Damaged Goods reissue this debut recording by Medway legends The Daggermen. If amphetamine paced, mod styled tunes is your thing, walk this way…
With links to The Prisoners, and having seen The Milkshakes whilst still at school, our heroic trio decided that this music was their destiny. Nascent drummer Wolf Howard invited Billy Childish to see their fledgling band, and the rest is Medway history, long before these two musicians joined forces in several of Billy’s groups.
Togged-up in Carnaby Street’s finest mod threads, and armed with a set of blistering Who and Kinks influenced tunes, all at under three minutes long, The Daggermen should have been bigger. But, maybe that would have spoiled it. With 18 tracks on the CD and 12 on the LP, now’s the time to explore their legacy. Primal, but with the likes of ‘What Do I Do For You’ showing their talent for vocal harmonies, this is a strong set of songs, including instrumentals like the Link Wray influenced ‘Bundle’ and the title track.
18 tunes rattle by in no time. If you’re not shaking your thing, there’s no hope for you. It’s definitely the Medway Sound, full of youthful energy. While I wait for Billy Childish to return to the faster stuff, this is a treat. Get on it!
Diamond Head’s importance to heavy metal culture is undeniable, when they formed in 1976 and released their self-financed demos just in time for the NWOBHM in 1979, they were just four lads from Stourbridge with a passion and a chemistry that resulted in some of metals most revered anthems. When they originally released the debut album Lightning to the Nations in 1980, it was through independent label Happy Face Records. There were 1000 copies pressed in a plain white sleeve with no title or track listings. 250 copies sported signatures of the band. The album features the classic line up of Sean Harris: Vocals, Brian Tatler: Guitar, Duncan Scott:Drums, & Colin Kimberly: Bass.
There have been earlier attempts to put out a definitive version of Lightning including Metal Blade’s 1993 CD release, this, however, was not the original version, it was a pretty ropey remix with poor mastering. After Metallica’s Lars Ulrich got involved in getting the original quarter inch master tapes back to guitarist Brian Tatler in the early 90s, Tatler has guarded them with his life. They were thought lost in Germany until Ulrich flexed some Q Prime shaped biceps. This 2022 release features the entire album remastered from those tapes as well as alternative mixes of The Prince, Lightning to the Nations,Sucking my Love, Am I Evil?, and Sweet and Innocent.
The tapes have been painstakingly restored by being baked, yes baked, before current Diamond Head frontman Rasmus ‘Ras’ Bom Andersen took on the remastering process. There are also bonus tracks that were recorded in the 80s. There are also detailed liner notes from Tatler. It really is a lovely package of a much-loved album which thoroughly deserves this level of detail.
We all know how much this album influenced the next generation of metal bands, most notably Metallica and Megadeth. Metallica famously covered and recorded tracks from Lightning and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine guested on Diamond Head’s 1993 album Death and Progress. This album also featured a guest spot from Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. This latest version of Lightning really feels like the album that Diamond Head wanted to release 42 years ago. It is a must have for all fans of the band, and it features some fantastic new artwork which is based on an idea from Tatler to show a character referred to as ‘The Lightning God’.
The album is available on double CD, a deluxe 180g triple vinyl, a single 180g vinyl containing just the remastered album, and of course it will be available on all streaming platforms.
I was lucky enough to catch the latest incarnation of Diamond Head at the Steelhouse Festival in the summer and they were fantastic. They actually shook the ground! They are out on tour with Saxon throughout Europe and the UK in October and November. I hope to see them again soon. They really are a heavy metal institution; long may they continue to delight audiences around the world.
UK: 11 November – Ipswich, Regent Theatre 12 November – Southampton O2 Guildhall 13 November – Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion 14 November – Cardiff, St. David’s Hall 15 November – Bath, Forum 16 November – Cambridge, Corn Exchange 18 November – Newcastle, O2 City Hall 19 November – Blackburn, King George’s Hall 20 November – Aberdeen, Music Hall 21 November – Glasgow, Barrowland 22 November – Hull, City Hall 23 November – York, Barbican 25 November – Leicester, De Montfort Hall 26 November – London, Roundhouse
Members of The Hip Priests, TV CRIME and Blatz/The Criminals follow up the 2020s ‘Rev It Up’ mini album with yet more loud, rough round the edges, fast as fuck punk/metal. singer Jesse Luscious (Blatz, The Criminals) barks out the vocals to a backdrop of paint-peeling hack-and-slash guitar riffs and a chest-smashing rhythm section. The USA offers up plenty of hardcore punk bordering on metal bands that write succinct drops of pure noise so why can’t this side of the pond dish up something similar? The answer is simple because they can and Scene Killers do. They don’t fuck about never have, never will not in their day job bands and not as the collective that is Scene Killers.
The Album kicks off with the twisted intro that signals ‘Gimme Gimme’ has begun guitars slash and the vocals are barked out its got a tonne of energy and its pace is purposeful and confident great opener. ‘Immigrant Eyes’ takes the whole old school HC and runs with it like OFF! and the forefathers like Bad Brains it’s direct and uncompromising but a whole lot of fun to boot – get in the pit ya rascals.
As the band shift through the gears ‘One Way Street’ turns up the heat and Jesse delivers a great vocal but the guitars are on fire with Austin trying to tame the wild licks sparking off his six-string. If I was forced to pick a favourite track apart from the song ‘Big City’ with its slower more menacing tempo and thuggish gang vocals on the chorus I’d plum for ‘They’re Wrong’ for its hypnotic riff and perfecting everything on the album in one song. As the album opens up the MO is simple, play hard, play fast don’t compromise, and knock these songs out of the park with passion and power. So the band meets their brief as songs like ‘Antennas’ is raw as fuck whereas the title track sounds like a modern-day Dead Kennedys in style but I’d guess that it’s part of the band’s DNA but they certainly don’t sound like a West Coast surf punk band there are equal amounts of NYHC happening here as well absorbing all sides of uncompromising punk rock from all over this spinning rock and making it their own you hear bits of Bad Brains and Black Flag as the music pours over you but there’s more going on here – much more.
If you’re not convinced ‘They’re Wrong’ rocks up and will smash you over the head with some cracking riff-a-rama swirling around the uncompromising vocals. Keeping it short and sweet the band closes the album on track number nine with ‘We’re All Decay’ and you should feel suitably pulverised by the end of it. An excellent album that’s brutal and uncompromising with no time for light and shade just a forboding attack, attack, attack but it is addictive and beautiful all at the same time to fuck with you. Another day another top record from the collective minds of people who love punk rock but being in bands like TV Crime and The Hip Priests what else would you expect? Buy It!
2-CD And 2-LP Versions Of First Black Sabbath Albums WithRonnie James Dio On Vocals Feature Newly Remastered AudioAlong With Rare And Unreleased Music
Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath in 1979 which resulted in two back-to-back classic albums: Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules. On those memorable albums, Dio’s soaring tenor and gothic songwriting were the perfect foil for the band’s bone-crushing mix of razor-sharp riffs, intense grooves, and dark imagery.
BMG salutes the long shadow cast by this short-lived line-up with newly remastered versions of both albums expanded with rare and unreleased music. HEAVEN AND HELL: DELUXE EDITION and MOB RULES: DELUXE EDITION will be released separately on November 4th and November 18th. Each album will be available on 2-CDs, or a 2-LP set. Due to space constraints, both vinyl editions include a selection of bonus material from the CDs. The music will also be available via digital download and streaming services the same day.
Dio joined Black Sabbath for the first time in 1979 and quickly found kindred spirits in guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. When Heaven And Hell was released in April 1980, the album was met with effusive reviews for the band’s return to form on metal masterpieces like “Neon Knights” and the title track. The album reached #9 in the U.K. and #28 in the U.S., where it was also certified platinum.
HEAVEN AND HELL: DELUXE EDITION adds several bonus tracks, including versions of “Children Of The Sea” and “Die Young” recorded live in 1980 in Hartford, CT. The set concludes with live rarities like “E5150” and “Neon Knights” that originally appeared in 2007 on the limited-edition collection, Black Sabbath: Live At Hammersmith Odeon.
To follow-up Heaven And Hell, the group returned to the studio in 1981 to begin recording Mob Rules, with drummer Vinny Appice joining the band for the first time. Released in October 1981 and certified gold, the album was another Sabbath classic, including standouts like “The Sign Of The Southern Cross,” “Turn Up The Night” and the title track.
MOB RULES: DELUXE EDITION boasts an expansive selection of rare and unreleased recordings. Along with additional tracks from Live At Hammersmith Odeon, the collection also includes a newly mixed version of “The Mob Rules.” The cherry on top is an entire concert recorded in 1982 in Portland, OR. Highlights include stellar performances of “Neon Knights”, “Heaven And Hell” and “Voodoo.”
A long time ago there was a punk rock n roll scene exploding in Sweden and it was knocking out Rock n Roll bands ten to the dozen. Some terrific records were being made and tremours were felt near and far. The Hellacopters, ‘Demons’, Nomads, Backyard Babies and The Hives all seemed to be releasing records that were taken to the hearts of many a punk rock n roll fan around this spinning rock it also spilled over borders with the likes of Gluecifer and Turbonegro were also delivering truly awesome and memorable records.
A record that crept out on CD that was equally as good as the finest releases from this genre and a whole lot better than most. Step forward A-Bombs and the album was ‘And Constantly Rotating’. Anyone who used to pick up the Hang the DJ comp or used to order from Sonically Speaking at the dawn of this internet before things were readily available at the press of a button. Scores of records and CDs were released some instant standards for the scene and others stayed underground or less known but over time equally as influential and have stood the test of time and with hindsight have grown in stature.
Let’s get this out there right from the top, A-Bombs ‘And Constantly Rotating’ was and is an absolute stone cold banger. Originally released in ’98, I’m assured by people who lived in Sweden that A-Bombs were blowing the roof off venues with their take on punk n roll but their flame burned hard and fast and was extinguished in the blink of an eye. Their legacy is one album and a couple of singles CD eps and that’s it! but hell, if you’re going to leave behind just one album then make it a good one. and A Bombs left behind not a good one but a great one and unlike their contemporaries, it only ever hit the CD shelves… until now that is thanks to labels like these two.
As the howl of feedback builds and the backbeat is hammered out the vocals sneer into view before breaking out in one big bang and we’re off like a shot of adrenaline. A tonne of energy is unleashed and it doesn’t stop for eleven tracks. the menacing ‘Devils Own’ is more of the same a rockin ride played out over some cool wah and a cool sneering vocal.
If you’re looking for the pick of the pack or standouts then look no further than the fantastic fil scored opening of ‘Monstermind’ Just like a nuclear bomb! boom! an epic groove born in the garages and used by the likes of the Stooges and MC5 or even the Flamin Groovies its a fantastic tune and should have been the catalyst to sling these five punkers into all the right places.
‘Playing God’ has some nice n sleazy mouth organ honking on the intro as the song unferls into a beast with hints of Gallon Drunk with the amps turned up to 11! I think its great that albums as good as this get a second wind for the ever increasing vinyl market and an album I loved twenty years ago is introduced to my turntable right where it should be. Fantastic! Don’t snooze on this one kids its a bonafide Banger!
Do I mention a hidden track? Nah go buy it and go find it for yourself Essential purchase!
Back last year I reviewed the debut EP World on Fire by Sea of Snakes and thoroughly enjoyed it. The band are now unleashing their first full length opus called The Serpent and the Lamb via Metal Assault Records. The band effortlessly blend a mix of Sabbath, White Zombie, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Corrosion of Conformity, and even Blue Oyster Cult to give us a unique experience. They really are fun to listen to. The production is nice and sludgy, the guitars sound great and vocalist Jason Busiek sounds like a younger version of Ozzy, his high register lifts the vocals perfectly over the gut churning low end.
Opening track Start a War kicks off the album in style, powerful drumming from Jeff Murray accents the chunky riffs perfectly. It’s not all about the powerhouse riffing with Sea of Snakes though, there is plenty of light and shade to add colour to the songs, this really helps to highlight the vocal abilities of Busiek. Demon Seed plods along nicely with some great guitar work from Jim McCloskey. Next up we have my favourite track on the album Get the Gun, which has a feel of the classic Kyuss track Green Machine before taking a more melodic turn halfway through.
End of the Sun has more of a doom feel to it with its super slow, down tuned riff. Dead Man’s Song could have been something from the cutting room floor from Jar of Flies era Alice in Chains. We are back into high riffage territory with Third Kind and In Hell, both tracks chug and stab along with urgency. The album is a step up in quality from their EP, the songs are well written and crafted, the muddy production also works perfectly.
Sea of Snakes has delivered the goods here with memorable tunes in abundance, a band to keep your eye on.
Come and Join the Rejects they said and in the twenty-first century, they are still going strong making music and playing live always on their own terms and as uncompromising as they ever were. To think this is only their 9th album since the late seventies debut is perhaps the result of forces beyond the band’s will to record music and the myth that grew around them that perhaps held them back. It’s fair to say that number nine will indeed be their final offering and the band have put together some package to sign off in style. A box set, Guitar giveaway, CD, Vinyl the whole machonky as they say in these parts.
What Rejects will turn up for this final fling is quickly revealed after the opening track ‘We Were Never Bothered’ unfurls. Mick said in interviews that the record sounds like everything they’ve done for the past 45 years rolled into one which might strike fear into either their terrace anthems original fanbase or their love of Metal and hard rock fans that were turned onto them in the 80s. There are however many who like both anyone who denies not liking one or the other in my book is a bit weird or just a bit of a hipster.
Jeff is a no-nonsense talker and anyone who has seen his recent in-conversation performances knows that he’s always going to keep it real and this outing is no exception. You are taken off on a wistful acoustic intro before the Geggis riff book is opened and the ship sets sail. IT’s 21st-century terrace anthems with gang vocals and pounding rhythms all being held together by Mick’s hard rock riffs.
Sure they sing about ole London Tawn and having it but so what that’s who they are and like em or loathe them they’ve always been true to themselves. Hold onto your high tops kids because ‘Paper tiger’ is cock rock with sparks flying off those frets – so when they said its everything they’ve ever done rolled into one album they weren’t joking. Good on em!
However, I would point out that it’s more leaning toward the Rock side of the Rejects. ‘Same Ol Same Ol’ is more like FM thank classic Oi! The Metal years continue on ‘Up For The Fight’ and ‘Stab In The Back’. If AC/DC recorded ’40 Years Undefeated’ Kerrang would be championing them alright. Its late night boozer sing-a-long territory as well and Mick is pulling out all the stops with the rhythm section stepping up but not wearing spandex or high tops with one foot on the monitor it’s still the Rejects and not non ferrous maiden.
One thing you can’t level at Jeff Turner is he’s never faked what he does I’m sure if you did it would be Bosh! lights out and ‘My Heart Ain’t In It’ is like Tokyo Blade as Turner sings his cotton socks off God bless him. The title track is bordering on pomp Rock with Mick showing off his flashing blades guitar work with gentle verse picked chords and thunderous power chords on the chorus. Its like the Rejects should make a video where they’re on horseback riding into battle with their firm of ‘Ammers in tow slaying all before them. Noisy fuckers kicking up a shitstorm annoying the neighbours for all their worth doing exactly what they want to do. Love it, g’on son dish it out and turn it up. the Rejects aren’t taking prisoners and they’re going out in a blaze of Glory oh and a cover of The Stray Cats runaway Boys just to fuck up your head a bit more bet you weren’t expecting that bad boy were you? Bosh!
Best track? ‘That Thing We Do’ now that wraps up the Rejects in one three-minute song all their best sides in a bloody decent tune. they then hit the final furlong and ‘Mug’ turns up which might have me reassess the best song on the album with classic Turner lyrics. Their best song since ‘East End Babylon’, Bosh! I wasn’t going to mention the final offering but they do bow out with ‘Learning To Fly’ – Now you nor I was expecting a Tom Petty cover on a Cockney Rejects album but there you go there it is – Bosh! Ave it. Thanks for the records gents it’s been one hell of a ride that’s for sure and I’m glad you’ve made it to album number 9 and still doing it on your terms but Tom Petty? Leave it out me old chinas. Right I’m off before they come after me…The Cheeky chaps.
Alex has been busy helping rock-n-roller punks, THE DROWNS (USA) with their upcoming tour of Europe and the UK. He’s helped sort some nights on the close-knit UK DIY punk scene so they can play most nights of the tour. They are a fantastic band and well worth catching. Alex will join them on stage in Bradford as he’s a proper Yorkshireman these days 🙂 Tickets
They play a free-entry gig at the same pub in Peterborough Wonk Unit played this year, for those cheeky chaps the Scary Clown Presents. Facebook event here.
Bang! has been responsible for releasing some pretty awesome records over the years from bands that spearheaded an underground punk scene and whose records are rarer than hen’s teeth so it’s nice to see plenty get repressed like AntiSeen.
These tracks were originally released on their mid-80s EPs and are now all together for the first time on vinyl which saves a lot of ball ache if you are serious about delving into the past of punk rock. Newly remastered and with previously unreleased photography, this is the “Kings of Destructo-Rock” at their most primal!
According to Jeff Clayton’s words: “What you have here is a collection of the earliest releases of a band made up mostly of small southern town guys trying to make a name for themselves in the ‘big city’. With little help or guidance (with the exception of a few very influential cases) we created what became our sound and our attitude that would stay with us for four decades. Come hear the Dawn Of Antiseen.” and that’s about it in a nutshell. The quality of production is decent to ropey as you might expect and the same can be said of the songs on offer as well.
Opening with ‘Queen City Stomp’ its raw, rapid and punk as fuck which is exactly what you’d expect from these miscreants. They take their love of The Ramones and (probably) Motorhead to its punk rock extremes and run with it. The playing is fairly loose on tracks like ‘Nothings Cool’ and they often played the same riff at varying tempos and just wrote new lyrics about depraved subjects, teenage boredom, girls, booze, isolation and punk rock (what else were you expecting?)
what they do best is when they put their limited talent to good use and go for broke like on songs like ‘Destructo Rock’ it’s dumb and full of cum and they stumble to the finish line. What you do get is a lot of music to get through there are twenty-four tracks on offer here. Some of the lyrics are questionable and some of the production is Tascam demo at best but to some, that’s the charm right there. ‘Drug Throguh The Mud’ is like the DK’s on even cheaper amphetamines.
Side two opens with ‘Hammer Head’ totally exempt from any bottom end its scratching at your ears with a rusty nail and the chorus is hilarious going for a pound shop rob Tyner MC5 on the chorus but sounding more like the Barron nights doing motorhead shame really because with a beefed up bottom end songs like this would be brutal. ‘White Trash Bitch’ is more of the same, could be a banger with decent production and a low-end thump. Probably best to dip in because a one-sit-in trawl would be a trip only the hardcore could withstand. Again I’d reiterate that labels like Bang! provide a great service because I like many others wouldn’t have gotten hold of a lot of these early tracks and it’s great to hear a band’s career where it began and progressed from. Antiseen has always been punk as fuck and part of the underground of American punk rock that has always intrigued me from this side of the pond and it’s been a good trip delving into the origins of the band I’ve known about but not heard a great deal from until now. If you like this then get on some ‘Eat More Possums’ another Bang! reissue from one of punk rocks enduring bands who are still doing it in 2022 – creators of Destructo death punk at its finest noisy best.
Vive Le Rock is proud to be teaming up with legendary Los Angeles record label Cleopatra Records for their 30th Anniversary celebrations at London’s O2 Islington Academy on Wednesday October 26th for what promises to be an unforgettable night of punk and dub rock!
Gathering together three trailblazing Cleopatra artists to shake Islington’s foundations, the 30th anniversary night will be headlined by Public Image Ltd legend Jah Wobble who will perform his reimagining of the second PIL album ‘Metal Box Rebuilt In Dub’ for the very first time.
Those Rebellion festival and ‘Homicide’ favourites 999 will play a special anniversary set to mark the occasion while the kings of the Roxy club and 1976 punk, Eater will make a super rare appearance to open proceedings!
The ringmaster and compere for the nights shenanigans will be none other than the Anti-Nowhere League’s larger-than-life frontman, the one and only Animal. There will be an exclusive aftershow party until late for VIP ticket holders who will also receive a goodie bag of Cleopatra and Vive Le Rock swag and the whole night will be soundtracked by Vive Le Rock DJs!
Cleopatra founder Brian Perera says: “Thirty years has felt like just a few years because time has just flown by while we’ve been having fun working with all of these amazing artists! We’re looking forward to our big anniversary celebration in London where we have so many fun surprises planned for you. We could not have lasted without you!”
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