ANTiSEEN – ‘The Dawn of ANTiSEEN 1984-1986’ (Bang! Records)

ANTiSEEN – ‘The Dawn of ANTiSEEN 1984-1986’ (Bang! Records)

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.

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GG Allin & AntiSeen – ‘Murder Junkies’ (Bang! Records)

GG Allin & AntiSeen – ‘Murder Junkies’ (Bang! Records)

Probably in a time when punk rock was still able to shock and could on occasion be seen as dangerous and offensive GG and Antiseen roamed American wastelands offending every pair of ears they came into contact with.

“Murder Junkies” was the seventh studio album by G.G. Allin and featured ANTiSEEN. It was GG Allin’s final studio album to be released during his lifetime, originally released in 1991. Jeff Clayton, lead singer of ANTiSEEN, has described this album as a mixed blessing. Although he is very happy with the way it turned out, he thinks that a lot of people got the impression that they are nothing more than a backing band for G.G. Allin. Clayton has stated that G.G. Allin was very professional during the recording of the album, and he wonders how much of G.G. Allin’s stage act was real and how much of it was “For The Marks”. Something I guess many people asked of the man.

Now, this album is being released for the first time as it was originally conceived, and it has been remastered in order to deliver the aggressive sound it was recorded with. From the opening chords and roll on the drums ‘Murder For The Mission’ bursts into venomous life. If you don’t know GG then look up his tumultuous life on youtube and be amused and repulsed in equal measures. There was a time however when he was a serious punk rocker and glam punk rocker and he actually made decent records when he put his twisted mind to it without all the circus hullaballoo that was GG Allin.

The sound is aggressive, raw and like a box of pissed-off snakes. Ten Tracks in the blink of an eye lurching from one thumper to the other ‘Stab Wound’ and ‘War In My Head’ rattle past towards ‘Violence Now’ which can never have too much cowbell.

I guess in a world where cancel culture and scrutiny of the arts are front and center maybe GG would never have survived even in the murky underground of Punk Rock, songs like ‘Rape, Torture, Terminate & Fuck’ would not have got past the sensors.

‘I Hate People’ probably sums up this release with self-destruction being the order of the day. I guess the image outshone the musicians at play and the cartoon character that was GG Allin definitely overshadowed the songwriter and when he actually put his mind to it could pen decent tunes. If you want to piss yourself and others off then get stuck into this slice of Scum Punk and remember to turn it up the neighbours three doors down might want to sample a touch of Murder Junkies.

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Author: Dom Daley

ANTiSEEN – ‘Eat More Possum’ (Bang! Records)

ANTiSEEN – ‘Eat More Possum’ (Bang! Records)

This band has a catalogue of over 100 LPs, EPs, CDs, and DVDs recorded with various line-ups and have performed all over the world.  Eat More Possum is Antiseen’s most acclaimed album, originally released in 1993 and now remastered (honestly) for this vinyl reissue. 

Antiseen was formed in Charlotte, North Carolina by Jeff Clayton and Joe Young in 1983. These punks wanted to be outsiders from the start and I guess they managed to become so underground it was difficult to know what the hell they were up to even when the internet became a real thing we all had access to.

It’s fair to say Antiseen are influenced by the Ramones and Stooges, employing short, heavily distorted power chord-driven songs largely free of guitar solos or advanced musicianship, punk as fuck I guess.  

From a time when it was still possible to offend people and shock with your music and image Antiseen managed that alright even without the pull of GG Allin. ‘Eat More Possum’ (From the artwork) to the musical content was always going to offend people. described as “gun totin’, meat eatin’, society rejectin’ punk rock” isn’t far of the mark. 

Young’s guitar tone is nasty and primitive. Perfectly played on the Ramones cover of ‘Today Your Love’ Antiseen are relentless. On the verge of chaos somewhere between Motorhead and the Ramones ‘, ‘I Am Stormtrooper’ is a buzzsaw flying through your speakers with no pause for breath or any concept of compromise. It fighting music – drunk, nasty and dangerous.

Flip that with the cowpunk of ‘I’ve aged twenty years In Five’ then revert to the ultra-metallic punk of ‘Cactus Jack’

The extreme edges of punk rock have always been prolific, just ask Blag and the Dwarves but there’s something altogether uneasy like a dueling banjo about ‘Warning’ but the gargling razorblades vocals of the big Rock of ‘Animals Eat Em’ isn’t going to be used in any veganism campaign any day soon.

eighteen tracks not all musical but value for money that’s for sure. If some shock punk is your bag then you might already have a battered copy of this from your youth – Well, here’s your chance to get a clean-mint copy from those purveyors of garage punk rock n roll at Bang! Records. Christ, they even get funky and slap some bass on ‘Shittin In High Cotton’ but what they do best is the buzzsaw punk of ‘Star Whore’ and the super fuzz Garage Stooges style of ‘Break It Off’ or the chaos of ‘Trapped In Dixie’ and the albums final real offering of ‘Fuck all Y All’ that is the perfect sound of a Southern Motorhead fan channelling ole Lemmy, Yeah Haw! Motherfuckers! go get some antisocial Antiseen right now!

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Author: Dom Daley

Gone But Not Forgotten – GG

Gone But Not Forgotten – GG

Kevin Michael “GG” Allin was born Jesus Christ Allin on August 29, 1956. One of the most divisive members of the punk rock community he courted controversy wherever and whenever he could.  Love him or loathe him he certainly left an impression on the punk rock scene in the 80s and early ’90s.  Passing away on this day back in 93 is possibly one of the least surprising things to have happened in punk rock.  Let’s face it GG was never going to grow old and after promising to take his own life on stage as part of his act many times he sort of quietly slid off his mortal coil in tragic circumstances. Playing his last ever show in NYC the club turned off the power after a couple of songs which caused Allin to trash what wasn’t already trashed and then roaming the street almost naked covered in blood and shit the performer ended up partying at a friends house where he took a lethal Heroin overdose and never woke up being pronounced the morning after by paramedics exactly where he laid down the night before.

I guess whilst it wasn’t a surprise to hear the news it’s still a shame to hear about anyone passing away under such tragic circumstances.  Allin was fairly prolific throughout his career and moving from his early more glam roots he passed through punk, hardcore and country as well as spoken words performances Allin was no slouch when it came to what he considered art.

Even in death, the Allin circus continued when he was laid to rest his open casket was videotaped and he can be seen wearing a jock strap accompanied by a bottle of booze whilst friends posed with his corpse, placing drugs and whiskey into his mouth. As the funeral ended, his brother Merle put a pair of headphones on Allin.  plugged them into a cassette player which had a copy of The Suicide Sessions on it.

The film ‘Hated’ features the footage of that final performance and chaos that went on after.  Sadly GG’s grave was frequently vandalised urinated on, cigarette butts left as well as feces and alcohol left by so-called fans, an act that was greatly discouraged by his mother Arleta. His tombstone has since been removed because of this.

Musically he was a Beatles fan and that was reflected in his early songs other bands that greatly influenced him were the likes of Alice Cooper, the Stooges and Kiss.  when he put the Jabbers together.

Allin became popular when ROIR released a cassette-only ‘Hated in the Nation’  containing tracks from the Jabbers, the Scumfucs and Cedar Street Sluts. All unavailable elsewhere.  The tape also featured recordings with the likes of J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. on lead guitar and  Mark Kramer on bass. The most famous person to work with GG would have to be none other than Dee Dee Ramone who toured with the band as part of the Murder Junkies.

It wasn’t until the mid ’80s that he began to spiral out of control as his commercial career failed to take off he took full advantage of his underground personal and the myths began to appear (remember kids this is pre-internet) Allin was already making record designed to offend and provoke and he certainly achieved that with titles and collaborations to cause outrage (which they certainly did) the subject matter was attacking gay people, promoting drug use and his fascination with serial killers like Gacy led him to go visit the guy in prison. Live he couldn’t finish a set either because the fans stopped it or the police and/or venue interrupted him for his behavior. 

There was nothing big or clever about his behavior from the mid-’80s as he tried to stir up a hornet’s nest at every opportunity by saying repulsive comments about women, children, and boasting of his antics.  The music had long since stopped being relevant and instead he’d turned into a parody of himself and covered in ones own blood and poop began to fade into history and be a figure of fun that people would poke fun at and goad on to carry out his threat of killing himself on stage. In 91 he recorded with Antiseen what he described as his best album that most closely connected with himself.

If you’ve never heard him or fancy seeing what all the fuss was about then I suggest you check out ‘Hated’ it sure is an extreme ride and one you won’t forget in a hurry. I hope finally after such a chaotic life GG found his peace and afterlife and he can finally rest in peace.

you can pick up his records on the net but this company Aggronautix make a whole bunch of GG related collectibles as well as other bands and iconic figures in punk you really should check them out.

 

Also passing on this day back in ’81 a guy named Robert “Bob” Davis better known as Chuck Wagon from the punk band the Dickies. Chuck was a talented multi-instrumentalist who played Drums, Bass, Rhythm Guitars, keyboards and Saxophone. He will be best remembered for their iconic debut record  ‘The Incredible Shrinking Dickies’.  He also returned to the band to record its follow up ‘Dawn Of The Dickies’ as well as playing a few tracks on the third album which came out after his untimely suicide. suffering from depression after the breakup of his relationship Wagon returned after a show with the band and shot himself with a rifle this was 1981 and he was only twenty Five years young.  Rest in peace Bob.

 

Finally today former Gun Club guitarist Rob Graves also known as Rob Ritter.  Rob died of a Heroin Overdose on this day in ’90.  Rob played with the Gun Club, 45 Grave as well as a bunch of other lesser known bands like The Bags and. Graves played on Gun Clubs early 80s ‘Fires Of Love’ and ‘Miami’ as well as 45 Grave ‘Sleep In Safety’. Gun Club will always be remembered as the vehicle used by Jeffrey Lee Pierce but 45 Graves were part of the art Goth Rock scene with their striking images and this outlandish video for ‘Party Time’.  Its believed that Hole and Courtney Love dedicated ‘Pretty On The Inside’ to Rob when it came out.