
For many, this is the holy grail of Swedish punk. Considering that the original sells for over 1,000 euros, it's no wonder why.
TST was an early punk band from Vasteras, an hour north of Stockholm, that played tuneful and somewhat anthemic punk rock. This was their debut 7″, released in 1981, containing 4 songs. The band will go on having a really long life, though their most productive period was in the first half of the 80s.
The original 7″ was pressed in 300 copies, didn´t have any inserts and you never see it in the wild nowadays. This reissue comes with a 4 page insert that contains all the lyrics, photos, gig flyers and an essay about the band.
Our take: No Plan Records reissues this Swedish punk grail from 1981. I was more familiar with the two records TST released subsequently—1982’s No Teenage Future 12” and 1983’s self-titled LP—and while those records have a tough, UK82-influenced sound, this first EP captures a younger, punkier version of the band. The main word that comes to mind when I listen to these four tracks is “anthemic,” with this early version of TST drawing influence from the Clash and Sham 69, influences I don’t think of as a huge part of the Swedish punk sound. While TST would get more locked-in and powerful musically on those later records, I love the spirit of discovery you hear on these four tracks; “I’m Looking at You” even lands on a similar doo wop-y rhythm to the Misfits’ “Some Kind of Hate,” and while one could see it as a stylistic detour, it’s also one of the EP’s most memorable moments. No Plan’s reissue adds an insert featuring a short essay about the band, lyrics for all the songs, and a bunch of photos and flyers from this period of the band’s development (they look like babies!), which is a welcome addition. While the music here is raw, unpolished, and youthful, it’s a treat for anyone interested in early 80s Swedish punk or the wider late 70s European punk explosion which this record has more in common with musically.