Monocled Alchemist

Published in Sounds, 20th February 1982

BLITZ: ‘Razors In The Night’ (No Future) Blitz surpass their, dynamite ‘All Out Attack’ debut with this far better produced mega-anthem.

Sounding like an unholy marriage of Stiff Little Fingers and the early Rejects, this surges from its awesome shell-burst intro into an ultra-powerful anti-violence work-out blessed with a terrace singalong chorus.

“Backstreet boys wear boots and braces/ Razor blades and angry faces/Too much tension, too much fear/Why the hell am I doing this?” growls Carl in this immaculate plea for an end to gratuitous violence.

Not only are the boys (and girls) breaking out of borstal but they’re getting it sussed as well (and at last).

B-side ‘Never Surrender’ is the sort of sheer bloody stormer that Discharge should be turning out. A tribute to punks and skins who’ve kept the (real) faith, this achieves a breathtaking pounding pace while not forgetting the need to couple speed to songs.

But as we should all realise by now PUNK isn’t the way you dress, it’s a state of mind. Which is why bands like Blitz who walk it like they talk it are so many times more relevant than the off-stage whingeing of the Tony Parsons of this world.

It’s too easy for the non-gig-going once-a-punk hacks to sit and seethe behind their safe Billericay typewriters, but in the real world IT MEANS PISS ALL. The sad Stalinist saps show themselves up in the face of frontline bands like Blitz, Conflict, Demob and the Business.

Face it, you’re middle aged, middle class (mentally) and running out of time. In the immortal words of Andy Courtney, you’re yesterday’s pathetic promise. Piss off.

Total Chaos | Punk 45s Reviewed by Garry Bushell

DEMOB: ‘No Room For You’ (Round Ear) A stirring sterling rollercoaster ‘military’ opening speeds into a spirited cranked-up R&B offering very reminiscent of a less metally version of SLF circa ‘Inflammable Material’. In other words strong, punchy, memorable and touching a nerve with its sad tale of a lost venue.

Miff’s vocals are raw without being grating (Burns meets Sharkey?) while the band are tight and economical and prove their worth as first class songsmiths with the two raucous anthems on the back. See them soon.

SUBHUMANS: ‘Demolition War’ (Spiderleg) A rare surprise, a band who use their influences, Crass most obviously, as a springboard rather than an ironing board and come up with something with real bite and identity.

These six tracks are (mostly) furious flurries of thinking punk, and though I can’t agree with their politics you can’t quarrel with their ethics, strictly anti-parasites, anti-war, anti-corruption. Those of our staff who bloat themselves on record company handouts and personify industry waste would never understand.

Geordie Herberts

RED ALERT: ‘In Britain’ (No Future) What was that line from ‘War On The Terraces? “And you know the next generation will rise up to take your place.” Even as the Rejects graduate to metally power-oi status, these young Geordie herberts hurtle forth with a real bruiser of a bootboy debut. ‘In Britain’ is a punchy chantalong with a great mob-chorus right out of the Rejects’ West Side.

Trouble is this track is just too Rejectsy, from the guitar sound and vocal phrasing through to the raucous yobbo ending, but the other numbers here are less derivative, a brace of boisterous little buggers that make a great big racket blessed with Strummer-style inpenetrable lyrics. And them so young . . .

SPECIAL DUTIES: ‘Violent Society’ (Rondelet) Criminal. The great debut single re-released and emasculated by a mingey old mix that slaughters the guitar and reduces great songs from a great band to a spectre of their former selves. Even an extra track can’t compensate for the bad production that seems to be the curse of Rondelet, who, despite being bloody good blokes etc, seem unwilling to spend the dough necessary to get the sound right.

Total Chaos | Punk 45s Reviewed by Garry Bushell

I’m pissed off that the band let this come out like this at all. There’s too much at stake to make these sort of mistakes. Today’s punk MUST aspire to excel, it must fight for quality control and aim for the peaks of insight and vision the best of ’77 attained, or ultimately it’ll be worthless.

All I’d say is don’t judge the Duties by this, wait for the next one or even better see them live where you can best appreciate their power, not to mention Steve Arrogant’s terrior-at-yer-heels iron bar chewing vocals.

ONE WAY SYSTEM: ‘Stab The Judge’ (No Entry) A strong grower that lacks a smidgeon of power, but that’s compensated for by the fury of the lyrics and the vicious but punchy chorus of “Take revenge – stab the judge”.

Everywhere rape victims and Fares Fair Campaigners nod their heads in rhetorical and not so rhetorical agreement. Actually ‘Judge-bashing’ has already been advocated by Atilla The-Stockbroker; all will be revealed soon.

DEAD MAN’S SHADOW: ‘Heathrow Touchdown’ (Subversive) Four numbers from a band at two stages in their career, the first as Action Pact with the now departed female vocalist George, the second as DMS with gruff male vocals from bassist Matt Dagnut.

I prefer them in their more recent incarnation as young George is a touch too squeaky for these ears, while DMS come across as a sort of cross between Crass and the early 4-Skins, mostly cos they nick the bass riff from ‘Wonderful World’.

CHAOS UK: ‘Burning Britain’ (Riot City) Young Bristol bands seem to live in Discharge’s shadow in much the same way as most youth club East End bands ape the Rejects. This is speedy with a punchy enough chorus but it lacks that certain spark of spirit and individuality . . .

Total Chaos | Punk 45s Reviewed by Garry Bushell

COURT MARTIAL: ‘Gotta Get Out’ (Riot City) Terrible terminally brain-damaged vocals detract totally from a song that would have probably sounded fine in the vocal chords of a non-gumbie. Bin the dummy, Branded-style boys.

AFTERMATH: ‘Freedom Fighter’ (Red Star) A feeble offering. ‘Freedom Fighter’ is limp reggae-rock about as threatening as a naked Law Lord while its punk-aspirant sibling ‘All The Others’ majors on an old Subs riff delivered with all the force of a pissed snail.

VARUKERS: ‘Protest And Survive’ (Inferno) A hardcore punk combo from Leamington Spa who some people apparently say sound “a bit like Discharge”. I would say that some people are probably right with regards to this one, but the Varukers are the best “bit like Discharge” band I’ve heard for some time.