Skitsystem "Allt e Skit" LP
[Havoc]
Fuck yeah. Here's the vinyl version of this collection of Skitsystem's early and out of print material from 1995 - 1998, making for 19 tracks from one of m favorite Swedish hardcore bands out there. Included is the "Profithysteri" 7", the split 7" with Wolfpack, and the "Ondskans Ansikte" 10" (the finest material herein and a definite hint at where the band would end up). This material is often billed as being the band's rawer work, which is definitely true to a degree, but I honestly don't find it to be all that much different in sound quality from some f the material they've dropped since this time period, so it all stands up well. Expect around 35 minutes of brutal crust punk with thick chord progressions, driving tempos, and of course Tomas Lindberg's immediately recognizable vocal screams. Aside from the vocals there's maybe not so much about this band that's truly different from the rest of the genre from a songwriting standpoint, except that I feel that their sound is always a little heavier and more in your face than most of these bands, which does give them their own sort of style. And of course when you combine that with a knack for writing consistently good songs, plus those vocals, they're definitely among the more unique sounding bands in the end. The three releases contained herein are all very consistent with one another stylistically, without a great deal of variety or variation from a pretty set range of tempos and playing styles. Now and then they'll throw out a quick lead break or a slightly slower rhythm that gets a touch heavier, but it's definitely got a clear direction throughout. However, "Krossa Mig" is much slower and more sinister, with a crushing chord progression and hard-hitting percussion underneath some feedback and brief melodic notes - certainly one of the band's most notable tracks. Period. The split 7" with Wolfpack does sound much thinner and has a vocal performance that's a bit more direct, leaning towards aggressive yelling rather than the textured screams of most of the band's other work (ironic as that's the "newest" material on this LP), but their debut EP from 1995 sounds great, and the 10" from 1996 sounds solid as well (with a little more of a rugged bite). Oddly enough their debut has the most consistent and fluid mix of these tracks, but it all works fine. The LP's sleeve is plain black with metallic silver text for the logo and tracklist, so it's not much to look at. However, the insert has been handled very well, including all of the lyrics, a complete discography with all of the original record covers, a brief history of the band, etc. The lyrics are mostly in Swedish, but English translations have been provided (with Swedish translations offered for the handful of songs that are actually sung in English). Of course the content deals with the usual topics of war, violence, consumerism, etc., but I'd definitely rank these lyrics as falling on the harsher and more pessimistic side of things. "A human wreck, Life's work in shatters, Continuous hate for life, Restrained to obedience, Driven to madness, Treated like dirt..." Good stuff. It's always good to see material like this staying available to the listeners in various forms, so if you missed the original pressings of these releases and prefer vinyl to CD's, this collection's for you. (7/10)
Running time - 37:00 (approximately), Tracks: 19
[Notable tracks: Human Waste, Nar Ska ni Fatta?, Slaves to Misery, Ondskans Ansikte, Krossa Mig, Pigs]
Havoc Records - http://www.havocrex.com

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