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Review: 'Henry Rollins presents Various Artists'
'Suburban Annihilation'   

-  Album: 'The Californian Hardcore Explosion 1878-1983' -  Label: 'Futurismo Inc.'
-  Genre: 'Punk/New Wave' -  Release Date: '24.2.23.'

Our Rating:
The full title of this Double album compiled by Henry Rollins for the Futurismo Inc. label is Suburban Annihilation The Californian Hardcore Explosion From The City To The Beach 1978-1983 and comes with an booklet full of cool scene photos and liner notes by Lisa Fancher. This album fails the Bechdel test impressively, as not one of the songs on this album has a female vocalist, there may be a few female musicians scattered in the bands, including Lorna Doom in The Germs, but this is a predominantly male scene. This is a good mix of hits and obscurities and has two songs made far more famous by L7 who prove that female vocalists could sing hardcore every bit as effectively as the guys could.

The A-side of this compilation opens in suitably low-fi style with I Hate Children by The Adolescents, it's good speedy hardcore with a good shout along song title chorus, as we find out just why they hate Children.

Out of Vogue by Middle Class is even speedier, poor sounding, frantic bursts of energy, as they make sure we know just how unfashionable they are.

Bloodstains by Agent Orange is the first song on the comp that I know best as a cover version by L7 who own this song for me, especially as the first L7 song I heard, on a mix tape sent to me about two weeks before John Peel played it on his show. This still sounds great, a brilliant guitar mangling solo and those lyrics, but it lacks the power that L7 bring to it.

Chemical Warfare by Dead Kennedys is the first hit on the comp, with Jello Biafra's vocals as urgent as ever as they try to persuade the US government and others that Chemical Warfare is a very bad idea indeed, this version sounds very stripped and basic, yet perfect to mosh along madly too, while making sure Putin hears it.

I Like Drugs by The Simpletones is a simple song about the joys of taking drugs, played in the style of Black Flag, as they come up with a great sing along anthem, why didn't I already know this song, with a very cool speedy guitar solo.

Fascist Pig by Suicidal Tendencies avoids the obvious choice, in favor of this far more political song, that keeps to the bands fast and faster formula as they let us know what they think of fascism.
The B-side opens with Abolish Government-Silent Majority by T.S.O.L. that gets to the heart of the disease at the core of the American government, this is almost more lyrically on point now than it was originally.

Beverley Hills by The Circle Jerks takes us on a tour of the parts of LA that they are more or less excluded from, by not being rich or pretty enough. The bass drives this on more than the guitars that go off around that bassline.

Fuck Authority by Wasted Youth sounds far less threatening than it did live at the Coconut Teaser way back when, as they were stupendously loud live, even in a sparsely attended gig, I wanted to see the other Wasted Youth, this lot are angry as hell at all authority figures.

She's Like Heroin To Me by The Gun Club is one of those songs that has been ever present since forever, this has Jeffrey Lee Pierce blurting out the words like he's jerking, in need of one more fix of that girl, over rambunctious death rock rather than hard core.

Burn Out by Redd Kross sounds almost as loose and spaced as they were live, being the one band on the comp I saw both in California and London, they may be burning out but they are certainly going down in flames.

Live In Your Eyes by China White is more of an amphetamine howl than an opiated drawl, lots of reverb on the vocals with a low-slung riff, just let them in.

The C side opens with Live Fast Die Young by the Circle Jerks, that's a blast of raw hardcore with an apocalyptic world view where they couldn't see a future or making it past 30, strange this song is still in the bands set, speaking as someone who is 57 the last age they mention, I'm very glad I made it this far.

How Ya Feelin by Negative Trend is a low-slung street walking and scoring tale of life among the low life's trying to survive, with some great rocking guitar breaks, this should put a smile on your face so you can reply real good.

Next is the original version of American Society by Eddie And the Subtitles a song that has been a staple hit for L7 for so long, that it is strange to hear the song with male vocals, this feels a little weak compared to what L7 did with the song, but I'm sure the songwriters are very happy about this songs afterlife, as the core message of not going under remains as crucial now as it would have been back then.

Manzanar by Channel 3 has throaty shout along lyrics and racing bass and guitar, this is frantic with harmony backing vocals, this is about the Japanese internment camp and the dreadful things that happened there.

Ha Ha Ha by Flipper is every bit the slightly off, mauled classic with sardonic lyrics, with a nod or two to Napoleon XIV's classic single, as they try to make sure no one drags them away.

O.C. Life by Rikk Agnew didn't feature in the later film about Orange County as far as I know, but it could be a script for a scene, as they sing about trying to make it out of O.C. alive, without going all Jack Black OTT, with their brains intact over the adrenal guitars.

Playpen by Social Distortion has those wonderfully tired sounding vocals over the nice stripped back slow core rumbling backing, making this sound like a proto-slacker classic.

The D-side opens with the Hardcore band at the front of any D section the Dead Kennedy's and the all-time classic California Uber Alles, that will have most of the people who buy this comp singing along trying to sound as odd as Jello does in places.

I Love America by Shattered Faith has coruscating guitars, a pummel in your face bass, with vocals telling you all the ways you should love America, no matter what crimes the government may commit, this has fearful dread among all the banner waving.

Helium Bar by Weirdos is a song that seems about 40 years ahead of the game, when you see how youngsters these days love Helium so much, this is fast and frantic psychobilly that reminds me a bit of Shockabilly Vietnam, this is another of the songs that I was originally sent on Mix tapes back in the 80's.

Insurgence by Middle Class is social issues anarcho hardcore that sounds like they might have dogs on ropes. It's super short and super speedy.

Communist Eyes by Germs is just as nasty and speedy as you would expect of Germs who are as aware of those communist eyes making them paranoid as they should be about the Capitalist eyes running their lives.

The Compilation concludes with Kids Of The Black Hole by Adolescents a song of despair for kids growing up in neighborhoods that look like war-zones in allegedly the wealthiest nation on earth. They are looking for some direction and help to make things better.


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  author: simonovitch

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