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SLUDGEFEST
'Baby You Fuck Me Up'
 (dlpr20006) CD 1999.
This is like a bad Stooges tribute rolled into Black Sabbath, especially on the guitar sound. The vocals are screaming, Americanised, spandex theatrics which I fucking hate with a vengeance. What is novel about this 4-tracker is the length of the tracks, the whole four tracks are under 5 minutes... so no time to get that bored! The 'Instrumental #4' track boasts a harmonica in the set-up but this is just too metalhead for my punk rock needs. Sludgefest (the name really gives the game away) bring to mind failed studio technicians fucking around with some spare studio time on their hands! NO FUTURE

IN THE SHIT
 'The Fall Of The Damned' EP
(mass013) 45 1999
5 songs about revenge, being force-fed to conform, paedophile vicars and saving the planet are pretty diverse subject matter for one EP. But they all appear on here in one shape or form, but this subject matter was let down badly by the way it was put over and a big disappointment in the Wolf's Lair! I'd heard a track here and there from this band before which sounded pretty interesting so was expecting some good in your face stuff here. And yeah it's in your face but was pretty bleak in the covering new ground section. Lets give a bit of history on the band first to put you in the picture. In The Shit hail from Methyr Tydfil which is a pretty rough dog hole in South Wales (well it was about 15 years ago!) So I can see the anger coming out, but it's the way it comes out that bugs me! It's so predictable, so monotonous and has been done so many times before! That it becomes pretty fucking boring after 5 tracks. Thrashing guitars, screaming one dimensional vocals and angry lyrics maybe some punks kind of fun but it ain't mine...if it don't grab ya. This is definitely 'topping yourself' music, so maybe they have succeeded and found a nice little niche for themselves! The production didn't help either. It's got more mud on tape than you'd find on the boots of some shellshocked cannon fodder squaddie from the first world war! Splendid art cover though and lyric insert by local artist Welly doing em proud, but we ain't here to review the fucking art are we? What's a good cover without a good record inside?....a bit of PLASTIC. Suprisingly it took two record companies (Mass Products and Inflammable Material) to come up with this white elephant... makes you question or wonder about their taste in fucking music!
massprod@hotmail.com or Mass Products BP 287, 35005, Rennes, Cedex, Breizh, FRANCE



BUG CENTRAL
'The Meek Will Inherit Nothing'
CD 1999.
Anarcho punk incorporated! Well that's the impression that most reviewers seem to spout off about this band. But I must admit that tag doesn't do Bug Central justice. Yeah they're raw, yeah they're angry and they bombard us with a wide range of systematic failings. But what I get from hearing these rabid, raucous Londoners is some- thing a little bit more than yer average Anarcho combo of today has to offer! And that something is suss! By reading the lyrics y'know, that they know the score all too well. And they don't just pack a punch to go with their angry pissed off demeanour. They've got some blitzing tunes to send their bomb on it's way! Bug Central have now got a new bass- player in their lineup which will hopefully give em chance of more gigs under their trio of studded belts. Pity coz I thought Paul Pot played a blinder on this album. This debut however kicks off in fine style with the 'Queens English' and the trademark buzz- saw guitars, driving bass and pounding drums propel us through their 13-song rampage. As I said this ain't your usual run of the mill rant 'n' rave fair here. Oh no...they have some great sarcastic lyrics that not only spell out the trials and tribulations this life has for us. But it's conveyed in a strangulated take no prisoners kinda way. 'Sick (again)' is one of their best tirades and shows they know a few tricks of the trade in song structure. For instance slowing down and speeding up as the fully aware lyrics sums up this system, that has it's slimey hands around all our necks! Ending with that stand- out yobbo sounding "I'm gonna be a problem"
end refrain, courtesy of Paul Pot followed by Noodles Romanov's (singer/guitarist) gut wrenched (snigger)..."you make me fucking sick!" epitaph! 'Moment of Clarity' is another good track from a clever debut. I like the way Bug Central have an everyday punk on the street look at life. Something too many of the preaching bands forget about or know nothing of? I do think Noodles Romanov's vocals (similar in style to Justin Sane's from Anti- Flags, scrawl) could do with a bit more variation in em. Coz their Jack Russell ranting quality can get a message over loud and clear but can also get a bit monotonous after 13 tracks! However their clever use of sound bites to introduce some of the tracks were well picked. And yeah not one guitar solo in the whole album!!! Comes with a great production, nothing tinny or transistorized on 'ere! Plus some great artwork and the full dirty lyrics spelt out for you yanks. UK CONTENDER Only a fiver postpaid from 118 Taplow St., London, SE17 2UJ, UK.  www.bugcentral.punks.co.uk

THE TWINKLES '
Dancing With The Pogo Kids'
 (Soda1) 45 1999.
This 45 takes yer back to the time when bands like Tonight, The Pleasers etc.(who? you may ask) were chalking up hits in the UK Top 30 back in '78. They all came under the new wave/ power pop bracket and this record could've easily have been released at the same time, even down to the tacky
cover artwork! Italian punk rock always had a different sqew on things, and the way they perceive the UK punk sound seems evident on this release.
The Twinkles all the way from Italia seem to head far more for the tuneful pop-punk sort of sound. And by pop-punk I mean a highly influenced '78 sound, not it's late 90's counterpart! Their name does absolutely nothing for me and on first impressions the vocals are pretty weak too. But their guitar sound is infectious with a great high standard production. The Twinkles reckon they are influenced by The Boys, but as far as record label logo's go that's about it. The title track 'Dancing With The Pogo Kids' is a rather happy go lucky kinda ditty that will probably go down well with college radio stations and kids into the music rather than the lifestyle. It's a bit too nice for me though and lead singer/guitarist and main songwriter Nick Mess's high octane vocals sound strangely as though he's got a bag full of helium on permanent standby or he's been jamming along to the Smurfs records far too long! (snigger) But his Micky Mouse tones are if anything original in the way they are put over! I suppose this is what real pop-punk should sound like instead of being copied, diluted and manufactured like the other version seems to be. This 45 at least has it's own sound all through the 3 tracks on show. But dump the fucking band name quick, coz it sucks nearly as much as the Dogshit Sandwich! WORTH A LISTEN Contact Via San Pietro, 17-31030 Castello Di Goidego (TV), Italy

I.D.K.
'Abnormal Position' Demo CD 1999.
An albums worth of demo's here just goes to prove that some bands are really getting up there with the technology on offer. I.D.K.'s offer of 11 tracks of recordings for demo's just proves how the state of a rehearsal room tape has come on in today's climate. I.D.K come across as a bunch of bored ex-skinheads from the lower East End, who one day while sitting in some boozer decided to book a jam session for a laugh and decided they liked the noise they banged out. So they produced this demo! Perhaps not quite true...coz they actually make a pretty decent racket on some of the 11 tracks (even if Trev Hagl doesn't think so!) They are influenced by the early punk giants but it's hard to weigh up what influences they actually picked up? They have a slight indie sound on some of the tracks and Dave M their blonde designer punk tone deaf singer keeps that in the back of our minds on most of the tracks with some very sloppy singing. Dougie the guitarist is a big Rejects fan so there's bits of them in here as well, mainly in attitude! The guitars are a bit tinny, sort of like early Skrewdriver with a bit of Menace thrown in on the riffs. But the guitar is the bands saving grace, coz their message (wot message?) wasn't in evidence and some good licks saved the day. Standout tracks 'Keep On Rocking In The Free World' were catchy enough to warrant more attention. I.D.K. ain't scared to experiment either, which on say the brooding 'Anyday Now' plus the love sick 'Cool Off' comes up with some flange inspired riffs. They end things with a predictable sing-a-long theme tune 'Theme From IDK'. For a very new street punk band there's plenty of room for improvement, like some really in your face tunes. But they seem to have the means. All they need now is more gigs and a tighter sound. They are always after gigs and want a label to release their stuff on ...join the fucking queue boys!!! Oh yeah I never did find out what I.D.K. stood for??? AVERAGE Contact idk.@talk21.com
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