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Buyer Rating: 100.0% positive (19 ratings)

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Runaways, The - Live In Japan - 02-Oct-09 02:28 PM
The only band I've bought because I liked their look without knowing anything about the music (which I never did in my life before, not even as a teenager), The Runaways turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I like all-female bands, maybe because I've always preferred bad, rocking girls to dumb little dolls without a personality, so I was curious to listen to the forefather (or, better, foremother?) of them all. Joan Jett was in it, and I already liked her early outputs with the Blackhearts, as well as her producer work with The Germs, one of my all time favourite punk bands (sporting, btw, another hot female rocker, bassist Lorna Doom). Back to The Runaways: their music wasn't revolutionary or outstandingly technical, nonetheless it still works pretty good as a prototype or female punk rock band. Cherie Currie's vocals are particular, and the lyrics about girls' desire for independence and freedom, while sounding obviously naive today, must have been a revelation for girls back in the mid 70s' (not to talk about the long delirium of "Dead End Justice", featured on their debut LP, with lyrics about, well, runaways, women in prison and reformatories, igniting classic "sexploitation" fantasies). The Tokyo live is probably the most representing product of their short adventure, capturing all their anthems in the live dimension. Well, I'd surely have paid the entrance ticket to see them back in the days, as they were all pretty hot and with the right attitude. Drummer Sandy West passed aways two years ago because of a tumor (RIP).

KMFDM - Blitz - 23-Apr-09 04:42 PM
This new KMFDM album is very similar in the approach as the latest Ministry ones: for fans only. Same old style, same clichés, nothing new on the Eastern Front. Still, few songs on "Blitz" are catchy and powerful, definitely enjoyable ("Potz Blitz!", "People Of The Lie", "Davai"). On "Strut" we have even an unexpected return by Cheryl Wilson, who sung on the mighty "Xtort", giving back that special feeling we found in songs like "Power" or "Juke Joint Jezebel".
The sad part is that every KMFDM full-length since the band's reconstruction totally lacks the humor, the genuine madness and the funny attitude that characterized their older classics. "KMFDM sucks"? Would they sing it today? Or have they taken themselves too seriously lately, just like Al Jourgensen with his (fortunately concluded) anti-Bush crusade?
A small negative note also goes to Brute's artwork: unimaginative and uninspiring, not worth of the beautiful classic covers from the past.

Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud, The - 31-Mar-09 12:22 AM
A real cult band back in the days and even more today, as their vinyls and CDs have forever disappeared from the market and will never ever be reissued (Albin and Alzbeth are not exactly on friendly terms).
Their music is still very much worth a listening, even if some of the albums and tracks inevitably show their weakness.
Musically speaking, the most interesting work is "The Smell Of Blood But Victory", a martial nightmare about war and destruction still standing above anything Der Blutharsch and his many imitators have achieved to the present. The mini-album "Were You Of Silver, Were You Of Gold" is a fine example of their ritual and folk influences, while earlier albums are more in the medieval vein, but less convincing (usually too many tracks and too long).
Alzbeth's vocals and the lyrics were, in my opinion, the strong part of The Moon's universe: apart from her unquestioned ability to shift between several different tones and vocal styles, the lyrics were extremely rich and complex, most coming from her philological studies about medieval history and legends. The book of lyrics, released immediately after the band's disbandment, is a precious document in this sense, with explanations and additional info for each song.
A pity that Alzbeth has never come out with her long-announced new project. The official website has disappeared too, so it's definitely time for the moon to lay beneath the clouds and never shine again in the night sky.

Skinny Puppy - B-Sides Collect - 15-Sep-08 03:34 PM
'B-Sides Collection', aka '12 Inch Anthology - Part II', is not to be missed by the true Puppy connaisseur. Here you find basically most of what was left out of the original '12 Inch Anthology', plus most of what was later released on singles.

Unfortunately, several tracks are missing: the two versions of 'Inquisition', both different from the album mix, the extended version of 'Censor', the SF Mix of 'Testure' (listed but not included in the '12 Inch Anthology'), the extended re-edit of 'Tormentor' and 'Worlock', and the two mammoth noise improvisations 'Walking On Ice" and 'Spahn Dirge'.

Anyway, there's enough material to satisfy the Puppy collector: excellent b-sides like 'Amputate', 'Brak Talk' and 'Bark', the awesome Marc Ramaer mix of 'Tin Omen' (EBM-like and without guitars, very different from the Jourgensen metal version), the doomy dub mixes of 'Natures Revenge' and 'Mirror Saw'.

Personally, I would have prefered a double CD with the missing tracks too, in order to finally complete one's single tracks collection, but, anyway, again, that's a release not to be missed.

Death In June - All Pigs Must Die - 04-Aug-08 06:44 AM
I clearly remember the day this album was released: I was living in Germany at the time, and I went to a shop in town where it was possible to listen to vinyls. "All Pigs Must Die" had just arrived, and I was dying to listen to it. No doubt I had that it was going to be DI6's umpteenth masterpiece in an already legendary discography.

I put the piggy pink vinyl (what a nice colour) on the turntable, activated it, and stood there with the headphones, ready to experience the magic. The first song, the title-track, sounded good, with Forseti's Andreas Ritter playing accordion, Campbell Finley's typical trumpet, and Doug's voice performing his anathema against the three piggies of WSD. Then it was "Tick Tock", introduced by Boyd Rice, more of less same formula, without significant variations. Third song, "Disappeared In Every Way", again the same. It was time for "The Enemy Within", a song many had already praised as a new immortal classic. Guess what, it sounded exactly the same as all the previous, and, honestly, rather boring. The lyrics were the worst part: "Piggy, piggy, pay me... The stolen riches are really mine... I have a fight with three piggies". I understand Douglas' frustration for the legal issue with WSD, but all this sounded truly embarassing in my ears.

The worst had yet to come: when I flipped the vinyl and started listening to side B, I discovered that, although there were other five song titles indicated, it had been filled with a big undistinguished soup of noise, samples and distortion. It was a great disappointment. Later, I learnt to appreciate some of the songs on side A, but this doesn't change the fact that "All Pigs Must Die" is DI6's less convincing album, unworthy of the poetry, intensity and beauty of the previous discography.

Fortunately, all legal issues with WSD are now over, and Douglas has just released "The Rule Of Thirds", which may not be a return to the best years, but undoubtedly to a more inspired songwriting.

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