Fear -- The Record

  Lead by troubadour weirdo Lee Ving, Fear were the outlaws of the artsy-fartsy LA scene, but let's face it, this band is a basic one trick pony, with some legendarily hilarious Saturday Night Live footage, destroying the studio set with a mosh pit of hardcore luminaries and John Belushi, otherwise the one album would have been enough.

Zwartz -- Zwartitudz

  Geez Louise these guys are the most underrated and unknown Sk8 Punk anomaly known to man!!  All I could find was a bootleg video tape of a guy playing the actual record, and the picture I drew was my best rendering of the cover that was quickly flashed on the tape.  All the tracks were pure Hardcore skate Rock numbers like, Dripping In Rad, Rad is My Dad, When I Bail My Blood Is The Colour Rad, Rad Rad Rad, Teeth In The Masonite Is Rad, Radeology At China Creek and Seylynn Radness For Life, just to name a few!  This album is a must have for any Punk Rock aficionado.

  In actuality my friend and I made this up playing scrabble getting drunk, acting stupid, with his wife.  We used to come up with all kinds of schemes to make this fake band popular locally without actually having to play, for example, lacing the town in Zwartz posters but the concert was always yesterday, making phony t-shirts and wearing them all-the-time, or the best one, making a phoney show at a certain venue, while we sit across the street with a six pack laughing at the people showing up to see the band play that doesn't exsist!  Bah ha ha ha ha!

  In the end this is my 500th album review that has been culled over three years, I've learn a lot, and have been through a personal juggernaut in my life, I sometimes think this is the only thing that kept me from losing my mind, keeping focus on the task at hand, but at the same time I fear that I may have started to identify with albums more than actual people, I've jumped too deep down the rabbit hole, and now that it's over I'm going to claw my way out, attempt at immersing myself with people, start living, so if you see a miserable curmudgeon out there snobbing it up about music, it could be me, so say hi or f*ck off, it's your choice!!  See ya on the flipside weirdos and stay groovy ......................... The And!  

SNFU -- ... And No One Else Wanted To Play

  SNFU's debut and debatebly their best album ... unfortunately lead singer and focal point became somewhat of a Punk Rock lifestyle legendary victim, as we all have from time to time, well if you're hardcore enough, but Mr. Chi Pig took it to another level, although I'm sure his eclectic ways helped in keeping his song writing fresh, vibrant and completely original.  So let's all go to the Cannibal Cafe, "where you can be the special of the day?"

JFA -- Valley Of The Yakes

  F*ckin' way rad pioneering skate Punk outfit JFA.  What can I say about this Hardcore album other than it makes me wanna take my deck out, slam on the concrete, throw my bloodied broken teeth in your face and yell Jodie Foster Army!

Gwar -- Hell-o!

  What happens when you bring to life Kiss's puke from a gargantuan amount of speed, coke, heroin, lsd, liquor and mix it with 80's Hardcore Punk ... Gwar's Hell-o! 

Gang Green -- Another Wasted Night

  Kind of typical, slight hint of Thrash, late 80's Hardcore album.  What I don't understand is how these guys managed to survive Boston straight edge jock Punk scene all those years, Gang Green were too cool and too fun, but maybe that was it, they just laughed in all their faces and partied on!!

Punk & Disorderly

  A run of the mill Punk UK compilation, and why are the Kennedys always the only American band to make it on these things??  Admittedly these songs are good but very forgettable,  except for Demob's No Room For You, which is inscribed Dmob on the album, anyway, the track is a bass driven anthemic chanter, and probably one of the best one's I have ever heard, unfortunately the band only released two singles before splitting up, fortunately their best tune made it on this record!

Wire -- Pink Flag

  Killer debut album by pioneering Punk band Wire.  They may have taken their cue from The Ramones, but Wire amp it up a notch, while inadvertently making the template for American Hardcore and this was just their start!  

D.O.A. -- Bloodied But Unbowed

  Early and the best incantation of Canadian Punk Rock band DOA.  Honestly I really like this record, it was one of the first albums I ever bought, but I always thought there was something cheesy about DOA, maybe they lacked the American punch or they sit too much in-between the 70's and 80's, whatever it is, I never turn into a super fan. 

NOFX -- White Trash, Two Heebs And A Bean

  Jesus man I used to worship this album when I was thirteen, now I'm not sure if I could listen to the whole thing without having to turn it off, but at the same time this was NOFX at the height of their creative career, the rest is just of the same ol' ...

Operation Ivy -- Energy

  The only band in my opinion to successfully incorporate hardcore punk and ska music.  These guys may have only lasted two years but their influence has spanned decades, although I'm not too crazy about the bands they influenced!

Iron Maiden

  A couple years before the band got classic annoying as f*ck screecher Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden had a Punk clad frontman Paul Di'Anno, this is when the group had more in common with Motorhead than cheeseball Brit Metal.

D.R.I. -- Dealing With It!

  Not exactly at par with with the likes of Black Flag, Minor Threat and the Bad Brains, but still an important element of the progression or better yet the demise of the Hardcore movement.  Dealing With It is a wham bam thank you mam mix of slap stick humor and Reagan era anger -- what's new right, not much!

Let Them Eat Jellybeans!

  This early compilation from Alternative Tentacles showcases No Wave-esque Experimental Punk Rock and a small pocket of Hardcore luminaries.  Honestly would I pay top dollar for this album, no, but would I fork over the flea market buck again, yes -- any day of the week!  

Bikini Kill -- Reject All American

  My personal favorite Bikini Kill release.  What makes it the best is that it not only features their usual ferocious Hardcore Punk, but also a Indie Rock side, proving that Riot Grrrls can be cute too! 

The Germs -- What We Do Is Bootleg

  LA Hardcore Punk luminaries, the Germs, led by the tragic, suicidal, Sid Vicious worshiping Darby Crash.  This album is broken up in two ways, one studio side, which is mostly produced by Jack Nitzsche, which is a feat in itself and a huge honor, plus guest producer Joan Jett, then side two is a live recording of unlistenable banality ... all in all it's a great f*cking record! 

The Undead -- Dawn Of The ...

  The band from the guy who was too punk for the Misfits ... they booted (he .. he) him out after some lewd behavior that caused the loss of a toe.  Anyway ... Bobby Steele went on to form his own Troggs inspired horror punk band, this album serves as a comprehensive of those early recordings, some are good, some are bad, but all of it is worth your while. 

Gorilla Biscuits -- Start Today

  I never really liked this band, or melodic punk in general, but Gorilla Biscuits's Start Today will always reminds me of my buddy's mini ramp we had built in his shed, which I liked to call the Shred Shed!

  Shred Shed didn't always have a mini in it, no no, in the time before I started going by to help renovate it to it's current skate state, it was a diseased ridden ex-chicken coop, luckily I wasn't around to help out for that clean up job.  Point is, what used to be a shitty, cold, dank, drinking spot, turned out to be, after a couple years and a f*ck load of dangerous team work, a radical skate spot where only old school will survive and you'll most likely hear Gorilla Biscuits pumpin' on his crappy and broken iPod speakers! 

*footnote: I'm pretty sure the mini eventually got torn out!

Negative Approach -- Total Recall

  Total Recall is a complete discography of Negative Approach's career.  The only thing to really write home about is their first and only album, Tied Down, featured in this comp.  Why is Tied Down better than the rest?  I'll tell ya, and it's not like the other tracks lack in ferocious angry Hardcore action, it's just that Tied Down is polished and produced to be taken seriously, that and the band is tighter than a hangman's knot around your neck.  So if you are down in the dumps and pissed about it, put on some Negative Approach to remember, "that it's all no use, it's all worth nothing."

The Meatmen -- Stud Powercock: The Touch And Go Years 1981-1984

  Hardcore's jokesters The Meatmen.  These guys were out to offend everybody, even themselves.  I usually like 80's hardcore, but I'm not too crazy about The Meatmen, it's just too loose, too shoddy.  Yes I get that the lyrics are a joke, but how far can too far go ... I think they reached it, even G.G. Allin seems more intelligent.  Point is, they're the Meatmen ... and they suck, suck, suck!