REVIEWS

The music....

ABRAZOS - My Street CD - Suspect Device
I saw a comment on Ian Canty’s Facebook page that said ‘If you only buy one punk rock record this year, make sure it’s this one.’ And he’s not wrong, this is proper punk rock, punk how it should be done, angry, powerful and honest. The lyrics are sometimes political, but also cover various other subjects that are close to all of our hearts. For a 3 piece band they have such an impact musically, the dual vocals of Alan and Tony go really well together and  Nath’s guitar work is just relentless with Alan also doing the Bass work and Tony pounding out those drums it just moulds together in to such a complete sound. I’ve been a stoic fan of Abrazos since their formation and have thoroughly enjoyed every release they’ve put out. My Street is a fast paced, tuneful, DIY punk album of 16 songs that in total lasts 16 minutes and 21 seconds, which gives you an idea of how these boys play and each song has a message - No Authority But Yourself, says just that. Be what you want, live how you want, don’t let others dictate to you about how you should live. Get Off The Stage is a superb track about anti racism and if you give them a stage they will fill it with hatred and spite, in all aspects of the media. If I’ve got this right, I’m pretty sure Co-Operation Not Competition is about how we should not be sucked in to how the media want us brainwashed by controlling your decisions and how we should have more community spirit, working together to create a better world and just communicating with each other. Weening Ourselves Off is a simple but very powerful song about how our food and the things we consume come from animal farming and the cruelty of animal farming and it should come to an end, stop the farm animals suffering. Governments Don’t Care, another superb song. The thing I like about Abrazos lyrically is that they are so honest, easy to listen to and really do get the bands point across, the title of this song, sums up the song itself, Governments Don’t Care Question Everything - don’t be sucked in by the rich and powerful who spout their lies and tell you that they can make all your problems disappear through stopping you from questioning them, manipulation and the exploitation of workers who make those wankers richer, being blind to the fact that they are they are being used because they don‘t question what is going on. This is becoming more of a novel than a review, so I will just say that the rest of the songs continue in sending out those important messages and if I had to pick one song off the whole CD that spoke to me personally, they all do in a way, but there is one that really resonates with me, NSFW. You’ll have to buy the CD to get the song and I’m sure it will be a song you can all aspire to be. I wish I was. Then, once you’ve played My Street a few times, because you will, you are treated to a present from the band, a FREE CD, this contains songs from their USB Stick release and the People Not Profits 7” Picture disc. There’s also another little surprise on the free CD from the band that just keeps giving, a previously unreleased song ’Screenwash’ It’s a beautifully packaged release with a lyric sheet for the new album and the lyrics for the free cd can be found on the Abrazos Blogspot Page. All in all a perfect piece of punk rock goodness.  
Abrazos (Stuart Armstrong)

ANGELIC UPSTARTS – Live At The Basins Nightclub ‘87 – Secret
Where do I start with this one?! The Suspect brothers were at this gig and I can’t quite believe there was ever a recording made let alone the fact that it’s now a live album! To be honest it’s nearly 40 years ago and I actually can’t remember anything about the gig apart from I got there on the back of a motorbike! Just so you know as you might have been wondering?! Basins nightclub (Grannies before that!) was under a debatable piece of concrete architecture called The Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth that has long since been demolished! The Angelic Upstarts I always say were one of the bands that got me into Punk in the late 70’s, but by the time they played this gig the days of playing Top Of The Pops and anthems like ‘Teenage Warning’ reaching No29 in the charts were long over. However! This didn’t mean they were beyond their peak live and alongside the late great Mensi on Vocals for this recording were Max Splodge on drums, Brian Hayes on guitar and Ronnie Newson strumming the bass to great effect. Twelve tracks in all, which probably represent some of the Upstarts finest work, with the start to ‘The Murder Of Liddle Towers’ still making me shiver to this day. Great recording with a well written informative insert and on ‘Secret Records’ – Is this a revival of the 80’s label that put out records by the likes of The Exploited and Infa Riot amongst others? 
(Gaz)

BAD SAM - Trauma CD - Property Of The Lost
It's been a couple of years or so, but now stripped down to a two piece, Bad Sam still deliver the goods with Beddis’ distinctive vocals and music (all handled by Richard Glover) that brings to mind Lard and even Killing Joke, but mostly has me thinking that this is like something Jello Biafra would do with The Guantanamo School Of Medicine. The distorted guitar (with occasional later Killing Joke style chugging) works well with the other electronic sounds and, lyrically, the monstrous capitalist machine’s assault on human life and the environment is exposed. It’s one of those releases that gets lodged in your brain and refuses to leave.

BRATAKUS - Hagridden LP - Venn
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Bratakus, it’s not just the fact that their music is so great, it’s also that they didn’t let their remoteness get in the way of them starting the band. I love that sort of DIY ethic, you work with what you’ve got and you make things happen. They have always bashed out brilliant, stripped down punk with biting political lyrics, but ‘Hagridden’ sees them take the quality and impact of their sound and message up several notches, the songs are better produced but are still in your face and angry as hell. They have been out playing regularly and have really honed their craft, but that doesn’t mean that they have smoothed out the rough edges and mellowed at all, they are just as angry and the songs even more raging. It’s been a long wait of this album to appear, there have been set backs including losing the first recording of the whole album when a laptop crashed, meaning it had to be completely re-recorded, but it’s here now and it sounds fantastic. Known for using programmed drums, they had Chris Dangerous of The Hives playing real drums on their ‘Turnstile’ single and also Tommy Duffin, their producer (who also played on the latest Dark Harvest Commandos EP) plays drums on this album. Bratakus embody everything that punk is about, fiercely independent, politically outspoken, down to earth and playing some of the most exhilarating songs you’ll hear anywhere, by anyone. It's available for pre-order now.
Bandcamp (Tony)

DARK HARVET COMMANDOS - Numb Down The Pain - bandcamp
You know it’s going to be a good day when you wake up to a message from a friend sending a link to their band’s new release. Brian had sent me a little taster of this recording a while ago, which I loved, but now it’s out properly and as soon as I opened the link I was buying it, because it’s brilliant. As much as I loved their first EP, I think this is even better; the music is still a full steam ahead, blistering punk rock attack, but the songs have these hooks, giving them more clarity so they feel like the best thing you’ve ever heard. I like the running order too, for three songs they launch a torrent of abuse at the murderous capitalist system, designed to bring us to our knees so we have no option but to live in servitude, depressed. But then they switch to the antidote, the thing that gives our lives meaning and a support network, the wonderful DIY punk community. Bloody brilliant, I’m going to have to re-think my 2025 top ten now!
Bandcamp (Tony) 

DEAD PIONEERS - Freedom Means Something - Hassle
Recorded at the same time as the ‘Po$t American’ LP, ‘Freedom Means Something’ is a brooding song with a steady, pumping bass that underpins everything as the the other instruments build, in volume if not speed, before coming to the fore. Gregg Deal gives us a spoken word condemnation of the racism, fascism and capitalist hell that has become emboldened by the administration and media in the United States, something that is also relevant in a lot ofd the rest of the world too. It’s a powerful song, as you would expect from Dead Pioneers. It has a touch of Jello Biafra about it but it is also most definitely Dead Pioneers; this is what they do. It’s a call to arms, to not fall for their lies, prejudices and corruption. Without doubt one of the most important bands around at the moment. ‘Freedom Means Nothing’ is available now from Bandcamp.
Bandcamp (Tony)

DEALING WITH DAMAGE - Wrong Sometimes - Serial Bowl
A nice little taster for their forthcoming third album, due for release early 2026. This is an infectious, melodic, punky song that has elements of late 1980s Dischord releases, as well as a distinct UK feel, there’s a real late 1970s new wave feel too, which for me is a winning combination. Lyrically it’s a nice reminder that despite how the on-line world can make you feel, sometimes things just don’t go the way you want them too. It’s so damn catchy that I have been playing this on repeat today, it’s like one of those great singles from my youth that sticks in my head, won’t leave but I’m happy it’s there. 

DEFBLOND - Defblondoes - Never Be Quiet
I’m not quite sure what to make of this, it’s like a mix of late 1980s punky pop (someone like Westworld or Transmission Vamp perhaps), mainstream pop, Glam Rock and even a little bit of soft rock. The punky pop and Glam stuff I can get on board with, it’s not my favourite style of music, but it’s got guitars, it’s catchy and I could tell myself that there's even a touch of later Blondie hidden in there. I’m afraid mainstream pop and soft rock has never been my thing, so there are one or two songs here that I’m not into at all. The band are a duo, Bri Slutcher who has done time playing bass in the UK Subs and Mog from Screeech Rock. Bri plays all the instruments on every song here, whilst Mog has contributed percussion and keyboards, with both singing. There is also another UK Subs connection as Pete Davies has played some drums. The cover is very bright and colourful, Hanoi Rocks style glam, it goes very well with the music.
NBQ  (Tony)

DIM PROSPECTS - Abscheu und Neugier LP - Noise Appeal
I have to thank Dim Prospects guitarist Mops for keeping me up to date with his musical output, via our mutual friends Rich and Geraldine, because it means I get to hear great, dynamic, melodic punk rock like this. Dim Prospects have always delivered the goods, but this is their best yet, the songs are urgent and packed with energy and drive. Dim Prospects shine when they put their foot down and go full speed, but even when they slow down a little, the songs are still captivating, with the two guitars working well together. With lyrics dealing with the political situation in Austria, they are sung in their native language, which makes perfect sense. I didn’t hear this in time for it to make my 2025 top ten, but if I had it would certainly have been there. You need to acquaint yourself with this band.

ON THE HUH – Second Time Around LP - Sunny Bastards
Hailing from the Fine City of Norwich ‘On The Huh’ have released what I think is their second albums worth of sing along anthems. If you like tuneful and you ain’t to bothered about the political then OTH will do just fine. Twelve songs reflecting on life including the love of a good old fry up they’ve absolutely nailed the genre of ‘Streetpunk’ with this one! I went to the release party for this album and considering they were up against The Ruts, who were also playing in Norwich that night, they still packed out the B2 and gave the assembled punters the knees up they wanted. My version of this album is on a green splattered vinyl, but there is a CD available if you like a physical product! Enough said by me – time for you to check em’ out if you ain’t already?! 
Bandcamp  or Facebook (Gaz)

...The Message

A POKE IN THE THIRD EYE - Sam Marsh - Earth Island Books
The Punk Buddha returns! This review should have been in the last issue, but due to my chaos and general disorder the book remained hidden under the mess that I operate in! Anyway! Situation rectified and here’s what I have to say. This is not Sam’s first venture and he has published work with Earth Island before, which I urge you to check out. Sam’s work is somewhere between Haiku and Poetry I think. I love Haiku as I think it’s just a collection of thoughts and observations noted down in short verses. Sam’s verses here are slightly longer and don’t have the rhyme of poetic verses, but they are his thoughts, his observations, his interpretations and his mind open for all to read may be? Get this book and judge for yourself. I found myself smiling and thinking to myself ‘I thought that’ although I’d probably keep it to myself as opposed to publishing those thoughts! 

HARDCORE HORROR edited by Tim Cundle - Earth Island
Twenty Three short stories by 21 writers all with a horror theme, featuring ghosts, vampires, cannibalism, revenge, the supernatural, old stories, and future stories. With so many different writers the styles vary, of course, and not every one of them hits the spot for me, but I’m sure those that didn’t grab me will no doubt be other people’s favourites. You can either read this from front to back, or dip in here and there. I started with Alan Marshall’s story, of course, which I enjoyed a great deal, but then went back to the start and read the others in order. I’m not the biggest Horror fan, but most of the stories were engaging (there are over 360 pages and I read it all pretty quickly), I wasn’t always able to see how they were going to turn out either. These writers deserve to have their stories read, and this is well worth a read if you are into horror, or even just fiction. 

MRS WILSON'S CHILDREN: Adventures at The Welly Club, Hull 1979-1981 by Caraline Brown - Earth Island
This is a great read. It’s kind of like the From The Garage To The Station And Beyond book that Amorphous Pieces put out. While that one told the story of the Gateshead Music Collective 1980-88, this one tells the story of how punk and new wave found a home at the Wellington Club a bit further down the east coast in Hull. Those young punks who found a home at The Welly get to reminisce about their time at the club and although the book has been written by Caroline Brown, it’s these kids’ contributions that give you a real feel of how much this place meant to them. While the UK press were spreading scare stories about punks and the trouble they caused, there were places up and down the country where punk gave kids some meaning, a community and a place to be creative. Caraline (or Kari) Brown was the one who did the booking of the bands, sorted the money and publicity as well as playing in a band herself. She has kept all her note books from that time and a lot of the pages have been reproduced showing their costs, what they paid bands and how much money they made, or lost. It's good to hear the stories of the bands that played (or didn’t). Discharge and Bauhaus didn’t win any friends, with their attitude, while UK Subs and Killing Joke made the opposite impression and Girlschool helped boost the club finances (just don’t mention U2). The Mrs Wilson of the title was the proprietor of the club and seems to have been stern and intimidating the way older ladies seemed to be in the late 1970s. She didn’t take any nonsense from these young punks, but also earned their respect and is fondly remembered by everyone. This is an easy and enjoyable read, it demonstrates just how important punk was to kids the in late 1970s and early 1980s, even when the music press had given up on it, kids up and down the country were getting together, forming bands, collectives and friendships and making things happen. I love books like these. 

POSITIVE CREED #56/A4/Price?
Another fine issue of this most excellent fanzine – This issue has three quality interviews with Diaz Brothers, Random Hand and The Backstreet Abortions along with reviews and opinions. The Bad Jokes page still gets me laughing out loud and I do try and remember a few to claim as my own wit! 
Positive Creed (Gaz)     





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