Enigmas "Strangely Wild" 12"

The Enigmas were from Vancouver and had a 60's air to thier garage punk sound. The band featured Paul McKenzie on vocals and sax, Mike Davies on guitar and vocals, Brian Olinek on bass, and Randy Bowman on drums. They released this 12" back in 1985 on their own label Zulu Records which I think had something to do with Scratch Records. The lyric sheet has a little foot instruction on how to do the "Windshield Wiper", which was pretty cool. Unfortunately I don't think the dance caught on. The songs on here are:

1. Flying Dutchman

2. Windhield Wiper

3. Monsters in the Basement

4. A Bit Too Far

5. Strangely Wild

6. Rush Hour to Russia

Flyer - Thursday December 12, 1985

This show was at the new DMZ location and Bloor and Dovercourt. Problem Children play with Humungus play and they came up from Buffalo.

Flyer - Free the Five

This must have been a benfit show in Montreal for the Squamish Five.

NoMeansNo "You Kill Me" 12"

I think this might have been NoMeansNo's first release on Alternative Tentacles. It was a 5 song 12" and had thier version of Hendrix's "Manic Depression". NoMeansNo were a three piece now. The songs on here are:

1. Body Bag

2. Stop It

3. Some Bodies

4. Manic Depression

5. Paradise

MRR Review - Various Artists "Questionable" LP

Steve Spinalli wrote this review for MRR of the "Questionable" comp. This appeared in issue #31, which came out in December 1985. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

Saturday November 23, 1985

I saw this show. DRI and COC together. This was when everyone had both bands on their jean jackets and my friedn Mike Canzi used to say it as one name Dry Cock.

Flyer - Friday November 22, 1985

V/A " It Came from the Pit" LP

Psyche Industries followed up the "Primitive Air Raid" comp with a comp that featured bands from across Canada.  Psyche Industry was done by a guy named Randy Boyd who was a guy from Edmonton that re-located to Montreal to start up this label.  This comp was done in the spirit of the "Something to Believe in" comp. Randy approached SNFU about being on the comp when SNFU played a show in Montreal. The Belke Brothers knew Randy Obsure Alternatives, which was a punk record store that Randy had back in Edmonton. When SNFU got back from their tour in the fall of 1985, Chi's roomate David Mockford had just finished a course in sound engineering. His teachers encouraged him to take on this project as a course project which he did. Rather than use material from the next album SNFU decided to cover Warren Zevon's "Poor Pitiful Me". Chris Walter notes that "this was an unusual choice of covers for a punk compilation." SNFU chose the song because they just wanted to have some fun. The rest of the songs on "It Came from the Pit" are :

1. S.C.U.M. - Exit Death

2. My Dog Popper - Rock Stars are Assholes

3. My Dog Popper - Equal Time

4. Enigmas - Teenage Barnacle

5. Sudden Impact - To Our Glorious Dead

6. Sudden Impact - Drunk Driving

7. Entirely distorted - Abstinence

8. Count Down Zero - Count Down Zero

9. Ruggedy Annes - Casual Design

10. S.N.F.U. - Poor Pitiful Me

11. Problem Children - Thrashing with your Parents

12. League of Dead Politicians - Mr. Profylactic Man

13. Gassenhauer - Local Youths

14. October Crisis - Everyday

15. Stretch Marks - Old Man Understand

16. Nomeansno - No Sex

Fair Warning "You Are the Scene" LP / CD

The LP was originally self-released in 1985. The band was often compared with bands like SSD and DYS from Boston. Sonik's Chicken Shrimp released a CD version with loads of extra tracks 20 years after the original release. The songs on here are :

1. Time & Place

2. Second Chance

3. Blood on the Bumper

4. Skating

5. Do You Know What You Do?

6. Frayed Nerves

7. Six O'Clock Blues, Part 2

8. Caught in a Trap

9. Wake Me Up

10. Problems

11. Could Be Worse

12. Bag Ladies

13. You are the Scene

14. Six O'Clock Blues, Part 1

15. Open Your Eyes

16. A Man and His World

17. Say No More

18. Pain in My Brain

19. Remember the Days

20. I Will

21. Am I Guilty?

22. Consequences

23. Search for....

24. United Thrashers of Canada

25. Days of Loneliness

26. Problems

27. Death by Injection

28. Skating

29. Time for a Change

30. Bag Ladies

31. Video Victims

32. Fight as One

Problem Children "We Are the Children"

Problem Children were from Dunnville but this was at some bar in Hamilton.

A.P.B. "Angel of Death"

"Angel of Death" by A.P.B.

Sudden Impact "Same in the End"

The song "Same in the End" had a video and this was taken from a broadcast on Much Music.

MRR Review - Negro Jazz Funeral ep

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the NJF ep. This appeared in issue #22, which came out in February 1985. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Scene Report - Winnipeg, November 1985

Doug Humiski writes a scene report on the Winipeg hardcore scene talking about the Rugged Annes, the Stretch Marks, the Beach Mutants, and the Unwanted among others. One of the Stretch pads was being torn down and is reported in this report. This appeared in issue #30 in November 1985. Click on the image to enlarge this to a readable size.

Flyer - Thursday October 31, 1985

Flyer - Thursday October 31, 1985

Flyer - Tuesday, October 22nd, 1985

Hype "Life is Hard.... Then you Die!" LP

Hype were from Oakville. Unlike most bands they had a manager who went under the name Reuben Kincade. Think Partridge family parody. This was the first record and it was self-released. Pushead reviewed the LP for MRR as "Smoking speedcore attack from Canada. Never expected this. Fast punching rhythms with metallic leads and mayhemic chord changes. Good vocals and drum smashing prove this LP to be one of the classic records that you can always pull out and play. First S.N.F.U., then DIRECT ACTION, and now HYPE--the Canadian assault is upon us!" (from Maximum Rocknroll #27, August 1985).

The song on here are:

1. It's All Hype

2. Coke Is It

3. Pseudo Punk

4. Only a Fool

5. Cigarette Head

6. I Wanna Be Neil

7. Violent Nature

8. Tradition

9. Generic Placebo

10. Time & Cash

11. Amputee Hop

12. Overreact

13. You Slay Me

14. O'Canada

15. Ode to Larry

16. Superpowers

17. Real Eyes

Micro Edge cassette

Micro Edge were an awesome hardcore band with their roots in the skateboard scene. Reid English played guitar in this band and he became the guitarist in Sudden Impact. The songs on here are:

1. D.P. was Right

2. Attitudes, Feelings, and Ideas

3. Second Last

4. Take a Look Around

5. Money

6. Energy Through Noise

7. Asshole

8. Something to Say

9. Attention Getter

10. Mask

11. Untitled

12. School

13. United We Skate

14. Out of Touch

15. Hardcore

16. Motormouth

17. Carpet

18. Livin' After Midnight

19. Louie Louie

Sudden Impact "No Rest from the Wicked" LP

Sudden Impact were considered a crossover band. The guys in the band were from the Newmarket area, but they were totally apart of the Toronto hardcore scene. I used to go see them all the time. The band had an earlier recording that was self-released as the "Freaked Out" demo which is some of my favourite stuff, but "No Rest From the Wicked" was my favourite album of theirs that was a vinyl release. This album came out on Diabolic Force in 1985. My understanding of the label was that Diabolic Force was a label that focused on crossover bands and was basically just Fringe Product or the Record Peddler. This record was recorded in December 1985 at Future Sound by Ted Kent. The folks that made up the band at the time of the recording were Mitch Garvin on vocals, Reid English on guitar, Michael Brunt on guitar, Steve Milo on bass, and Scott Fraser on drums. The songs on this album are:

1. Keep on Truckin'
2. Just Yourself
3. No Rest From the Wicked
4. To Our Glorious Dead
5. First Time There
6. Bent

7. Terrorist Attack
8. Continuing Saga
9. Caught Up
10. Why Hide
11. Sudden Impact
12. I Got a Right

Recently this material along with the "Freaked Out" demo and some songs recording with the songs from the "It Came From the Pit" comp were colelcted and released as a discography on Marquee Records out of Brazil. Their website is http://www.marquee.com.br/.

Direct Action "Trapped in a World" LP

Direct Action were Toronto's version of a peace punk band. They were along the lines of Discharge except with more of a foot in hardcore sound. Direct Action were a four piece made up of Tim on vocals, Dave Cornelius on bass, Buzz on guitar, and Mike on drums. Some if not all of these guys were originally from St. Catherines and played in a band called the Unknowns. A song of the Unknowns called "Teenage Terrorist" appears on the "Only in Canada, eh? (1977-1981), Volume 1" and according to the folks at Punk History Canada tehre is more of that recording that remains unreleased. Anyway, they moved to Toronto and started up Direct Action who were a hardcore band through and through and this was the band's only official full length release. "Trapped in a World" was recorded at Comfort Sound in 1985 and was released on Irate faction Records, which was a label done by Geoff Tomlinson. Geoff used to be involved in Radio York and later would go to sing in a band called Brontocrushrock with at least one of the members of Direct Action. This record contains the songs:

1. H-Bomb
2. Tomorrows too Late
3. Living Dead
4. International Blacklist
5. Repression
6. Eat the Rich
7. U.X.B.
8. Fire in the Sky
9. Animal Reflex

10. P.C.P.
11. Angels of Death
12. Hate Generation
13. Spirit of Youth
14. Direct Action
15. Trapped in a World
16. One Tin Soldier

Flyer - Saturday October 5, 1985

Zine - The Pig Paper #23

Click for download

MRR Review - Slow Death cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Slow Death cassette. This appeared in issue #29, which came out in October 1985. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Living Proof "This Trip is Real" LP

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Living Proof LP. This appeared in issue #29, which came out in October 1985. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Immoral Minority "Retaliation" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the Immoral Minority cassette. This appeared in issue #29, which came out in October 1985. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - A.K.O.B. "Another Kind of Blues" ep

Steve Spinalli wrote this review for MRR of the Direct Action LP. This appeared in issue #29, which came out in October 1985. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR - Toronto scene report

Vic Notorious gives us another great scene report with updates on Direct Action, BFG and the DMZ, Negative Gain, Sudden Impact, Raving Mojos, the Forgotten Rebels, the Questionable comp, and a comprehensive lists of bands, zines, and clubs along with photos. This is a great snapshot of the time back in October 1985. Click on the images to enlarge to a readable size.

Flyer - Sunday, September 29th, 1985

Flyer - Friday, September 27th, 1985

S.C.U.M. "Born Too Soon" LP

S.C.U.M. stood for Society Controlled Under Murderers. The police in Montreal were known as the C.U.M. (Communaute Urbaine de Montreal) and they had street signs up for them so this was an easy grafitti thing to do was to put S's in front of their acronym. The4 band released "Born Too Soon" on Psyche Industries back in 1985. Sonik's Chicken Shrimp re-released all of SCUM's material on a CD, including the P.E.A.C.E comp song and the 'It came From the Pit" song. The songs on the original album are:

1. Home Away from Home

2. Ain't No You

3. American Mould

4. Double Cross

5. Bunker Life

6. Go To War

7. Junk Head

8. Beer Can Nightmare

9. Pyramid Mall Blues

10. So M.U.C.H. Hate

11. Pool Hunt

12. Exit Death

13. No Hope Religion

Various Artists "Questionable"

This was a comp largely put together by Al.istair James of Living Proof and Glenn Jones of the Animal Stags, who recorded these bands in their house or jam space. Using Glenn Jones' last name he called the label Jonestown. According to a Now Magazine article the comp was a fundraiser for the DMZ which was a hardcore club that BFG started running on Spadina just south of College. The songs on here are:

Side A
1. LIVING PROOF - To Be a Young Man
2. LIVING PROOF - Strange, Sunday Strange
3. LIVING PROOF - Been Runnin' Around
4. ANIMAL STAGS - Slinkin'
5. ANIMAL STAGS - For You
6. ANIMAL STAGS - Teenage Blowjob

Side B
7. MADHOUSE - Arrowhead
8. MADHOUSE - Ain't that Funny (about love)
9. MADHOUSE - Road to Glory
10. BUNCHOFUCKINGOOFS - Destroy All Automobiles
11. BUNCHOFUCKINGOOFS - Alcoholiday turned Alcoholocaust
12. BUNCHOFUCKINGOOFS - KAL 007

DOA "Let's Wreck the Party" LP

This record was given out at a record release show tha band did in Toronto. There was handfuls of them around in used record stores for years after. And to be honest it was a fall from grace. This is the first time DOA started to venture into more commercial territory like the Clash did with "Combat Rock". DOA were a band that politically motivated m,e so it wa shard to take covers of "Singin' in the Rain" had I need seen them do this at the Upper Lip many years prior and where the crowd spontaneously starting gobbing in the air to make it rain. So although it seems like a weird choice for a cover DOA had given the song a punk context. Sure songs like "Race Riot" and "General Strike" still had the fire but they were songs that were from an earlier time and they finally made it to vinyl. Here is the cover of the UK press that Music Ruined My Life posted up. They have a great piece on this release.

Here are some reviews of the record collected by Kill From the Heart.

Sometimes when you go after a certain thing, you have to sacrifice something else along the way. DOA may be sacrificing a few of their earlier fans who don't care or understand their new, cleaner sound. Or the sax. Or the keyboards. But they have a much more powerful sound than on their earlier records, and it is more of a "rock" sound. included: their cover of "Singin' in the Rain" and "General Strike."
-Dogtowne (from Maximum Rocknroll #25, May/June 1985)

Let's Wreck The Party?? A juvenile or political statement? Need you ask? This is D.O.A., and their latest album is one fine production of music and thought. This album is packed full of energy and just like their real show it carries you through levels of intensity with powerful songs like "Our World", "Dangerman", "Murder in Hollywood" and "Trial by Media", mixed with the D.O.A. version of "Singing in the Rain" and their funk song "Dance O' Death" (I think you could break dance to this one).
An overall quality production from beginning to end and even the packaging is great, pretty much what you've come to expect from D.O.A.
-Bill Bored (from Warning #15, April/May/June 1985)

Overall, a disappointment for me. The production was supposed to be so good, but it sounds so shallow. In fact, I'd say that's the worst thing about this record. I respect D.O.A. so much, but now they lack the unbridled energy of the Chuck Biscuits era. Yeah, I know they've changed their sound. I don't expect them to play as fast as they used to. The Peel Session is proof that they can sound good with this line-up, but it's not so evident here. Even if "Singin' in the Rain" was a mistake, the rest of the lyrics are excellent, as usual. I'm sure the next D.O.A. record will sound better.
-Brian Trudell (from Ink Disease #10, Winter 1985)

While DOA veer a bit into a more commercial orientation and slicker production, their energy and sense of commitment are still intact, proving the band to be a survivor. From the opening "Our World", to the anthemnic title cut to the final strains of the rerecorded "Burn It Down", DOA fail to disappoint. An added maturity in terms of musicianship, songwriting and musical structure gives the record an added kick with Joey's vocals cutting all the deep and bringing up the overall guitar sound immensely. Still as vital a band as ever.
-Mike Gitter (from xXx #12, Fall 1985)

1. Our World
2. Dangerman
3. Race Riot
4. Singin' In the Rain
5. Dance o' Death
6. General Strike
7. Let's Wreck the Party
8. Shout Out
9. Murder In Hollywood
10. The Warrior Ain't No More
11. No Way Out
12. Trial By Media

Alternative Tentacles was responsible for this release.

Zine - The Pig Paper #22

Click for download

MRR Scene Report - Ottawa, September 1985

Flyer - Saturday, August 31st, 1985

Flyer - Tuesday, August 27th, 1985

Flyer - Saturday August 24, 1985

Thanks to Derek Emerson for sendnig us this flyer and loads of others. I didn't get to see this show but I heard that this is the show where the circle pit in Toronto was born. I heard Ken Huff had something to do with it. Well the circle pit helpd the dance floor in hardcore become not just boys fun.

Flyer - Saturday, August 17, 1985

Flyer - Saturday August 17, 1985

Flyer: Saturday, August 17, 1985

Flyer - Thursday August 9, 1985