Zex-Child Soldier

No Front Teeth Records
2017

Ottawa, Ontarios' Zex (vocalist Gretchen Steel, guitarist Jo Capitalicide, bassist Gab Hole, and drummer: Mark Useless) has a new single out. It's entitled "Child Soldier" and it is everything that we have come to love and expect from this (socially-conscious) four-piece band! Last heard from in 2015 with "Fear No Man", vocalist Gretchen Steel and her punk metal companions have perfected their one of a kind sound. It falls somewhere between punk rock and (N.W.O.B.H.M.-infused) garage metal and yes, it is AWESOME! If you have never heard it for yourself then A) Your life is incomplete and B) These two songs are as good a place as any to dive right into! And speaking of (stage) diving right in, Zex PLEASE come to my part of Ohio!! If you're reading this then please know that the U.S. needs Zex. We need your loud take on punk rock and we need your message.  Your U.S. fans want to bop about and slam dance to your mission and your cause. Please come before it is too late...

The Barber-General Thrashing

Zero Hero Recordings
2016

Moscow, Russia's The Barber released "General Thrashing" close to one year ago, but I'll be damned if that is going to stop me from bring it up now! If you are a fan of (underground) punk rock n' roll, eighties hardcore punk, and Motörhead then chances are you'll feel the same kind of instant attachment to the band's debut LP as I did. I'm not going to say that you won't like The Barber if all three of those genres are not heavily represented in your personal music collection. Mixed in with vintage punk and (street-worthy) hardcore, "General Thrashing" has more than enough (metallic) rock and roll to get you up out of your seat and into the pit. Just so there is no question about it these guys known how to write (Grade A) material that is every-bit as catchy as it is cruel. You can thank the group's legitimate ability to absorb the greatness that is (and forever will be!) garage rock and roll for that revelation. Preceded by the 2014 EP "Original since 80th", The Barber's first full-length album could easily cross on through to the other side. I'm just wondering if the general population will be able to see The Barber for what it really is. Will they understand the spirit of this band and what makes them tick? Can they look beyond the cool music and the good times? Hell if I know. Maybe it doesn't even matter. I mean as long as people spread spread the word about these guys then it is all golden. But that's the kicker. It isn't enough to just experience the music of The Barber. You need to share it with other people. Deep down inside I get the feeling that this Russian band is the real deal. Let's not go changing that. Sell this band to your friends for what they are. We desperately need to rally around this lot and others like them so that they don't feel pressured to change for the sake of more gigs or a record contract.  As can be heard here, The Barber's latest release is a wicked cover of The Exploited's "Beat The Bastards". That's a good sign that these Russian musicians are still tied to their roots and that they are marching forward to the beat of their drummer alone.  With all of the obstacles that have surely sprung up,  The Barber gets mad props from me for sticking to their guns!

CrashDollz-Punks In Amerika

RadicLea Records
2016

Detroit, Michigan is the home turf of CrashDollz and "Punks In Ameriika" is this wild band's brand spanking new album. I first covered this female-fronted punk rock n' roll/metal band in one of my Free Metal Monday features and to this day the group's self-titled album never fails to amaze me! Now lead vocalist Nikki Darling and crew are back with a vengeance on their first album for RadicLea Records. Available in digital format as well as on CD, "Punks In Ameriika" was produced by Scott Lea (The Fiendz) and band guitarist' Rachel Rekkit. CrashDollz sophomore outing features 11 killer cuts including a new version of "Novocaine" (from the band's self-titled debut) and a choice cover of Prodigy's "Smack My bitch Up". Bassist Kevin Krank (Damien, ex-Bones Garage, ex-Chastian, ex-Vainglory) and drummer Rob Brug (Halloween, Warrion, ex-Damien) round out the line-up on "Punks In Amerika" and all four-musicians sound freaking fantastic on this fierier follow-up to the ever so cool "CrashDollz"! The album starts off strong and stays that way with opener "Hellcat" setting the pace for the rest of this attitude-filled disc! As one sweet as fuck track leads into another you'll find yourself drawn to lead singer vocalist Nikki Darling's strong presence and the simmering leads of CrashDollz' underrated guitarist, Rachel Rekkit. There's no sign whatsoever of a sophomore slump for these Detroit punk metal rockers on "Punks In Amerika" and with lyrics that point towards the strength of women in music this album is as positive as it is powerful! If anything the band's new album improves upon the material and the messages of "CrashDollz" and that is really saying something considering how classic this band's debut was!!  I have zero doubt that fans of "CrashDollz" will just LOVE this 11-track release, but then again so should collectors of classic punk & followers of female-fronted punk-metal. To the members of CrashDollz I say congrats on the release this power rockin' disc and PLEASE keep on doing what you're doing because the music scene of today really needs you to straighten it out! And to our faithful readers I say go out and secure your own copy of "Punks In Amerika" in order that you can support the further adventures of this amazing band! And if you have the chance then by all means be sure to catch this Detroit act out live! From what I've heard you won't be disappointed!!!!

Healthy Junkies-Box of Chaos

STP Records
2016

Formed way back in 2010 by French vocalist/lyricist extraordinaire Nina Courson and the exceptional UK-born guitarist/singer that is Phil Honey-Jones, Healthy Junkies is a London-based punk rock/grunge band that is making all kinds of noise thanks to top-tier albums like "Box of Chaos". Self-described as  "Female fronted New wave punk grunge band" that is "DIY and hungry.." this (potentially) radio-friendly four-piece* offers emotionally-charged materiel that hits all of the correct notes as it simultaneously gives the listening audience intellectually-stimulating songs that will stick around in your subconscious long after the actual music is done. All at once deliciously dark and creatively positive, Healthy Junkies makes highly-personally music that takes it's cues from the classic (underground and independent) sounds of yesterday. For this up-and-coming (rock n' roll-infused) four-piece influences seemingly range from Blondie, The Pixies, Iggy and the Stooges, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, T-Rex and David Bowie to bands such as The Avengers, Killing Joke, The Damned, Sonic Youth, Flower Leperds, Nirvana, The Swans, Lords of the New Church, Sex Pistols and even the Courtney Love-lead Hole! The highly-recommend "Box of Chaos" is the band's 3rd full-length album overall and it joins a impressive back catalog that includes the EP "Hair Of The Dog" and the previously-released albums "Sick Note" & 'The Lost Refuge". Currently available for download off of iTunes, "Box of Chaos" will be released on CD next month** and it is custom-made for fans of old-school punk and eighties "alternative" rock. With Quite Great Communications now handling the PR work for this female-fronted punk band, "Box of Chaos" has a good chance of becoming a surprise sleeper hit in 2016! Be sure to keep an eye of this London four-piece as bigger things are all but guaranteed!


*The band is currently rounded out by bass guitarist Ivan Baragone on  and drummer Tony Alda. 

** Pre-orders available now from www.stprecords.co.uk

Free Metal Monday: CrashDollz-CrashDollz

Self-Release/Independent
2013

They hail from the same bad streets that brought us MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and the punk band Death. They've played with everyone from Jello Biafra to Great White. They have song titles like "Dumpster Punk", "Bad Taste Barbie", "Female Anarchy", "Sugar Rocket", and "U.S. Punk Bombs". And their lead singer's name is Nikki Darling. Yep, I'm talking about the legends in the making, CrashDollz! Let's all give them a hardy welcome and then be sure to thank the band for this special treat that they have brought for us today. It's called "CrashDollz" and boy is this self-titled affair ever fun! Well, maybe "fun" isn't the right word choice to describe this full-length party in the making. How about "wild"? No? Maybe "crazy"? No? OK, maybe "mischievous"? That's still not enough? Well, I'm stumped for a description then as the truth of the matter is "CrashDollz" is all of that (fun, wild, crazy and most definitely mischievous!) and then so much more my friends! "CrashDollz" serves as my first introduction to this four-piece band and as far as first impressions goes this was truly one of my better first dates! At it's core it's definitely rock (as is R-O-C-K!), but not in the way you might think. It's more rock and roll in the fine traditional of Detroit's previously mentioned greats (MC5, Iggy & Stooges, Death, etc...) or even a band like the Ramones. It's rock and roll the way Motörhead would do it or rock and roll by way of The Runaways if the Sex Pistols had been their greatest source of inspiration! Yes, it's that kind of rock and roll and it is absolutely glorious! But then again, "CrashDollz" is as much about fierily punk rock as it is rock and then it's also about honest to goodness heavy metal! So, you've got rock, punk and heavy metal in an album like "CrashDollz". What more could you possibly ask for? Oh, did I mention how it's available for free on the group's bandcamp page? That's right kids. "CrashDollz" is free for the taking and with a new album planned for sometime later this summer now is as good a time as any to join the party! Recorded at Union City Studios in Flint, MI, "CrashDollz" was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of Nikki Darling and her equally awesome bandmates (guitarist Rachel Rekkits, bassist Kevin "Krank" Kekes and drummer Mikk Mannikk) and with nowhere to go but up it's easy enough to see this band going from being one of Detroit's premier punk bands to world-wide favorites in no time flat! Especially seeing as their live show is reportedly ever bit as righteous as this self-tiled album is! I want to thank the band for contacting Heavy Metal Time Machine about their free album and encourage all of our readers to check out CrashDollz's online site for more information about this very cool band!

Last Day's Pay-Pink Slip

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Punk rock, cheap beer and sniffing panties. It's the small things in life that count and help ensure that rad rockers like Last Day's Pay are able to keep on keeping on. Now, thanks in no small part to the band's James Couts-produced 14-track album and the fact that it's every little boy and ghoul's favorite spooky holiday of the year(!), each and everyone one of us can partake in the sugary sweet treat that this Ohio four-piece has to offer! For the unlighted amongst you, Last Day's Pay are a Canton-based punk rock/alternative rock band that was formed in the summer of 2013 (hence the group's love of cheap beer and pantie sniffing as those two things are staple items when you are talking about Ohio's few sunny months!) and is made up of vocalist/guitarist Randy, guitarist/vocalist Chris, bassist/vocalist Joe and drummer Jake. "Pink Slips" is this (no last names please) band's first stab at the big time and given the wide range of influences that show up to party here (it's not just punk rock and alternative rock, but classic rock, hair metal, grunge, blues and so much more!) this is one debut album that really keeps you on your toes! Opener "Away" is all about 90's alternative rock and catchy pop punk as is the angrier "Identity". And angry just about sums up the Blink 182 meets old-school punk number "Home Is Where The Heartache Is"!  Then there is "Pubcrawlers Anthem" where these Ohio natives converge in Dropkick Murphys/Flogging Molly. That's just the first four tracks mind you so "Pink Slip" is anything but dull! Officially-speaking and all Last Day's Pay  run down the likes of Rancid, Ramones, Sex Pistols, NOFX, Alkaline Trio and Billy Idol (as well as 80's hair metal, heavy metal and the blues) as influences but if that's not enough of a hint as to what is in store when it comes to an album like this one then I'll toss out a couple of  other names as reference points. Like Sum 41, Green Day, The Cure, The Misfits and Mucky Pup? You say that's just more punk? How about Jimi Hendrix then? Yes, that is the kind of extremes we are talking about with "Pink Slip" and that goes from opener "Away" to this album's rock-steady closer, "With Our Past". Hell, with a few twists of the old nob and the spit-shined overinflated sense of self-worth that comes from being a radio rock artist a number like "With Our Past" could be a real hit for someone like Staind! Thankfully Last Day's Pay offer integrity as opposed to a made up image which makes a record like "Pay Day" pass the smell test and live up to it's title! You can check this one out for yourself friends right here: https://lastdayspay.bandcamp.com/releases

Zex-Fight for Yourself

Capitalicide/Uncle D Records
2014

Just released last week, "Fight for Yourself" is the 10-track debut album from Ottawa, Ontario's own Zex. Preceded by a pair of well-received/highly-recommend 7"s, with two of the previously-released singles, "Savage City" and "Wanderlust", appearing here on Zex's first LP*, "Fight for Yourself"  combines old-school punk (specifically the British and New York scene), 70's rock/hard rock, glam and N.W.O.B.H.M. into one f**king fantastic collection! In Zex there's two girls and two guys (one of which is guitarist Jo Capitalicide of Germ Attak, Trioxin 245 and Iron Dogs** fame) and you haven't lived until you've had a chance to see these Ottawa punk rockers in action! And you can do exactly that thanks to the official video for title track/album opener, "Fight for Yourself"! Go ahead and check it out. I'll wait....

OK good, you're back. See what I mean about Zex? Pretty cool right? That's merely the first cut though.  Next you've got "Wild Blood" where we find Zex drawing a clear line between The Runaways and Girlschool and then "We're Rebels" takes you on a wild ride where punk and Oi! And no matter whether we are talking about any of these early (instant!) classics or even "Screaming at the Wall", "XXX", "Wanderlust", "World of Trash" and "Savage City" guitarist Jo Capitalicide is always spot f**king on! Jo's particular style of playing allows Zex the opportunity to perfectly switch between a number that might recall the Avengers and one which hints at a love of punk-infused N.W.O.B.H.M. such as (early) Iron Maiden (or specifically Paul Di'Anno's work on Iron Maiden's self-titled debut and "Killers"). He's not the only highlight though when it comes to this Canadian four-piece. Throughout "Fight for Yourself" lead vocalist Gretchen Steel commands attention and her voice gives numbers like "Fight for Yourself", "We're Rebels" and "Break Out" a serious sense of urgency! Meanwhile "On Our Own" is an impassioned call out and "Savage City" finds Zex's fiery front-woman raising the alarm while Jo Capitalicide and the rhythm section of Gab Sex and Tasha (bass and drums respectively) rally around Steel in a defiant show of support! As charming as they are corrosive, Ottawa's Zex are all at once the best of both worlds (old-fashioned punk and late seventies/early eighties N.W.O.B.H. M.) while simply a fun and refreshingly original rock collective with a knack for writing memorable material. For now "Fight for Yourself" is a vinyl, tape and digital only release. It will be split release between Uncle D Records and Capitalicide, but for those of you who might just be looking for easiest and quickest thrill ride possible then you can download "Fight For Yourself" off of iTunes or directly from the band here:
http://zexzexzex.bandcamp.com/


*These are different versions of the singles. Both "Savage City" and "Wanderlust" have reportedly been re-recorded. Here "Savage City" (a 70/80s-inspired number that simultaneously recalls Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Runaways) sounds a tad bit cleaner while English punk rocker "Wanderlust" maintains the same blistering outlook and contentious attitude. It should go without saying, but in case there is any doubt at all I thoroughly enjoyed both numbers! 

**I previously covered Iron Dogs "Free and Wild". You can read it here: http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/iron-dogs-free-and-wild.html

 Zex's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/zexzexzexofficial

PS: As a side-note I simply cannot recommend this band enough! Zex's sound was forged from a shared love punk, garage rock and roll, Oi!, seventies/early eighties hard rock, seventies glam rock and N.W.O.B.H.M. It's contagious as all get out and recalls a simpler time when punks and bangers gathered together by way of a mutual admiration of bands like the Ramones and Motörhead!

Stiletto Farm-January Sales

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Here it is boys and girls. Let me be the first to welcome you to the party that is Stiletto Farm's "January Sales"! This eleven track album is the cumulation of everything that is right about the rock and roll scene right now rolled up snugly into 42 minutes and 11 seconds worth of music and for members Stel (bass and vocals) Davyd (guitar) and Newt (drums) all I can say is well done lads, you've more than outdone yourselves! Featuring several numbers that I had previously fallen in love with ("Adrenaline TV",  "Strawberry Sundae Red" and "Decimation Baby") and a truck-load of new favorite moments ("Revenge", "Dead To You", "Covered Bruises" and, well, pretty much every other new song here!), "January Sales" not only continues the fine tradition of drawing upon this band's vast array of influences (everyone from Elvis to The Damned!) it actually one-ups the likes of Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Faster Pussycat and Poison in places! Those particular bands (as well as anyone else coming down the pipeline who might be looking to blend punk's "Don't give a crap!" attitude with classic rock's "It's all about the sweet licks ladies and gents!" outlook!) would do well to take note as this English trio knows exactly how to get it done! This album is a textbook example of how to get the best out your Dead Boys and Cheap Trick influences without resorting to dressing in drag like the twats in Poison! Furthermore there is no way humanly possibly that someone as lame as C.C. DeVille can claim that "Talk Dirty To Me" is the greatest punk rock song of all time when a number like "January Sales" exists! And yes folks, C.C. did at one point in time make that stupid ass comment, but to be fair how could he have possibly foreseen a cool as shit band like this trio? I know I sure as hell didn't! I mean here we are talking about a young band that could be punk's own take on Hanoi Rocks! Need proof? Try on "Charisma" for starters. That one's a real doozy! Wait, what is that you say? That's not enough for you? How about taking a stroll with the slick cut "The Redeemer" then? These two wicked little numbers pay homage to not only G N' R, Hanoi Rocks and Faster Pussycat, but punk bands that dared to break out of the same old song and dance routine. In a very real and very good way it's not just The Damned that a band like Stiletto Farm recalls, but two bands in which the late great Stiv Bators was involved, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church. If you want to really get down to the bottom of what Stiletto Farms is all about then draw a straight line from those greats to this relativity young outfit. That speaks volumes about what this trio is packing talent-wise! But just in case you don't think this trio can get serious there's the number "Princess". Talk about a sucker punch! Unfortunately we all know that sex is used to sell everything these days and along the way it's selling out our youth. Here on "Princess" the band touches on the topic in sobering fashion. It's only after "Adrenaline TV" kicks in that you are shaken out of this cold brush with reality. Wow.  Anyway, "Strawberry Sundae Red" and "Decimation Baby" we're mentioned earlier and here on "January Sales" it sounds as if they have been given a tune-up as these too numbers rage! Straight-up rock and roll is what we're looking at and along with the album's "attitude is everything" closing cut, "So Yesterday", you're talking about swagger-worthy material that simply must tear the roof off of establishments when performed live! If they sound this good here on tape then why wouldn't they? Band's like Stiletto Farm are made for the live setting as is road-ready punk rock and roll music that explodes out of your speakers once you hit play on first cut "Revenge"! In case I have not been clear enough "January Sales" is a damn fine album and one that I'll becoming back to time and time again! Just as God gave rock and roll to you and I he gave us bands like Stiletto Farm to carry that beautiful message across the landscape for all to hear and absorb. So, if you find that your friends or family can't seem to appreciate the joy of real rock and roll anymore then simply slide "January Sales" out and tell them that they can thank you later!


Stiletto Farm's official website can be found here: http://www.stilettofarm.com/index.html Meanwhile, all kinds of pieces that I've done about Stiletto Farm can be found here:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=stiletto+farm