Flyer - Sunday December 30, 1984

Wrath were a skate band from Brampton, Sudden Impact were from Newmarket, and Negative Gain were from Oakville. The night before New Year's Eve at Larry's.

Flyer: Not Dead Yet

No Policy cassette

No Policy were from Montreal and featured Ron on vocals, Rebecca on guitar, Denis on bass, and Mike on drums. The songs on here are:

1. Merchants of Death

2. First Strike Last Strike

3. Business Man Special

4. News or Propaganda

5. Confusion Frustration Depression

6. On Your Christian Soldiers

7. Pass Me My Skate (I'm Leaving Town)

8. Hyper Reality

9. Bye Bye Bye

10. And So It Goes

11. Swamp Pig

Flyer - Wednesday December 19, 1984

Jill Heath brought Black Flag to town and did the show at the Party Centre so it could be all ages. This stretch of Church Street is littered with pawn shops so it had the added element of trashy going for it. Christians protested out front with placards that had the "Slip It In" cover stapled and the words "If you go in here you are going to Hell". That message didn't really work on the punks.

Beyond Possession "Tell Tale Heart" ep

Beyond Possession were an early crossover thrash band from Calgary. They evolved out of an earlier bands named Riot and White Noise. They were also skaters as told by the song "Skater's Life". "Tell Tale Heart" was recorded in 1984. I often likened them to the Accused because horror themes played prominently in their songs and graphics. When I saw them play in Toronto the singer dressed in hospital scrubs with blood stains on them and snug with his eyes looking up in his eyes so when he looked at you all you could see were the whites. The ep had two pressings the details of which are best explained by We Will Bury You. Here are some reviews about the ep collected by Kill from the Heart.

Altogether, one of the better speedcore bands around these days. Metallic riffing merges with manic hardcore intensity on this extremely well-produced six songer from Calgary's Beyond Possession. Hot guitarwork dominates while impassioned vocals shout out some choice thrashers such as "Skater's Life" and "Tell Tale Heart." More than a frisbee.
-Mike Gitter (from xXx #12, Fall 1985)

The title track puts the Edgar Allen Poe classic into the early classic punk style and, amazingly, pulls it off. The rest is slightly metallic, hard-driving thrash, with one song, "Vengeance," sounding like older Metallica with gruffer vocals. The lyrics are written with a bit more intelligence than the usual. This is one hot records, so look for it.
-Brady Rifkin (from Ink Disease #9, Summer 1985)

Calgary's BEYOND POSSESSION have a knack for tight stop-and-go thrash with near-virtuosic guitarwork. While this outfit is more adept at arranging than songwriting, numbers like "Where's the Matter" and "No Religion" demonstrate a preciseness (and rebelliousness) that makes this record a well above-average effort.
-Steve Spinali (from Maximum Rocknroll #24, April 1985)

The ep was released on the band's own label Fango Records. The songs on here are:

1. Tell Tale Heart
2. What's the Matter
3. Skater's Life
4. No Religion
5. Vengeance
6. Dying Fast

Ticket - Sunday December 16, 1984

Flyer - Friday December 14, 1984

Norda "West Over Seas" 12"

This was a punk band from Toronto that had Brat X in the band who was hit by a car and killed. The band had a Bat Cave influence and used a lot of percussion. This record was released on a label from the UK called Unfaegne Music. The songs on here are:

1. West Over Seas

2. V

3. Snakes and Ladders

MRR Review - Down Syndrome "Other Ways" ep

Jeff Bale wrote this review for MRR of the Down Syndrome ep. This appeared in issue #19, which came out in December 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Interview - Genetic Control

This interview appeared in issue #20 which came out on December 1984. Click on the interview to enlarge it to a readable size.

Down Syndrome ad in MRR

This ad appeared in issue #20 which came out on December 1984.

Genetic Control ad in MRR

This ad appeared in MRR #20, which came out December 1984.

Sudden Impact "Freaked Out" ad

This ad appeared in issue #20 which came out on December 1984.

Flyer - Saturday November 26, 1984

L'Etranger "Goliath" video

Flyer - Friday November 23, 1984

The Concordia radio station sponsors this show in Montreal with the Dub Rifles from Winnipeg.

DOA "Don't Turn Yer Back (on Desperate Times)" 12"

This was the next 12" to come out by DOA. Alternative Tentacles put it out in late 1984 and Tim Yohannon of MRR described the release as "Four tracks, a couple of which have appeared elsewhere, but these versions done a year ago really burn. "Race Riot" is in the vein of Hardcore 81, while "A Season in Hell" and "Burn it Down" also cook. "General Strike," which appeared on DOA's "limited edition" 45, is the most "rock " of all tracks, but its sentiments, along with all the other cuts, are DOA at their political best." (from Maximum Rocknroll #23, March 1985). The songs found on this release were:

1.General Strike
2. Race Riot
3. A Season In Hell
4. Burn It Down

Flyer - Tuesday November 20, 1984

V/A "Primitive Air Raid" LP

Primitive Air Raid is the first record of it's kind in Montreal. It is a random sample of Montreal's unrecorded underground. A few alternative bands made the record, but largely this represented the underground. the scene in Montreal has been alive for years. S.C.U.M. was asked to particpate but had difficulties retreiving their recording so they missed the deadline. Violent Meals went to Europe and forgot to leave their tape. Porcelain Forehead were from Ottawa and Direct Action were from Toronto. Both bands played a benefit show for the comp and as a result were added to this comp. This classic comp was the first release by Psyche Records who would go on to produce a number of other releases mostly of Montreal bands.

Jeff Bale reviewed the comp in MRR as "An excellent cross-section of Montreal-area bands, most of which haven't released any vinyl before. From the thrash of DIRECT ACTION and NO POLICY to the chunky pop-punk of the NILS to AMERICAN DEVICES' weird, rockin' stuff to fast punk by GENETIC CONTROL, the ABSURDS, and FAIR WARNING to the garage punk of PORCELAIN FOREHEAD to MORBID FIRE's experimental garage thrash, this album provides listening enjoyment. The only musical letdowns are art- damaged numbers by ≠ and IAGO NEON. The ASEXUALS, on the other hand, provide the lyrical low-point with their imbecilic pro-contra chant; their line "political morons without a fucking clue" must be autobiographical, since they apparently know nothing about Nicaragua, American foreign policy, or the circle-A which they employ in their moniker." (from Maximum Rocknroll #19, November 1984)

The songs on here are:

1. Asexuals - Contra-Rebels

2. Fair Warning - Six O'Clock Blues

3. Fair Warning - Open Your Eyes

4. Vomit and the Zits - Suicide

5. Vomit and the Zits - What the Hell

6. Porcelain Forehead - Cold Steak

7. Absurds - Moral Feedback

8. Absurds - Futur's Nature

9. Genetic Control - Suburban Life

10. Direct Action - Hate Generation

11. American Devices - Spontaneous Combustion

12. The Nils - Call of the Wild

13. Red Shift - Underflesh

14. Iago Neon - Preliterate Robot

15. Morbid Fiesta - Le Nul Parfait

16. No Policy - News or Propaganda

17. Does not Equal - Emotion 9

Flyer - Saturday November 10, 1984

Flyer - Friday November 9, 1984

Genetic Control "First Impressions" ep

Genetic Control is a punk rock band from Montreal, Canada. They existed from 1984 to 1986 and reunited for some shows in 1998 and 2005. They have two official releases: the almost unfindable (only 500 were made) First Impressions 7” released in 1984 on Generic Records and the Brave New World CD released in 2005 on Sonik’s Chicken Shrimp Records. They also had a track, Suburban Life, on the famous Primitive Air Raid Montreal ‘84 compilation released on Psyche-Industry Records.

Direct Action

Interview on CityTV.

RASH Interview - Angry Thalidomide Babies

Steve Milo from Sudden Impact did a zine called The Rash. He was penpals with Tim Freeborn and even made a trip to Meaford to hang out with him. Here is an interview Steve did with Tim in earlier days when Angry Thalidomide Babies was the Meaford punk band.

MRR Review - Various Artists "Primitive Air Raid" LP

Jeff Bale wrote this review for MRR of the Montreal comp. This appeared in issue #19, which came out in November 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Sudden Impact "Freaked Out" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Sudden Impact cassette. This appeared in issue #19, which came out in November 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Genetic Control "First Impressions" ep

Jeff Bale wrote this review for MRR of the Genetic Control ep. This appeared in issue #19, which came out in November 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Blue Marbellas "Nothing Like a War" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Blue Marbellas cassette. This appeared in issue #19, which came out in November 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

DOA "Bloodied but Unbowed" LP

"Bloodied but Unbowed" came out in 1984 and compiled the best songs for "Something Better Change" and "Hardcore '81" onto one LP. I think this was put together as a way of catching up people overseas with these first two releases and Alternative Tentacles was the mastermind behind the release. My brother picked up this record and it was the one I loved most because we hadn't heard of the first two LPs. To this day I think of it as the definitive "Greatest Hits" collection for DOA. In 2006 Sudden Death records re-released this as a CD. Back in the day Jeff Bale reviewed the album as "This is probably the last D.O.A. release I'm going to like, so I decided to review it as a gesture of friendship and respect for a band that's made some great music and raised a lot of people's consciousnesses throughout the years. "Bloodied..." is a retrospective greatest hits album featuring re-mixed versions of material culled from most of their earlier (now out of print) 7" records and LPs, so it serves a very valuable purpose. And a lot of classic stuff is on here--from "The Prisoner" to "World War III"--so it would be positively stupid not to pick it up if you never got the originals. If you can find "Hardcore 81"--their finest hour--grab it; otherwise, this is essential." in MRR #11, January / February 1984. The songs on here are:

1. New Age

2. The Prisoner

3. Unknown

4. Smash the State

5. Rich Bitch

6. Slumlord

7. Fuck You

8. I don't Give a Shit

9. Waiting for you

10. Whatcha Gonna Do?

11. World War 3

12. 2 + 2

13. The Enemy

14. Fucked Up Ronnie

15. Woke Up Screaming

16. 001 loser's club

17. 13

18. Get out of my Life

19. D.O.A.

Flyer - Saturday October 27, 1984

Flyer - Saturday October 27, 1984

Saturday October 27, 1984

I had no idea that Slayer played Larry's.

Flyer - Friday October 12, 1984

The Stretch Marks play in Montreal.

Flyer - Sunday October 7, 1984

Hype opens for the Stretch Marks who were from Winnipeg.

Flyer - Thursday, October 4, 1984

Flyer - Thursday October 4, 1984

Flyer - Wednesday, October 3rd, 1984

MRR Review - White Noise "Silent Pain / Price for Freedom" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the White Noise demo. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Unwanted "Shattered Silence" LP

Steve Spinalli wrote this review for MRR of the Stretch Marks LP. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Unruled "Time's Running Out" ep

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Unruled ep. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Death Sentence "Demo 1984" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Death Sentence demo. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Chronic Submission "Empty Heads, Poison Darts" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the second Chronic Submission cassette. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Asexuals "New World" ep

Steve Spinalli wrote this review for MRR of the Asexuals ep. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

Toronto scene report in MRR

This Toronto scene report appeared in issue 18 of MRR that came out in October 1984. There are mentions of Negative Gain, Hype, Wrath, Sudden Impact, Chronic Submisison, BFG, and Direct Action. The report was written by Don LeBeuf of Reuben Kincade Productions.

Flyer - Friday, September 28th, 1984

Release - Various Artists "Something to Believe In" LP

This was an amazing compilation put together by BYO Records that featured bands from the States and Canada. It was one of the first major comps that featured Canadian hardcore bands. It gave the Canadian scenes some vindication. I know the Young Lions track got screwed up in the mastering stage, but the rest of it sounds great. the comp contains one of my all time favourite Youth Youth Youth songs. SNFU, DOA, Personality Crisis, Stretch Marks, and the Unwanted were some of the best hardcore bands at the time. And this comp really stands the test of time. Here is the line up for the record:

1. NILS "Scratches and Needles"
2. RIGOR MORTIS "Silent Scream"
3. BIG BOYS "History"
4. UNWANTED "Tanks Keep Rolling"
5. TOURISTS "Memories"
6. KRAUT "Pyramids"
7. YOUTH BRIGADE "Care"
8. YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH "Domination"
9. SNFU "Victims of the Womanizer"
10. PERSONALITY CRISIS "Piss On You"
11. CHANNEL 3 "Indian Summer"
12. YOUNG LIONS "In a Field"
13. ZEROPTION "Realpolitik"
14. DOA "Tits On the Beach"
15. 7 SECONDS "Out of Touch"
16. STRETCH MARKS "Foreign Policies"

A review that appeared in Flipside #43 magazine in 1984 was "The compilation stands up to B.Y.O.'s usual excellent standards - good bands, good sound, good package. A must compilation, the only thing I don't like is the cover."

In Chris Walter's book "SNFU....What No one Else Wanted to Say" we learn that SNFU go to record their song for this comp at the same time that Unwanted do their song. Both bands record at Mid Ocean Studios in early November 1983. Unwanted hung out in the studio while SNFU recorded "Victims of the Womanizer" and Ken "Goony" Fleming and Norm Simms (from the Unwanted) helped out with those back up vocals which make the SNFU song such a stand out. Some would argue that the gang choruses were a signature sound to Youth Brigade's sound and to BYO's earlier releases. I think it may have been part of the appeal for why the Stern Brothers would go on to offer SNFU a recording contract although Chris Walter learns that the amount of feedback the Stern Brothers heard from others about the SNFU song played a more significant role. Regardless, both band's fit the session around some shows that they were playing together in Winnipeg and after their session they would play a show at Wellington's that same day.

Flyer - Friday September 15 - Saturday September 16, 1984

Dead End headlines two nights at the Turning Point.