grown in" on this record. One song is actually very good, "execution". But no, this is OK but nothing more. Music to relax to and concentrate on lyrics instead.

ZINES

American Hardcore, Steve Blush, English, 250 SEK

One word: Bible. Everything you ever wanted to know about the early hardcore scene in Amerikka is here, everything. From deeper facts and history about bands like Minor Threath, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag & Misfits. To almost equal history and facts about all the great "smaller" bands like D.O.A, Negative Approach, 7 Seconds, SS Decontrol, Negative FX, Cro Mags..hell you name it!
More then band histories, facts, and funny remakrs and memories from cop raided gigs this book also includes chapters about the D.I.Y ethics of the era, the background to hardcore (the inspirations), the relationships between cops and the hc scene, the hc fashion, the skinheads, the venues, the discography of all the fuckin bands, the difference of all these bands and ALL the different scenes around this time also got a chapter for itself (and what was particualary for that area). Fuck i don´t need to say more, this is THE fuckin book if you are into hardcore and the history and facts around it. If you don´t have this at home you are nothing but just fuckin uneducated. Amen.

Horrorshow #1, 20 SEK, Sweden

A new zine have seen it´s light in sweden. Horrorshow is the name, and punk, oi, ska and hardcore is the game.
For being the first issue this is actually very impressing and compared to Umezine´s first issue it´s one step better. The interviews are more well written and the Q & A trap have been avoided with good story/info of the band following the interview. However i lack reviews, this first issue included very little of the sort and ALL labels out there reading this, send promos in.
The layout is decent, not at same class as mentioned Umezine but rather alike Streetmusic FC in a smaller format.
Interviewed band in this first issue are Eskalator (Ska, Sweden), The Mockingbirds (Punk, Sweden), Vogelfrei (Oi, Germany), Skunks United (Oi, Sweden), Bustups (Ska, Sweden)...and one interview with me aswell (rather bitter and cynical interview i might add). Well as you can see it´s a pretty impressing lineup for a first issue and rumours say next issue will contain interviews with Brigada Flores Magon, The Liptones, Fenzy Four and Frankie Flame. What i want to see more in this zine however is more in-deep articles conserning the scene, the top 5 list feels a bite like "filler" - i also want to see alot more pages since 39 pages feel a bit small. But i´m certain that with a good issue number two these can get rolling and expand their scene. Everybody, buy this zine alongside Streetmusic and Umezine it´s alongside that standard. Very well job done.

Korsakoff #M (13), 10SEK, Sweden

Godamnit one of swedens most famous fanzines, for no reason at all really besides the authors great work with selling alot of zines and reviewing alot of zines. Other than that this zine fills up with a personal diary (of being wasted at festivals mostly) and talk about songs, well and unknown punk bands from Borås and other desert towns. Well..most people have read this zine. So you know what to expect. Best is, as always, the zine reviews.