Government Issue-The punk remains the same

DC-Jam
2009



Government Issue were one of the longer running DC punk rock bands of the 1980's as they were in existence for almost that whole decade. The were also one of the band's from that scene that progressed the most during their run. This five track EP was taken from two different GI shows back in the early 1982 and 1983. The sound quality is actually surprisingly good given the age of the material. Tracks like "Notch to my crotch" and "Snubbing" remind me some of fellow DC act Minor Threat with the straight shooting pace and to the point lyrics. The first four songs capture the spirit of early 80's punk rock and they chart in at a minute or two per song. GI save the best for last though with "Sheer Terror". This is the one song on the disc where they really push beyond the basic and begin to hammer out some rough, but interesting twist and turns. We get to hear traces of the kind of ideas that they would focus on just a few years later. The total running time for the disc is under ten minutes. For Government Issue fans it's a must have and a great example of where they were early in their career.