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The Hellbillys
Shane MacGowan & the Popes
Ray Condo & his Ricochets
Electric Frankenstein
The Bruisers
The Spectres
Dicky B. Hardy
The Krewmen
The Booked
The HT3
Scary B.O.O.M.
The Dils
Os Catalepticos
Trophy Husbands
Dead Blue Hand
V/A The Eastside Sound vol. 2
The Deadcats
The Dead Boys
Daltronic
Nip Drivers
The Krewmen
Dropkick Murphys and The Business
Cocksparrer
The Worthless
Popeye's Dik!
American Dream
Blatant Finger
Silver Tongued Devil
Templars and Stomper 98
Gein and the Graverobbers
Turbonegro
Big John Bates
Mr. Badwrench

The Hellbillys
“Blood Trilogy Vol. 1”
Review by Mikey the Thumb

Three years ago Berkeley, CA's The Hellbillys set the left coast psychobilly scene ablaze with Bondage A Go-Go, their celebrated debut. Soon after they threw salivating fans a bone with the release of Cavalcade of Perversions (a compilation of singles dating back to 1990 and a few previously unreleased live tracks), but lamentably haven’t set foot in the studio again until now to lay down Blood Trilogy Vol. I.

The Hellbillys’ long-awaited second full length really hits the mark dead on with 14 fist-pounding tracks of speed psycho and hardcore punk that won’t quit until you do! Proving that adherence to the cardinal 3-M rule (Murder, Monsters & Mayhem) is the key to psychobilly success, BT Vol. I heralds the exploits of werewolves (“Prowl”), serial killers (“Blood Lust”) and other pathologically unstable types that have disrupted many a restful slumber as subjects of nightmares since the creation of fear itself. For the vocally-opposed The Hellbillys rage through a supercharged instrumental, “Cannibal Bop” and everyone should enjoy the fitting cover of Glenn Danzig’s “All Murder, All Guts, All Fun” squeezed in amidst all the original material. BT Vol. I was definitely worth the wait, but let’s hope The Hellbillys don’t keep us waiting another 3 years for Vol. II!

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Shane MacGowan and the Popes
“The Crock of Gold”
 ZTT Records
Review by Nancy Ballast

At first, I thought I liked the earlier cd, “The Snake” better, as it has some harder-edged tunes with more rock-sounding songs. But, Shane sounds really fucked up in some of the songs, and the cd’s consistency suffers. Not so with “The Crock of Gold”. “The Crock of Gold” has more of a traditional Irish band sound. The Popes provide a great backdrop for Shane’s voice. The lyrics are still what you’d expect from Shane: gritty, angry, truthful, and hidden behind pretty tunes. The rock feeling here is not missing, it is simply more subdued. “Paddy Public Enemy Number 1” tells one man’s experience with the Irish Republican Army and politics in Northern Ireland. “Back in the County Hell” dreams of what could be
“With me in charge I’d execute the Artistic Queers
and all the fuckin bastards that drink trendy Irish beers
my death squads would be kids from flats
all high from sniffing glue… "

There’s even a slow song, “Lonesome Highway,” which is sweet and wistful. Sure, it’d be nice to get another release from Shane with a song like “Waltzing Matilda” on it, but whatchoo gonna do? Fans of The Pogues will not be disappointed.

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Ray Condo and his Ricochets
“High & Wild”
Joaquin Records 250 Scott St. San Francisco, CA 94117

If you want Western Swing defined for you just listen to this album and be prepared for one wild ride through 30/40's jazz played with raging steel guitar and revved up with 1950’s rockabilly attitude. The result is charismatic and rowdy, from the beginning kick in the drawers “Hadicillin Boogie” to the moody and refined instrumental “There’s a House in Harlem for Sale,” you won’t find one dog on here. This is just excellent material done perfectly. If this CD were a pair of breasts, they’d be a set of 34-C mounds of joy. - BL

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Electric Frankenstein
“Annie’s Grave” EP
 Victory Records

With songs like “Fistful of Rock” and “Takin’ You Down,” this band continues to show why they are one of the more recognizable punk rock-n-roll bands around, although I am just now being introduced to them. EF play gritty and distorted rock-n-roll a la Stooges and MC5, but with touches of heavy metal and a garagy sort of feel. Annie’s Grave was produced with the help of Phil Caivano of Monster Magnet and marks their fifth EP. This release includes a cover of the Dead Boys’ “Third Generation Nation,” as well as 11 other original tracks chock full of loud guitar and the singer’s rough vocal stylings. With each listen I find myself liking this a little more, despite some moments here and there which add rather lame melodies or silly studio effects like on “Just Can’t Kick.” - BL

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The Bruisers
“Better Days”
 Taang Records 706 Pismo Ct. San Diego Ca 92109

This release is very different from the early Bruisers material. While their really early material was good ole American Oi, this is a more rock-n-roll sounding CD. The musicianship and song-writing has certainly improved and gained depth over the early stuff, becoming mature yet not at all sterile. The guitar player scorches throughout the album, while Al Barr’s growling vocals dig into your flesh. With each listen I like this even more. Some songs have a sort of western feel to them, such as “Gates to Hell” and “Up in Flames,” and a lot of them set a much darker mood than one might expect. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a raw street punk sensibility to this, complete with the Angelic Upstarts’ “Police Oppression” as well as a Johnny Thunders cover. Hell, there is even a rendition of Billy Joel’s “Lunatic” thrown in. Perhaps the best track, “Mainliner” is just pure high-octane rock-n-roll that’ll raise your blood pressure and blur your vision. This goes just as well with a long stretch of highway as it does with shots of whiskey (as if the two are mutually exclusive). - BL

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The Spectres
“Blood, Sweat & Nitro”
 Crazy Love Records
Review by Mikey the Thumb

Everyone knows that Seattle, WA is a progressive metropolis made popular by Tom Hanks' insomnia and flannel clad alterna-hippies who challenged contemporary hygienic standards to found a soon forgotten musical legacy. But, what the Greater Seattle Board of Tourism won't hip you to is an indigenous pack of mannerless low-lifes who have been an unwelcome mainstay in the Pacific Northwest's club circuit for years, The Spectres.

Much to the collective dismay of their self-righteous neighbors, Jesse, Austin and J.R. have followed up their debut, Rubber Room Rock, with their latest contribution to the American psychobilly effort, Blood Sweat, and Nitro. Serving up The Spectres’ own brand of motivated psycho-camp colored by a genuine western sensibility, B, S & N is a diverse tribute to all things greasy. This album offers up some requisite full-on wreckers like “Hell-Bent”, “Mad Machine” and “Did it for Elvis” (a personal favorite), but a couple of traditional cowboy ballads (one with a decidedly non-traditional spin – “Bloodsuckin' Cowboy), a dreamy Latin creeper (“Voodoo Doll”) and a hillbilly stomper inspired by Steven King's The Shining (“Daddy's Gone Crazy”) are the real stand-outs. In addition, the title track gives the boys a chance to showcase their individual talents in a way that only an instrumental track can.

With a more solid presentation of lyrical skill and structure than Rubber Room Rock, B, S & N is evidence that this act is no flash in the pan. Buckle up y'all, 'cause The Spectres aim to take you on a '57 death trip fueled by Blood, Sweat, and Nitro!

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Dicky B. Hardy
“I Whistle You Dance”
 Taang Records

Wild, decadent, and completely wonderful. This ain’t rock-n-roll, more like stop-drop-n-roll ‘cuz this shit is on fire. These brigands from Slovenia have recorded a disc that’ll take years of therapy with a team of psychologists to recover from fully - so why bother – just pop fists full o’ pills and have unprotected sex with sinewy strangers in polyester! (Damn, I hope I am not corrupting any impressionable youth with that comment. Ah, to Hell with my conscience!) Anyway, this is one hell of a disc – sort of garage punk played real fast and loud. These compositions are well put together and move like Dela Reese at a Shoney’s buffet. Especially cool is the sax that comes in on “Lizard’s Tongue” and compliments the raw guitar sound perfectly. This band is definitely worth a listen. – BL

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The Krewmen
“The Final Adventures of The Krewmen”
 Lost Moment Records

This is a damn good album that will leave you all marked up like a demon’s chew toy. These UK psychobilly pioneers dish out a heavy hybrid of rockabilly, metal and even a touch of industrial to boot. What results is pure wickedness and a strangely unique sound. Choice cuts are Arachnophobia with its low creepy vocals and screaming guitar panning across the speakers, and then there are the spooky alien sounds of the Wrath of Planet Zee that erupt into raucous rhythms that will permeate your skin and enslave your pitiful human soul. I should also mention the crazy and hilarious Root ‘N Toot ‘N Hullaballoo, with its rockin’ guitar and comical backwoods frontiersman vocals. This disc is very recommended for those with a comic book and B-movie fascination, along with a penchant for good weird psychobilly music. If it were toothpaste, it would be good enough to get out those tough tobacco stains and make your breath smell as good as a gust of wind from an angel’s wings. - BL

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The Booked
“Feel the Pride”
 Radical Records, 1999
Review by Nancy Ballast

The cover is the first thing that will get noticed about this cd. In a 40’s-era photo, a young girl holds an American flag, and stands on a Nazi flag. Apparently, the group/label has had stores refuse to carry the cd because of the picture. The message sent to wp folks will most likely make them hate this band before they listen to the cd. In case anyone should get confused by the picture, the band explains on the back of the cd "...standing on a flag is a sign of discrespect...duh." A lot of oi bands can be accused of avoiding politics, and writing songs about boots beer and birds (not that I mind all those bands, some of them I listen to all the time). The Booked aren’t afraid to embrace a political, anti-white power, pro-working class stance and their music comes through without preaching the message so loud you can’t enjoy the tunes.

Not your typical oi music: there’s a lot of cool rock guitar riffs between the choruses, similar to GC5's “Kisses from Hanoi.” The songs are fast, melodic, and tight; this is a well rehearsed band that really enjoys playing oi music. There are metal tinged tunes, a la The Oppressed, like the song “The Boys,” and then one that sounds Black Flag-influenced, “Riot at 811.” The lyrics will get you excited about being in the scene again, no matter where you are, punk or skin. These guys have a lot of sympathy for blue collar folks, and remain humble. As the song “Northwest United” puts it, “I’m not some hero for the working class, we’re just out havin’ a say, havin’ a laugh.” Buy it, brother!

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The HT3
 Bachus/Dionysus

This is an actual 60’s band that never made it into pop culture because of a missed window of opportunity. The first track is a slow moody number with that eerie yet nostalgic droning organ and reverb-laden guitar. The second track begins and sounds a lot like the Cramps’ Kismiaz for a few bars. From there we move onto an instrumental that was to be their big hit. It is a piano-based number, which is a slow and (dare I say?) pretty composition. “You’re Gonna Leave” is another instrumental that makes me think of a movie scene where the guy is ice skating with beautiful girl and things are really wonderful right before tragedy strikes and their lives are changed forever. The tragedy strikes with the next track that features some rather poor vocals. My favorite song, however, is the last track, I Fell in Love (with that wart on your face). In short, this might a good pick if you like authentic 60’s pop, but I am no expert in that genre, and this mostly bores me. - BL

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Scary B.O.O.M.
“The Food of the Gods”
 Revel Yell Music
P.O. Box 42 Minami, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi 441-8691 Japan

This band is generally considered psychobilly, but they definitely push that genre in new directions. I find more of a heavy funk influence in this, along with touches of several other styles. There is an eclectic feel to the gestalt mixture of genres and instruments, including French horn, upright bass (of course), violin, harp, and congos, all on different tracks respectively. The lyrics are also interesting, often seeming surprisingly poetic. For instance, the song Anabiosis begins
“hard times break our dreams
My soul becomes ice
Frost has black wings
It hides the sunrise.”
On Treacherous Shot a story is told by man 60 years after he was killed by his friend, who then made off with the loot during a robbery they committed together. The mood is very dark, as the reason the speaker planned the bank job was to become acceptable to his girlfriend’s wealthy parents, and after his murder she ends up visiting his grave every day with flowers. The Opposite Effect explores the age-old wisdom that women love assholes - how they appear to desire men who hide their real feelings for them and treat their women with indifference, leading him to the conclusion that “love’s a pungent dish.” Their song Scarybilly Boogie tells of the band playing in the freezing temperatures and gloom of a northern town, a setting they later escape in Crocodile Hunting where in nighttime reveries they are crocodile hunting among the palm trees. There is an almost innocent and poetic charm to this band, and their belief in the transcendent value of music is apparent - especially when considering the cover art is a man biting into a CD, and the inside booklet features definitions for ambrosia and nectar, which are the food and drink of the Greek gods that confer immortality. What struck me as strange is that the band is from Russia, the CD is released on a Japanese label, and they promoted through England. While I am definitely impressed by this release, it doesn’t always grab me the way it should for some reason. - BL

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The Dils
“Class War”
 Bacchus/Dionysus

This disc started out pretty good with the first two energetic tracks taken from a 7” released in 1977 by this obscure punk band. I Hate the Rich showed much promise, with some punch and speed. However, the live tracks from 1980 suffer from more than the very poor sound quality. The vocals are rather flat and songs like Tell Her You Love Her make me want to ingest poison. I may be jaded, but this song is over-the-top sappy, and the style is just too much like a neutered church group or something. I kept waiting for the joke, like on Anti-Nowhere League’s Woman, but it never came. Some of the other songs suffer similarly, while some, including the final track “Class War,” sound like they’d be really decent, but don’t really grab me on this rare yet poor live recording. I really couldn’t get into most of this. - BL

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Os Catalepticos
“Little Bits of Insanity”
 Fury Records

Imagine the immense weight of Rosie O’Donnel’s bloated carcass stuffed inside an elephant’s anus and transported to Jupiter, a planet where gravity is 2.5 times our own - and that would still not as heavy as this ripping album by Os Catalepticos. I don’t know much about Brazil, but there must some sort of viral strain in the air that produces intense bands such as Kaes Vadius, Ratos De Porao, and the many others. Os Catalepticos is no exception to this rule, with a sound like early Slayer enhanced with some of the most insane upright bass slappin’ on the market. Gambling with a Demon is hands down my favorite song on here, but then every song makes you want to destroy the innocent and tear down the monuments of the mighty with your clenched fists. - BL

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The Trophy Husbands
“Dark and Bloody Ground”
Rustic Records
PO Box 15225 Phoenix, AZ 85060
www.rusticrecords.com

I am not the biggest fan of country western music, but when something is done well, one must acknowledge. This CD’s title track deals with an 1880’s range war and features some somber violin stylings set against a western background – very cool. The feud between families apparently was over cattle grazing in all the wrong places, which eventually leads the speaker of the song to shoot a boy who draws on him. The killing then catapults, as the regretful storyteller has to shoot down family members seeking retribution. The dark and bloody ground does not end there, however, as the third track, Willie, is a grimly beautiful ballad of a man contemplating his own demise. The lengthy guitar solo on this tune is wonderful and bluesy, as Kevin Daly conveys as much of the emotion and mood through his fingers as Dave Insley does through his voice when he sings “now I must be leaving all the things time will destroy. I’d kiss you all if only I could find you … but I am disappearing so fast into the void.” Until Then continues on with the country noir mood as Kevin Daly sings from the perspective of an unrepentant cutthroat outlaw who won’t be reformed or kept in line for fear of death. “Until they murder me and spit upon my grave, I’ll be a blackguard even Jesus would not save.” Powerful words. Not all the songs share this darkness, however. Insley sings another track that hails back the Hank Sr. era of honky tonk, a tune titled “Just Call Me Lonesome.” Then there is the first cut, “Everybody Knows,” which takes a decidedly cheerful tone about love. Actually, this song struck me as a little corny at first, but since then I have taken a liking to it – the way one might eventually enjoy the company of an old mangy dog that really grows on you. Other upbeat and brighter songs are “Cadillac,” which is about spending eons under a car that still won’t run, and “Big Wheel,” a light-hearted trucker’s brag. In the end, only a couple tracks on here still don’t appeal to me after giving them a couple listens. The album finishes with a fine ditty called “Texas Wind,” in which a resigned Daly recalls “I thought I lost my only friend, till I found myself with a drink again.” If you want good lyrics and country music that has a little spirit to it instead of that homogenized country-pop excrement, pick this up. - BL

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Dead Blue Hand
61 Minnesota St. Rochester, NY 14609
deadbluehand@hotmail.com

This band is more or less pop punk, and I can see them being adored by those who are fans of the genre. I, however, am not a fan of pop punk but can still appreciate the effort made by Dead Blue Hand. Most of the songs are faster, but then there are tracks like “Sweater Girl” which kinda drone on forever. One pretty cool thing is an acoustic ballad called “Barry Manilow was Wrong,” a love song that’ll warm your heart like an orphan with syphilis begging for soup. All in all, if you dig bands like Millencollin, you’ll like these guys. -LM

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V/A The Eastside Sound vol. 2
 Bacchus Archives/Dionysus

Man, oh man! You want to hear some ‘60’s pop all out of East L.A., then you need to get this compilation. I hear these bands and they all sound so familiar, like they have been played on the oldies radio station. Groups like Mark and the Escorts, The Cassinos, The Four Tempos, Thee Impalas and more play a pleasant blend of rock with some surf thrown in for fun. I am a fan of this era of music, so I really dig it. Especially track 7, “Silly Putty” by Mark and the Escorts, a rock instrumental with a cool sax solo. Very neat also, that Mark (the guitarist) was only 12 years old when he started with the band. Good music to put on during a party, it just makes people sociable and friendly. -LM

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The Deadcats
“Cathouse Blues”
 Revel Yell Music
P.O. Box 42 Minami, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi 441-8691 Japan

If you like the filthy brand of music that’d make nuns blush as they get hot and bothered inside their habits then this is for you! This is a great 7 song CD-EP from the infamous Canadian rockers, The Deadcats, whose psycho sound can drive even the most tame urbanites completely wild. How do the Deadcats acquire such a crazy sound? Well, you take clean surf guitar and add in some gritty chainsaw guitar, throw in a heavy dose of Voodoo gut-bucket bass and just the right amount of pounding drums and you have the recipe for madness. They do reworkings of songs like the Munster’s Theme and Secret Agent Man, as well as some songs of their own, like the sizzling hit, Sphincter On Fire, and the awesome instrumental Dragstrip ’69. A great disc! -LM

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The Dead Boys
“Twistin’ on the Devil’s Fork”
 Bacchus Archives/Dionysus Records

This CD is the result of live recordings at CBGB’S in 1977 and 1978 of this important punk rock band that was rockin’ Northeast Ohio while I was rockin’ back in forth in my baby crib. Included are the band’s staple songs, such as “Sonic Reducer” and “3rd Generation Nation.” The recording is raw, but it captures the energy and spirit of this band that wasn’t evident on some of their studio stuff. I’d say this is a good one for collectors, and although I really like the songs, I probably won’t be wearing this one out. -LM

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Daltronic
“Radio On”
 Phyte Records
PO Box 90363 Washington DC 20090
www.phyte.com

Daltronic: read Dulltronic. I found myself cringing when I put this disc in - needless to say I am not too fond of it. I would call it Emo-Pop, a kind of mix between dark personal lyrics and repetitious-sounding pop rock. Musically, it’s not really too bad, but the vocals are what I find offensive about this recording. Keep in mind though, I am just really not fond of this type of music, and that’s just my honest reaction. -LM

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The Nip Drivers
“Destroy Whitey/Oh Blessed Freak Show”
Taang Records 706 Pismo Ct. San Diego Ca 92109

There are 28 fast punk cuts on this disc that are fun and enjoyable. This band was around in the mid ‘80’s and play a spontaneous, fresh rock that makes me feel adolescent again. Songs I really like are “Jane Goodall,” “Nips Get Pissed,” and “You Need Us.” For those of you who don’t know, “You Need Us” is a song that The Honeybee’s performed on Gilligans Island. The Honeybee’s were, of course, Mary Ann, Ginger and the sexy Mrs. Howell. Also, there is a cover of Duran Duran’s “Rio,” which I feel to be better than the original, although being covered in lard and flogged by angry villagers would also be better… and more fun. I would definitely recommend this to fans of funny, fast punk. -LM

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The Krewmen
“Singled Out”
 Lost Moment Records

This is a fine example of psychobilly psychosis, 11 tracks fill this disc up with some hard hitting psycho originals and plenty of great cover tunes. The bass playing on this CD makes me quiver with delight, like when I was a young girl first exploring my body. The sound is clean and pure lunacy, but there isn’t a lot of clutter. The vocals are never waiver and it seems each member has a chance to prove himself on his instrument. I really dug the first song, “Beat The Devil,” and “Night of The Living Dead.” The cover of “My Generation” is heads and tails above the original and so is the cover of “Stepping Stone.” There is a rendition of “Do You Want To Touch” and a crazy, surf version of “Paint It Black.” If you get a line on this, reel it in. -LM

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Dropkick Murphys and The Business
“Mob Mentality”
 Taang Records

What a combination! Twelve song performed by DKM, The Business and the combination of the two bands - the delicious McBusiness! The Business cover the DKM’s “In the Streets of Boston” but change the lyrics to “in the streets of London” and they really tear it up. The energy in Fitz’s voice during this song is equivocal to a pack of rabid dogs attacking a small, helpless child. The DKM’s cover the Business’s “Informer” as well as “Keep the Faith.” Songs by bands such as The Who, The Outlets, Slapshot and the Faces are also covered. A good album that fans of either band will enjoy. - LM

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Cocksparrer
“England Belongs to Me”
 Taang Records

This 20 track disc contains all the early Cocksparrer singles , including the classics “Running Riot,” “Where Are They Now,” and of course “England Belongs To Me.” What’s kick ass about this CD is all the musical variance you get from early CockSparrer. You go from the beautiful ballad of “Out on an Island,” to the intense live version of The Clash’s “White Riot” and everything in between. If you are a fan of Cocksparrer (and who isn’t?), or just a fan of good ole 70’s British punk rock that makes you wanna cop an accent and act rowdy, then this is the disc for you. -LM

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The Worthless
“Slow City”
 Taang Records

Their name leaves them easy prey to reviewers who don’t really appreciate their style. I am one of those reviewers, but it is not really all that bad. Several tracks are decent, and would be just fine on a compilation, but taken in succession the CD becomes a tough listen. The music is basic Ramones-style adolescent punk with snotty vocals. I reckon they are good at what they do, but I just don’t like this much. - BL

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Popeye's Dik!
“Country Smokin’ Blues” Spanking Herman Records
PO Box 2927, Brighton BNI 3SX

Hmmm, this 3 song EP sounds like it should be on the soundtrack to Animal House, like it’s a bunch of alcoholic kids having a good time. They start off singing “Smokin’ Marajuana” and the production is low and gritty, and the vocals sound gruff - not bad, but not really stand-out either. “What a Life” is another low-produced sing along that sounds live. The last song, however, is really cool. It has a kind of surf drum beat and a clean guitar over top with crazy razored vocals. – LM

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American Dream
“Shits and Giggles”
 AAD

This band is a punk rock band fronted by Jeff Shook, ex-guitarist of Hi-Fi and the Roadburners, and features some decent churnin’ rockin’ rhythms. The vocals are a mixture of melody and snottiness, and altogether this is pretty well done. I could really do without the third track “Baby’s on Fire,” which becomes really annoying and silly, but tracks like “Slow Suicide” and “Demon Girls” bring it back up with energetic guitar-driven hooks. “Kill the Babysitter” is also a decent tune about generations of kids being raised on television and it has a brief but intense solo at the end. I am a bit ambivalent about a few songs on this release, apathetic about others, but it is an okay disc. It just didn’t do much for me. - BL

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Blatant Finger
“Sit and Spin”
 89 Records / 1452 ½ Hunter Ave. / Columbus, OH 43201

At first listen you are immediately hit with the Social Distortion comparison – not just the style of music, but the vocals are very reminiscent as well. “The Short End” has a sort of barroom country-punk melody while “Grounded” is injected with a much darker feel. They also cover The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” for all you who dropped out of art school in the eighties. Track 11 is one to play for your patchouli oil/paisley pants-wearing cousin no one wants to acknowledge, as it romanticizes about the “sweet smell of burning hippies.” Indeed the air would be fragrant, my friends. – BL

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Silver Tongued Devil
“Red-Eyed and Tongue-Tied”
 Get Hip Recordings, PO Box 666, Canonsburg, PA 15317, USA

This band from Pittsburgh is often referred to by its acronym, STD, but luckily this disc won’t make it burn when you pee. The musical style is something akin to AC/DC and Motorhead played with the punk fervor of the mid 80’s. The resulting sound is as wicked as a fiery gremlin flung up from the pit of Hell to get a drink of bourbon at a whorehouse. What’s very cool is the cover of HalfLife’s “Go Down Fighting,” which actually features Jeff Lamm on vocals. Then there are sentimental hits sure to land them a Grammy nomination next year - original titles like “You Broke my Heart (So I Broke your Face).” The vocalist has a very deep raspy growl that puts you in the mind of a man who eats babies and arm-wrestles Vikings. What the hell, this gets my seal of approval. - BL

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The Templars and Stomper 98
“The ISP Connection” CD
 DSS Records / PO Box 739 / 4021 Linz / Austria
http://www.dss.at

In addition to including the “We Stick Together” split 7”, this disc adds 6 more tracks. The first track is a celebratory singalong number featuring both bands, then there are several covers that follow, including Judge Dread’s “Bring Back the Skins,” The Business’s “Real Enemy,” and Last Resort’s “Violence in our Minds.” Stomper 98 is an Oi! band that sings in German and adds a sax player, which is an interesting addition on several songs. There’s a bit of that “yay yay, we’re skinheads” stuff on here, but still, it is a really enjoyable release. But then I am a huge Templars fan anyway. – BL

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Gein and the Graverobbers
Humanoids from the Deep 7”
 Necro-Tone Records

All five of these instrumental horror-surf tunes are reverb-saturated like a brain set in formaldehyde, and this band makes the loss of the Bomboras not so painful. While there are no spooky organs droning in the background, this slab of vinyl could still be the scary soundtrack to the dark side of Streistand’s nose. Eerie and creepy, yet endearing and nostalgic, this’ll remind you of your best friend’s grandparents. You know, the ones who always smiled real big when someone took the Lord’s name in vain. At any rate, this is not the usual, run of the mill surf licks… no; these licks intimate an appetite for flesh. Very Recommended. - BL

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Turbonegro
“Darkness Forever!”
 Bitzcore/Get Hip Recordings

So, you like good old rock and roll? You crave naughty lyrics and singers that paint their faces all creepy, yet aren’t like those goths down the street who wear black robes and have a voodoo doll of your cat? Then you will treasure Turbonegro “the sexually and sonically shining suburban Scandinavian superstars.” They have an almost classic rock sound to them, pumped up just a bit and a tad perverted. Songs like “Don’t Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker,” “Rock Against Ass,” “I Got Erection,” and “Hobbit Motherfuckers” are some of the best moments during this live recording. Yet some of the choruses are a bit repetitious and sometimes the midtempo songs lack vocal variation. I like this okay, but it really doesn’t beckon me to put it in the player. --LM

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Big John Bates
 “S/T” CD Devil Sauce Recordings, Dept. 22 – 601 Bute St.
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6E 3M2

This is a fun, upbeat disc that has a primal, Lord of the Flies kind of appeal that makes you wanna grab a sharp stick and plunge the tip into a wild boar’s belly. Big John Bates has a razor-edged rockabilly sound mixed with voodoo undertones and a dash of wipeout surf. This is the kind of thing that the boogieman might put in his Walkman after a long day of terrifying children. There are two instrumentals “Flamethrower” and my personal favorite “Tombstone Twist,” a song that’ll make you feel like you are blissfully trapped inside a snow globe cemetery with water and glitter swirling all around you. Songs like “Devil Tail Sauce,” “Trailer Hitch” and the western-tinged “Almost Like You’re Here” are also fine examples of the Big John Bates mule-kickin’, foot-stompin’, barnyard-rompin’, backseat-scroggin’ rock-n-roll. Completing the release is a belly crawl through the seedy underside of punk rock with their rendition of the Dead Kennedy’s “Too Drunk to Fuck.” It is that kind of depraved pleasure that makes Big John Bates a hit with me.

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Mr. Badwrench
“Up Jumped the Devil”
StraightRazorBurn Records

You gotta love a band that has a member called “GG Allenwrench” playing the stand-up bass. Actually, you might already be familiar with the dark twisted sounds of Mr. Badwrench from the Skully Records’ Gothabilly compilations, which should help you to imagine their style. Many of the tracks here have a mid-tempo, dark open-road kind of sound that uses lots of full chords to create an atmosphere of dementia. You can almost smell the burning leaves as the devil smiles from behind your glassy, bloodshot eyes. This disc commences with the carnage on the villainous “Sweet Little Girl,” then they proceed to suck the blood from Billy Idol just to catch a buzz and play their version of “Rebel Yell.” “Gasoline” is a favorite of mine, and is a very Cramps-ish tune. The band also really shines on songs such as the upbeat rocker “Miles to Go,” and the undead punk bloodfeast of “Texas ’39.” Perhaps the best track, though, is “Unholy Roller,” which is like a juggernaut barreling through the houses of the holy. While someone looking for balls-out, light-yer-head-on-fire-and-dive-screaming-naked-into-the-battlefield psychobilly might not choose this disc, Mr. Badwrench definitely has succeeded and digging out their own corner of the psychobilly graveyard with a unique sound and memorable songs that’ll stick to your ribs. - BL

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