The way we figure it, there's not
much difference between your basic
Black Flag fan and your AC/DC en-
thusiast (except that they hate each
other), where musical preference is
concerned. They both prefer it hard,
fast and loud with a big guitar sound,
thundering drums and stay dry on key
boards please, if none at all, thank
you. Come to think of it; although
some of you pre-pubes out there may
not remember, AC/DC was promoted
with blood, sweat, and spit, punk-like
stance in their early years. Gregg
Ginn, guitarist for Black Flag, cites.
ZZ Top, and early Sabbath as influ-
ences. The Stones were punks in the
sixties, heavy in the seventies, and
middle of the road in the '80s. Iggy
Pop in the seventies, Henry Rollins
in the '80s, Bowie-Motley Crew...It's
only rock-n-roll, right Mick?
When we began researching this H-
Metal coverage, it seemed as if we
were already at a standstill as far as
finding fresh and new material fo
cover. I mean we all know about your
basic Van Halens and your Ozzy Oz-
bornes. We found that while Halen is
bogged down doing lame cover ver-
sions like "Pretty Woman," and Ozzie
is biting the heads off chickens, a mul-
titude of trigger happy guitar/metal
bands have been polishing up their
axes, and their vocal chords, for an
assault on the sleeping goliaths of
rock.
METAL
Iron Maiden
IRON MAIDEN/GIRLSCHOOL
Iron Maiden and Girlschool have
been sighted on Americansoil lately,
touring as underlings for less interest-
ing, not to mention power lacking big
metal bands such as Foreigner and
Scorpions. It's always refreshing to
see the old guard being challenged by
the younger brashness of a new gen-
eration, even if they are playing the
same old shit. The Iron Maiden
Girlschool guitar based power match
up has gone far from unnoticed during
their American tours, raising a good
share of fists wherever they have laid
down their English brand of fire
breathing H-Metal.
LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH
International Record Syndicate,
Remember early Black Sabbath?
Maybe not. Well, try this, take Stiv
Bators (formerly of The Deadboys)
and Brian James (late of the Damned)
and put 'em together: What do you
get? Another super group? At least
they didn't name themselves after a
city, country, or continent. (Sab-
bath...Church...hmmm!)
On their first album, Lords of the
New Church, the subject matter is di-
verse; Hollywood, politics, and rich
bitches... Stiv Bators' nightmares set
to music, the Damned at their wed-
ding. The album fires out at break
neck speed with a big sound, catching
breath only for the single "Open Your
Eyes. There's no reason why
LO.T.N.C. shouldn't be corrupting
youths all across the country, the con-
tinent, the world....
B. Ware
MY RULES
Dead Kennedys
Minor Threat
Bad Brains
5.5. Decontrol
Black Fing
Circle Jerka
Misfits Necros
Reagan Youth
Effigies Descendente J.F.A.
T.S.O.L. Social Distortion
Hüsker Dü Big Boys CH.3
PLUS MORE
U.S. HARDCORE/
send $2.00 4.500
($1. overseas) for postage to
MY RULES/Glen E. Friedman
p.e.box 11322 Beverly Hill
California 90213 U.S.A.
GIRLSCHOOL
Rock
Screaming
Girlschool lead guitarist, Kelly
Blue Murder Johnson, in a see of fists.
GIRLSCHOOL
Screaming Blue Murder
Arista Records
Girlschool is already being emu-
lated by several all girl bands in their
native England. Their live shows in the
states have been well-received which
is no small feat in the mostly male-
dominated coliseum-rock circuit. On
the strength of tunes from their first
American Ip: Screaming Blue Murder,
these four daughters of rock-n-roll
show that they know how to put it to-
gether. They pulled a song from the
Stones, called "Live with Me," (I've got
nasty habits...) that pretty much sums
up where they're at. Another cover
tune that rips is an all female version
of ZZ Top's "Tush." But for raw power
check out Girlschool originals like
"Hellrazor," "Scream Blue Murder,"
and "Flesh and Blood."
38
KT
U.S. Metal Vol. I & II
U.S Metal, Vol. I & II have got to be
the best examples of the new
onslaught of bands geared towards
the harcore, power chord structure.
Executive producer Mike Varney has
put together these two compilations
from tapes sent to him through ads in
the rock press requesting music from
all over the U.S. Promoting with quips
like "Unsung guitar heroes," "U.S.
guitarists kill, and staging "guitar
wars," (where opponents face off and
fire licks back and forth until a winner
is declared), are all parts of Vamey
enthusiasm for this metal surge. Not
to mention that Mike is fairly a gonzo
guitarist himself with Cinema, a band
that is featured on Vol. 2. He even
goes so far as listing only the names
of the guitarists on the liner notes.
This shouldn't take away from the fact
1.S.METAL
METAL
R
THRASHER
that there are plenty of driving bass
lines, quadruplet drum rolls and glass
hate result is some of the best and
most current hard rock to ever come
out of a garage or a mini-storage
turned practice studio. Bands like Cul-
prit, Vixen, Virgin Steele, The Rods,
Failsafe, Wild Dogs, Exxe, etc. are
unleashed with each song trying to
vocals on these records.
overpower the one previous. Any
heavy metal kids out there would be
doing themselves a favor by checking
out U.S. Metal. Once these guys are
rock stars and forget how to write and
play music, you'll know that you heard
them in their prime.
Look for U.S. Metal or write to: Mis-
ter Vamey, Shrapnel Records, P.O.
Box P, Novato, CA 94948.
Biskut of the
BIG BOYS
Jeff Newton
THRASHIRTS
ARE
FUN
$6.95
SML (circle one) $6.95 +1.50 postage, handling.
Send check or money order to: THRASHER SKATEBOARD
MAGAZINE, PO Box 24592. San Francisco, CA 94124.
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