Crucifucks

It's on Alternative Tentacles from the mid-'80s and it has a name like that -- easy-listening samba this is not. Still, while the Crucifucks burn with a righteous (perhaps self-righteous at times) rage, it has to be said that Doc Corbin Dart's vocals are either a total laugh or nervously aggressive, depending on what one thinks of the group's worth. Either way, they're high-pitched and deliver in a tone that seems to indicate a politically aware nerd high on ten cups of coffee and feeling particularly on edge -- but even fans have to admit some of his squeaks push the tolerance level. Musically, things are a step beyond three-chord thrash and bash -- quieter but no less sharp passages crop up in between the expected trebly roar, while the rhythm section is extremely well-recorded thanks to producer Spot. Shelley's drumming, if not the ghost of Keith Moon revisited, is still a step above that of most other punk drummers content to simply lay the course, making his move to Sonic Youth not so surprising. Occasional tempo changes mid-song and the like show both his chops and that of the band as a whole, while most of his fills are spot-on. Lyrically it's what one might expect from Reagan-era punk -- screw the government, screw the police, screw the military, screwy macho junk punks, and so forth. If the sentiments aren't original, the feeling is clear enough -- titles like "Cops for Fertilizer" and "Hinckley Had a Vision" just about say it all. Snippets from local news media and government officials crop up in between songs, all of which indicate that the group was hardly loved in its hometown. The bits from the concert promoter and the concerned person on campus are both hilarious enough, but the snippets from the local police, either talking directly to the band or about them in general, are rather more unnerving. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi