The Suck '90s and So You Do

Various Artists, Punkin'! (Hell Yeah/Munster)

Unlike other European countries that have long-
established punk scenes -- such as England, Germany, Italy and Poland -- Spain isn't known for exporting much in the way of slam-pit-oriented music. But the enjoyably goofy liner notes to this compilation of Spanish punk bands promise "the dark side of all that is bad to the bone and 100% overboard . . . drugs, speed, distortion,
volume & . . . attitude." Fuck yeah, dude! Bongolocos from the Basque country play rockabilly-inspired, string-bending Crypt Records­style cowpunk at breakneck speed, while Bilbao's La Secta play charming garage rock with a silly-sounding accent and an Angus Young guitar solo. Most impressive are Los Piolines, whose "El Hombre Loco" is a Mummies-like stomp with keyboards and a sax. D.O.A. appears to be a big influence on Spanish punk rock, with three of the bands borrowing the Vancouver outfit's sound, including a girl band, Vigo's the Pussycats, who cover D.O.A.'s "Fuck You." To quote the liner notes again, this compilation "delivers a mad avalanche of hardcore speed."

The Locust(Gold Standard Laboratories)

Five scruffy-looking hooligans from San Diego, the Locust jam 20 songs, all about a minute long or less, of their savage, brain-mushing grindcore onto this attractively designed 3-inch CD. Song titles include "Moth-
Eaten Deer Head," "Stucco Obelisks Labeled as Trees," "Nice Tranquil Thumb in Mouth" and "Twenty-Three Full-Time Cowboys." If you're not familiar with this genre, it consists of incomprehensible screaming, superfast songs and, in the case of the Locust, really neat, ominous-sounding keyboard effects. This stuff won't float everyone's boat, but the reason the Locust have sold 17,000 copies combined of their 7- and 12-inch before releasing their first full-length is that this gang is topnotch in the relentlessly-vile-noise department.

Skull Kontrol, Deviate Beyond All Means of
Capture (Touch and Go)

Better than a slap in the belly with a wet fish, Skull Kontrol -- a new band featuring Chris Thomson of Monorchid spazzing out on vocals, and Kim Thompson, formerly of Delta 72, on bass -- plays revolutionary, relatively sophisticated punk rock that smokes like a Turkish coffeehouse. In no way typical, Skull Kontrol's 17-minute EP involves dazzling guitar that's recorded raw and mean; chaotic, yelped vocals; and lyrics that would be interesting if you could understand them. The first line of the first song comes through, though: "What this town needs is a new rock critic and not the hack we've got."