"I like HELLNATION quite a bit & have even had a handful of their records for some time now.So why , all the sudden , did I choose this particular LP?Because I put this on 10 years (almost to the day!) after it was recorded & it blew my fucking head off.Upon first listen , I just sat in the front of the record player and tried frantically to follow along with the lyrics.I didn't notice until the end of the first side that , all the while , my mouth was open & my brow clenched in disbelief.It's just so fucking fast!
37 songs scar the surface of this 45rpm record...and only two of them pass the 1 minute mark. I've heard 'fast' plenty of times before , but this just slays it all...mainly because HELLNATION writes great songs & THEN plays them at lightning speeds.They don't concentrate on JUST the fast. Even though these songs only last an average of about 30 seconds , they have memorable parts and decernable song structures.
Musically HELLNATION , on this LP , could be compared to a way faster DROPDEAD. But at the heart of it , these are just good punk songs played at unbelievable speeds. Every once in a while the songs slow down enough to hear those sometimes fun & undeniably punk riffs. I'm straight up amazed at the drummer's velocity & stamina behind the kit alone , but then I read the liner notes & found out that he lays downs the majority of the vocals!What a fucking maniac! The vocals , by the way , are irrate screams that could again be compared to DROPDEAD. Then every once in a while some mean , lower pitched vocals barge in out of nowhere & add a whole new dimension to the already angry-as-fuck songs.
Lyrically , this record just spews out contempt. In song after song , just blasts of pure hatred for most everything Al (the drummer/vocalist & I'm assuming , chief lyricist) deals with. There are a variety of topics covered in these 37 songs & all of them are very to-the-point , but also written intelligently. A few songs look inward & are critical of himself , his reactions toward certain situations & how he deals with the bullshit life hands out. All of the lyrics are relatable & right on. One song even has a sample of some JUDAS PRIEST lyrics about staying true to yourself & your beliefs that cleverly fit this record like a glove.
This LP really has to be heard to be believed.It has all of the qualities that make HC/punk exciting , dangerous & worthwhile to me. Every kid who ever listened to RANCID & thought, "Now THIS is PUNK," should be force-fed a heaping portion of HELLNATION until their heart explodes or they see the error of their ways. This is hardcore , punk or whatever you want to call it , at it's meanest & best. You can't fuck with this shit." -Seven Inches To Freedom HC/punk fanzine, Issue 5-Sept. 2007
A little history of the band and then I will wrap it up on this review.Hellnation came from Kentucky and have been playing since 1989.They have toured the United States, Japan, Brazil and Europe several times.A few band members play in Brody's Militia and Jacked Up Zeros so go check those cool cats out sometime or I will post their shit up another time.Your Chaos Days Are Numbered is out of print , but it shouldn't be to hard to find.
HELLNATION-Your Chaos Days Are Numbered
No comments:
Post a Comment