Loads of Deranged-related reviews have recently popped-up and you can find them below.
WOLFBRIGADE – The North American pressing of their new album COMALIVE is now out on vinyl, cd and digital. The 5th album from the Scandinavian hardcore steamroller with 13 new tracks of down tuned crustcore blasts. Their strongest studio recording since the excellent “ALL DAY HELL”, ‘COMALIVE” finds the band in peak form blending obvious elements of POISON IDEA, MOTORHEAD, TRAGEDY, DISCHARGE, and death metal. Limited colored vinyl is still available.
"Regardless what music genre you like it always depends on if it has that special groove. You know that special ability to speak directly to the listener, so you feel the music in your spine and your groin instead of it takeing a detour through the brain. Stockholm based WOLFBRIGADE knows this very well."Comalive", their 8th fullenght, is an absolutly supreme display on groovy rawpunk. In tracks like "Ride for a fall", "Deny Tomorrow" and "Barren Dreams" they layer foaming aggression with rock solid pumping d-beat and the energy is focused on direct hits, not on undistinctive speed. This is, together with Avskum's "Uppror Underifrån", THE Swedish punk album of 2008" / CLOSE UP MAGAZINE (Sweden)
WHITE LUNG – WHITE LUNG was recognized by EXCLAIM as one of 3 ‘punk’ bands to watch out for in 2009. Here is the blurb they had to offer: “Since forming in 2006, Vancouver’s WHITE LUNG have brought sneering, visceral post-punk to warehouse parties, house shows and actual venues. Part BIKINI KILL, part WIRE, they’re hard to pin down but definitely know how to start the party. The band’s first seven-inch on Hockey Dad records is now an out-of-print gem, while their MAGAZINE EP on Deranged is selling like crazy. Whether they tour the country, release an album, or simply keep existing, the buzz around these ladies is inescapable. “
“Thanks to Deranged Records I finally got my hands on a copy of the new White Lung 7", and I'll be damned if it doesn't surpass their debut on Hockey Dad released earlier this year. Natasha Reich's guitar playing is crazy good, and I especially like the back-and-forth jabs between her and now ex-bassist Grady MacIntosh on "Therapy" while Mish Way shrieks like a banshee about a mystery man of inspiration named Chad. "Magazines" rides a speedy surf guitar lick with the rest of the band holding on for dear life, but thanks to Anne-Marie Vassiliou's steady and sure backbeat, the wheels of this wild ride stay on just long enough to ensure the jilted ex being slagged gets kicked to the curb with a vengeance. "Backhouse" is a live favourite of mine, and on record it's still just as volatile. Here's hoping this incendiary mix of post-punk aggression channels its way into more homesteads by way
of this awesome release.” DISCORDER
“Neo post punk with a U.K.influence and some strains of no wave seeping in at points, though never entirely taking over. The drums have a big sound and primal beat with the guitars dark and slightly creepy. Three solid songs of this stuff. They sound minimal at points then layered at others. A good mix of all that makes this music interesting.” RAZORCAKE
“With 'Magazines'...this direction there's lot's of nice guitar work, weird high muted harmonics piercing everything right before the chorus. I love these little weird touches...I'd be happy to hear them go a little more experimental even...it doesn't have to be all power chords. Get into a little Deerhoof territory, bring the weird sounds to the punk, I appreciate the effort. If they are playing near you in Vancouver, please tell me about it, I'm curious how this is working out live. I want to believe this kind of energy plays out in shitty alternative spaces nightly. I think 'Therapy' is the B-side and they show no signs of letting up anytime soon, this is even better, the guitar cramps-y line is sinister and great...another weird unexpected line of thought. This is really sounding like the YYY's, unintentionally I'm sure...but I could see them succeeding in the same circles. They
have that potential for sure...this latest stuff is even leaning more that way then the kicked out of the garage sessions.
Mish has an insane voice. It's really serious yelling, she has to have had some kind of vocal training or she's going to be a mess after some kind of week long punishment like SXSW...how could you just sing yell like this? It's kind of low and she's growling like every other verse. You have to take this voice seriously...it's powerful. Like Karen O or something, it's unique, I think it's more than the standard punk too. The rest of what's going on musically seriously has to compete with these vocals. It's working out so far, maybe pushing guitar lines to standout more than usual...trying to come up for air. It's a nice fight to hear. This is Sleater Kinney to my ears but actually even better, the second coming, or let's say SK for today.” http://7inches.blogspot.com
“I was into the first WHITE LUNG EP quite a bit but this one blows it out of the water. The songs “Magazines” is the best thing I’ve heard all month. The second the initial blast of AGENT ORANGE-style faux-surf guitars breaks, the hooks have sunk in. The other thing that really makes this track is the guitar in the chorus. It almost ends up sounding like a keyboard and floods my brain with snippets of Penis Envy. I’m tired of making comparisons to other bands, but just imagine that album along with AGENT ORANGE-ness that I already mentioned and add all good (musical) elements of the first wave of riot grrrl and you’ve got this killer EP. Can’t wait to git my hands on a copy.” MRR
BRUTAL KNIGHTS – Their LIVING BY YOURSELF 12”/CD made TOP TEN PUNK release for 2008 by EXCLAIM “Toronto’s BRUTAL KNIGHTS play fast and pissed hardcore, but their sense of humour takes a front seat. On LIVING BY YOURSELF, subject matter includes sex, food, and the future. Of course, the music is top notch 80’s hardcore with a hint of garage punk for extra sass. Stupid for the fun of it, this is a welcome distraction from these grave times.”
European tour is in the works for April 2009 as well as a new 12”.
THE YOUNG – After two excellent 7”s (both available in the online store, see reviews below), a new 7” is now in the works for late spring. Two tracks from the upcoming 7” are available at www.myspace.com/bullshitdeluxe
“I don’t care how old the members of the Young happen to be. They could be in the thirties or forties for all I care. What is undeniable, no matter their ages, is that they have produced a phenomenal debut EP that transcends musical subgenres, delivering raw, honest emotions set to crackling hardcore, emo (the old kind, not the dog shit that clogs up popular radio today), and garage punk. “Get Out of My Face” is right up in the listener’s (face), a vitriolic lyrical and musical spasm that sits somewhere between the Carbonas and Marked Men on the punk rock musical spectrum. “Hurt Each Other” recalls mid-‘80s Dischord bands like Embrace and Rites Of Spring with its desperate, heart-wrenching vocal delivery. Early Jawbreaker and Promise Ring are especially evident on “Erase You,” and “Nobody Cares” leaves rubber marks on the blacktop as it screeches at you like a
souped-up muscle car. Austin, TX is lucky to have these bucks-of-early-chronological-age sleeping in its gutters.” RAZORCAKE
“Started as a one-man band by Hans in his downtime from Army of Jesus, the Young has fleshed out and become a four-piece, full-time band of its own. In the span of four demos and a couple of years, their songs, once solely Reatarded punk, have adopted more intricate punkpop overtones. These two four-song EPs, culled from that fourth demo, have plenty of melodic solos and nearly-sung vocals that it’s tempting to file them stylistically alongside fellow Texans the Marked Men, but then they hit you with “Nobody Cares,” totally a hardcore track but not out of place at all. So there’s a little more to the band than just the pop that’s creeping in, which is what makes these records stand out.(DH)
Austin, TX outfit I first heard of some time back via a tape sent to me (by the esteemable Mr. David Hyde) that I quite enjoyed. Vinyl seemed long overdue, as they play a nice mash-up of
hardcore-punk and KBD-ish junk, guitar driven, sometimes melodic, sometimes full-on raging, really good sound overall. Throaty vox perfectly blend with the music, non-stop energy and interesting (and hooky) songwriting keep your attention. At times this sounds like the Reds at their punkest, but louder and snottier, with a Husker Du nod. Dark lyrical undertones float under the surface, but the tunes are so brisk they're never downers. Honestly well done, the kind of shit you hear a 7" of and immediatley think you could do with a whole LP worth of. I wanna say this is like Beat Beat Beat if they were a serious band and not a bunch of goofs. Great homestyle recording that sounds powerful and is mixed perfectly. Anyway I slice it, I like it. Ex-Army of Jesus, but don't let that scare ya off. Great collage work on the Crim IQ sleeve, all covers of the Super Secret 7" are handstamped, 100 are
on white with some extra stuff on the sleeve. For people who like their punk without the weird.” TERMINAL BOREDOM
BRAIN KILLER – Their debut 7” is the next Deranged release which is due out this March. Some have compared them to DISCLOSE which I don’t really get – they play noisy fast hardcore. You can check Side A of the 7” at www.myspace.com/derangedrecords
NITAD – Their new album is now making its way around and there is talk of a US tour. Nothing official as of yet.
Crank this up and kick some furniture over. Raging hardcore from Sweden with a massive dose of rock to make this blaze out of control. Nitad are loud, in your face, and it’s a great thing. The songs are fast paced, the rhythm section rumbles, guitars are loud, slightly jangly, and the singer bellows. Nitad are easily one of the best bands going these days, and this collection is a must-have. Think I’m kidding? Get this and hear for yourself. Then send me a thank you note care of Razorcake for hepping you to this chunk of auditory awesomeness. This disc also collects their Varlden Måsten Do EP, material from the split with Kvoteringen, Ge Oss Mer EP, a comp track, and the 2006 demo. RAZORCAKE
IMPULSE INT’L – More and more praises. Their debut album should be out this summer. If you haven’t caught on, here goes…
REAL KID “This one is a bit more reserved than their “Arm the Girls” or “Saturday Suzie” singles, but as good. The title track is a rocker that continually builds in tempo from mid pace to something a bit quicker and uplifting. The flip is “The World Hates Me” which has a slight U.K. post punk feel while retaining the power pop these guys crank. I love the guitar sound on this song. Overall, this single reminds me of stuff, like early Nick Lowe and the Plimsouls. Great stuff again.” RAZORCAKE
“The Real Kid” b/w “The World Hates Me”: 7”
“A new 45 from this now postal-service-land-band (I’m taking credit for that). The first A side is more upbeat garage rock’n’roll that will likely get you boogieing down to some extent. The other “A” side (which threw me for a quick loop and cracked me up) sounds more like a mid-tempo Buzzcocks song, or, I’m really tempted to say, a less melancholy Arrivals song. Do I even mean that? I just think this is the best thing I’ve heard of theirs so far.” RAZORCAKE
Arm the Girls: 7” Straight to the point, this is a great single. I mean a really great single! Both sides are absolute brilliance. Two songs that perfectly illustrate why singles rule. “Arm the Girls” and “Run and Hide” will make you feel completely alive. So catchy it’s unreal. Power pop done right. Sounds like something Bomp! would have released thirty years ago, and yet this is in the here and now, fresh and with a shelf life longer than a box of Twinkies.” RAZORCAKE
Saturday Suzie: 7” EP
I was listening to this the other night before I went out to see some show, and these three songs ran through my mind the whole time. More high quality power pop that is infectious. “Saturday Suzie” has a freakbeat approach and gets the legs moving, head to shaking, and adrenalin racing. “One Girl, Eight Wheels” is a love song to Roller Derby girls, and “Something’s Happening Here” shifts gear to a slightly reserved pace. Something about this song makes me think of NYC. Maybe it’s the guitar tone? Either way, another great record from these fine folks. Act now and get one of the 500 pressed on hot pink vinyl. Operators are standing by...” RAZORCAKE
“Snappy, poppy, and as jumpy as a '77 punk on a pogo stick. Sharp bursts of the JAM mix in with that super rare power pop sound from the late 70's that all the kids seem to be rubbing balls to nowadays. The tunes will stick - you'll be singing these ones all the way to the dole office and back. If you've been digging the TRANZMITORS GENTELMEAN JESSE, STATUES and all the other new breed of punked up mods then you'll absolutely love this. Another winner from the label you all love to hate... get over it.” MRR
TOTAL ABUSE – Their outstanding debut album is making the rounds and turning a lot of heads in the process. There is talk of touring in the summer and another 7” later this year. Colored vinyl of the album is still available through the online store. Here are some recent reviews:
“Finally, after much teasing and foreplay, the TOTAL ABUSE full-length is out and totally worth the wait! This album is pure bloody-knuckles-wrapped-around-a-bottle-of-despair music – a soundtrack for modern times. I listen to this shit while running and I want to push people out of my way, stomp on top of shiny, expensive cars, and then run against the traffic in the middle of the street. I’m not fucking around here. Imagine the nihilistic hardcore intensity of a band like SEX/VID mixed with everything musically cool about BLACK FLAG and you’re just starting to get the picture. Some songs are driving on the mid-tempo side and make you slip slowly into madness, and others are fast and relentless, perfect for skating top speed down the steepest hills in town. You should already have the two EP’s by this point (SEX PIG and the demo 7”), but if you don’t, the CD version
has both of em as bonus tracks to catch you up on things. I usually don’t keep CDs.. I’m keeping this one. Fantastic!” MRR
“I think Total Abuse’s abrasive artwork kinda led me to assume that I was in for some GG Allin-esque, moronic shock punk, and so I never bothered to check them out until hearing this LP. Foolish. This record ripped my goddamned head off. Insane, redlining punk rock from the Poison Idea school, just dripping with anger. Seething, desperate and one hundred percent convincing. I need to see this band live. Chock up yet another killer release for Deranged Records.” RAZORCAKE
“Modern day hardcore bands namedropping Void, Negative Approach and Die Kreuzen automatically throw down the money-where-your-mouth-is gauntlet, so when Austin's Total Abuse does all that and then the singer talks about how he likes to hide behind a wall of power electronics noise and intone to the audience dictator-like, I am skeptical. But with the new weed of HC bands like Fucked Up and Sex Vid (covering the Dead C for heavens sake) the combo of select history lessons in sound vs. conceptual rulebook out the window can't be anything but a kool and welcome cardioshock to the genre. Deranged Records' comp of Total Abuse's LP/7" and demos doesn't quite yield the Black Flag-meets-Whitehouse vibe that's been hinted (I haven't seen them live), but the off-the-rails HC destruction (esp. the smoking demos) has made me a huge fan. They are powerful, fast and noisy as hell and the singer's
yowl does me just fine; and calling a track "Banned In Austin" might be funny, but sure doesn't sound like a joke.” WMFU –Brian Turner
“Playing the sort of demented, crank-fueled hardcore punk that makes me want to bounce off of my walls for an hour or two, Total Abuse have coughed up a ripping disc of noise-damaged thrash here that captures a legitimately scroungy 80's vibe, and yet this sounds like it came from an alternate universe. That is, an alternate universe where early 80's American hardcore thought it to be perfectly acceptable to take influence from shit like the early British industrial/noise scene and the savage NYC No Wave skronk of the No New York compilation. Were there any actual bands back then that sounded like that? Like this? If so, clue me in! Total Abuse feel so recognizeable and energizing to my ears, giving me the same cathartic adrenaline rush that I get whenever I throw my copy of Drop Dead on the turntable, but they also sound fresh and vital, no hardcore museum piece here, their raw-meat
blastcore infused with a seething dissonance, mashing the brutal tornado thrash of proto-blasters Deep Wound and Siege through the nihilistic noise of the Hospital Productions aesthetic, sometimes sounding like a primitive Black Flag coaked in malfunctioning amplifier howl, other times lumbering through a grinding Flipper-like dirge. Just check out that first track "Introduction" as it staggers through four minutes of total cacophonous noise and car-wreck hardcore - it sounds like the craziest, noisiest Grey Daturas or Rusted Shut track you've ever heard. So fucking great! The whole disc is a vicious assault that intersects their ultra fast hardcore collisions with slow-mo pummel and abrasive noise unlike anyone else I've heard outside of the mongoloid Philadelphia hardcore scene that is home to Violent Students and Pissed Jeans. Comes in a white jacket with harsh black and white xeroxed
collage art that has a cool early 80's UK industrial look. Recommended!” CRUCIAL BLAST
TRISTESS –
“Sometimes it’s really hard to describe a record that is absolutely fantastic. It’s like, where do you begin? This is by far the best record yet from Tristess. Everything they’ve done prior pales in comparison. They definitely have the early European punk sound nailed down tight, and though the sound is retro, they sound refreshing. “Jag Tillhor Mig” is an excellent track that has a bit of a Stooges sound in the guitar, and the singer, Triztano Cazanova, adding the “ch-ch-chs” sends the song over into the “repeated play before listening to the next track” category. The organ on “Hg & Låg Blues” and the sax on “Paralyserad Generation” raise this record even further up the measuring stick of what makes a record great and not run of the mill. Definitely one of the best of 2008.”
RAZORCAKE
You can reach deranged records at derangedrecords@hotmail.com or www.derangedrecords.com or www.myspace.com/derangedrecords
