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What’s up Sorry Staters?
How’s everyone doing? As I mentioned before, this time last week when the newsletter came out was my birthday. I had a great one and was riding the high for a few days after. Thanks everyone for all the b-day wishes, including some of you newsletter readers who reached out! Very cool. Honestly, I haven’t really given many new releases proper attention since last week. Because of that, for my staff pick, I’m just gonna write about records I was given as gifts from my Sorry State compatriots. Usman and Daniel each hooked me up with records that I’ve been on the hunt searching for years! I’ve been so stoked blasting these rippers.
Firstly, I’ll talk about the In ControLuce 7” single by Wretched. It’s funny, I think I name-checked this record when I wrote about Ayucaba a couple weeks ago. Little did I know that Usman would be giving a copy one week later haha. When I hear most people discuss 80s Italian hardcore, Wretched is one of the first bands people mention. My brain immediately envisions the most explosive, raw, chaotic hardcore imaginable. But what’s interesting about In ControLuce is that it’s quite a musical departure for the band. Released in 1988, a much later period release by the band, the 2 songs are a totally different vibe than chaotic early sound on EPs like Finira’ Mai? I think this might have been the band’s final release. And I gotta say, I just love it. It’s still hardcore, but with much more melodic guitar work and catchy songwriting. You can hear some of this experimentation incorporating more ambitious, melodic guitar work on La Tua Morte Non Aspetta, but even that record, with its huge, cavernous-sounding production, still sounds totally like the songs could fall apart at any moment. The drumming in particular on In ControLuce, as opposed to any other Wretched record, are super groovy and in-the-pocket, played with restraint. And while the title track is great, I just love the B-side “Libero E Selvaggio.” This is a weird word to use, but it’s like… beautiful. Haha. The vibe of that song is much more anthemic, almost like UK82, but still kind of dark and brooding. This might be a weird comparison, but it’s almost like comparing mid-to-late 80s era Dischord to the first 6 7”s – or like Salad Days vs. Filler. It’s just like more mature and refined, in a way. Then again, the guitar stuff also kinda reminds of stuff from Tuomittu Elämään EP by Varaus, so what do I know? I just find that after I’ve been bludgeoned by the Wretched/Indigesti split 7” one too many times, I always come back to the 2 songs on this single. I kinda wish that Wretched had a whole LP that sounded like this.
Okay, so speaking of Varaus, and Finnish punk in general, now let’s move onto Kohu-63. It’s funny, a few weeks ago, I was texting with a friend whom I met while Public Acid was in Europe, and while we were talking, she was at the Puntala festival in Finland. She got to see Pohjasakka, which is rad, and we were just talking about our favorite Finnish hardcore bands. While I love Mellakka, Rattus, and so many other bands, this Valtaa Ei Loistoa 12” by Kohu-63 has really become one of my favorites over the years. So much so that I probably blabbed about it all the time, and Daniel remembered and cheekily found me a copy while he was in Finland this summer! So rad. But yeah, there’s just something about this record. First of all, it’s only 8 (really more like 7) songs, so it’s the perfect length for a hardcore 12”. Also, I just think this 12” EP has such bright, clear production. Kohu-63 is from Tampere, but I would say that they’re not as gritty or gnarly as their hometown peers, like say Kaaos, for example. Valtaa Ei Loistoa came out in 1982 on Poko Records, and to me has more in common sonically with a band like Lama. Still a bit tuneful and catchy, especially the vocals, which I personally really like. But I think more-so than the first Lama LP, which came out the same year, Kohu-63 is so much more propulsive and raging. The song “Valtaa I” even has a gang-vocal chants with an almost kinda UK Oi! vibe to it. But then when you get to a song like “Huorra,” they amp up the power and speed almost akin to Gang Green territory. The band all hit one big chord, then the drums come barreling in. But once the strings start, the guitar player attacks the riff so ferociously, playing through all those strings so blisteringly fast that I bet my dude’s cuticles were bleeding in the studio! The mid-paced stomper “Puhtaat” is great, but I swear the first time I heard it I was like, “is this a weird cover of ‘Hang Ten In East Berlin’?” Maybe they somehow got a hold of The Detours version if that compilation made its way to Finland? Or maybe it’s just a total coincidence haha. This Kohu-63 song isn’t on Youtube, so I guess you’ll just have to find a copy on vinyl to hear what I’m talking about. Come to think of it, a few of the songs from this record aren’t online anywhere. Someone should change that maybe. Or not. The record ends with a gang chanted a capella “Oi! Oi!” type thing, and they keep just saying “Barmy Army” over and over. Pretty funny. Love this record.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Thanks for letting me gloat about my recent scores.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff