Reviews

from Equalizing-X-Distort radio-zine, Toronto/Canada, January 2003

Kohu-63 "Sotaa 81/82" LP
KOHU-63 are a band from Finland that first started out in 1978 and have that early punk sound. This record contains their first three releases after getting back together, which is a 7" a 10" and an LP, but they got back together in 1980 - not 2002. You can hear the bridge between the SEX PISTOLS and DISCHARGE on these recordings. There is 3-chord repetition being played at a slightly slower punk pace. It's a period piece, but probably of the greatest period in punk history. KOHU-63 throw in drunk sounding group choruses (which seems so Finnish for some reason). The material is thrashingly faster than the early punk releases of bands like the CLASH or the PISTOLS and they included some of the war-like theatrics of the ABRASIVE WHEELS, except with KOHU-63 you get a Finnish perspective. It's classic stuff. The material of legends. (Hohnie Records / An Der Kuhtranke 7 / 31535 Neustadt / Germany) - SP

Kohu 63 / Zlo split ep
KOHU-63, the classic Finnish band from the first wave are back with a vengeance with three new tracks. The distortion is eardrum piercing and can rival any chainsaw. The vocals are low and growly like Joey Shithead. The music is in that early wave of hardcore and they have sweeping guitar solos common in Japanese hardcore. The back up vocals are poppy glee club like group choruses common in early Finnish hardcore. New KOHU-63 remind me of a more hardcore version of ASTA KASK. The flipside features a new Estonian band called ZLO. They have a big sound and their songs are melodic without falling into the BAD RELIGION style of Epi-punk. The singer reminds me a bit of Chi-Pig from mid period SNFU. Seeing as Estonia and Finnish culture are so similar this is a good pairing. (Hohnie Records / An Der Kuhtranke 7 / 31535 Neustadt / Germany) - SP

Schleim Keim "Nichts Gewonnen, Nichts Verloren, Volume 1" LP
In a Killed by Death like unearthing this early 80's East German band gets an official full length release. Songs are compiled from old demos and a split release they did in 1983 under the name of SAU-KERLE. There is an East German scene report on the back cover from 1984 that details the hardships of this band. The story rivals all the stories that my grandmother told me about Russian occupied Estonia and gives you insight into this recording, explaining that the band saved for two years just so they could buy their equipment and the singer spent 5 months in jail for recording the split that got released in the west. So despite how punks really paid political prices to be punks behind the iron curtain this is an amazing document of an unheard of scene from the hardcore wave. But there are other good reasons to pick this up. SCHLEIM KEIM play a raw sounding style of early European hardcore pretty much in tune with bands from that time like BUTTOCKS who were a West German band. The guitar has a high pitched distortion that is buzzsaw in nature. The bass is played cleanly and is prominent in the mix and sometimes has an echo to it. The drummer has that early four-four umpah feel that is played way to fast for polka beats. And the singer has a distinct style with a bit of a Popeye sneer to him and he throws in the odd pop sing-a-longs that parody the mainstream because his growl is similar to someone with throat cancer who can only talk throw those voiceboxes. But instead of getting popular like BUTTOCKS did, SCHLEIM KEIM barely get remembered with this debut release almost 20 years later. I am glad it came out and should be viewed with the same significance of the MRR release of the DEZERTER LP. (Hohnie Records / An Der Kuhtranke 7 / 31535 Neustadt / Germany) - SP