Various

Various: Mass DestructionMass Destruction (2003)
Bankshot! Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: adamAdam
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on October 3rd 2003I think the deluge of compilations as serving as catchall label samplers have soured my expectations of how good they can be with a little effort. Mass Destruction is one of those rare comps that, like the early Give Em The Boot's, manages to establish a sound and feeling that works as a stand.

I think the deluge of compilations as serving as catchall label samplers have soured my expectations of how good they can be with a little effort. Mass Destruction is one of those rare comps that, like the early Give Em The Boot's, manages to establish a sound and feeling that works as a standalone album. That's rare in punk compilations.

It helps that there's a lot of interesting material on here. New York's family of bands that grew out of Choking Victim have a particularly strong showing, highlighted by an unreleased track by the aforementioned ska-punk outfit. Their successors in Leftover Crack contribute a collaboration with the Distillers on "Muppet N.A.M.B.L.A." that's a lot of fun. Sixgun Radio throws in the driving, unreleased track "Culture Crave" that rejuvenates the Down By Law-styled skatepunk sound. Osker leads off the album with the previously out of print "No Spine." The bands former frontman Devon Williams makes a second appearance with a fantastic solo track titled "Prove Me Wrong." Out of place but still rockin' is a re-recording of "The Blackout" by new wave revivalists The Static Age. There's also quite a bit of unreleased or previously out-of-print stuff from bands like Union 13, Death On Wednesday, Kurt Vile, The Arsons… really too much to name in a review. On top of that there's choice album cuts from acts like The Lawrence Arms, Manda And The Marbles, The Ghost and the GC5 among others.

Based on the strength of these bands, other tracks on the comp that may be individually weaker manage to blend in well. Obviously Mass Destruction's mainly a straight-up punk rock album, but it manages to do that task incredibly well; You can tell it took some care and thought to assemble. A lot of punk compilations filter on and off my shelf in a given year, but this one seems like it'll have a much longer stay.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (April 24, 2006)

hehehe this is funny.... Oh so witty, you all are. I aplaud you for showing how your not a delusional "punk rocker" your willing to except that 9-5 is the only way to make it in this world.... and your proof of this decision?

... Because some kid with a crass patch asked you for some change... Your obvious lack of social interaction, and cultural interest shows how many squaters you know....

...But then again those stories about people living as squaters in the A.D. times is a big scam by the government... The Jews didnt really exist. Fuck that shit. Japs? Yeah fucking lab grown fat heads, right?

...Anyway to put things simply just because you cant live without living in a city doesnt mean everyone else is the same. Just because some homeless punk kid asks you for money doesnt mean that every homeless punk kid needs to. Just because you cant live without regularly being seen at starbucks and big name shows. Doesnt mean everyone else has the money or want to go to the places you want. Why dont you try to discover the world before judging it.

Anonymous (October 10, 2003)

And I do squat something......my toilet that actually flushes.

-sickboi

Anonymous (October 10, 2003)

You are a fucking dolt. You are actually gonna argue for squatting? Please. I wasn't born with any fucking silver spoon in my mouth, and I didn't have the greatest homelife when I was in high school, but I got out on my own, got a job and pay fucking rent. So don't try to give me any of your rhetoric bullshit. I won't try squatting because I take pride in earning my living, being clean and not begging for money, you ignorant piece of shit.

-sickboi

Anonymous (October 8, 2003)

I completely agree with the below poster... If you think your 9 to 5 is harder than living in an abandoned building and begging for food, then maybe you should try it.

-BSD

Anonymous (October 8, 2003)

if you don't think that squatting is work, maybe you should get off message boards and actually try to squatt something.

Anonymous (October 8, 2003)

No, I'm talking about stupid fucking kids, that don't want to work. Homelessness is an epidemic, but some of those little shits are just trying to be lazy. Fuck them.

-sickboi

Anonymous (October 7, 2003)

Wow sickboi is joking about homeless people! how un-pc and coool! not.

Anonymous (October 7, 2003)

We're overhauling our website right now, you'll be able to order em there by the beginning of next week. They'll also be available through Vital Music and Interpunk in the coming days.

Sixgun Radio's new album Please Press Me is out the second week of november.

Mr. B!

Anonymous (October 6, 2003)

"Squat punk scene" = stupid, lazy kids that ask me for change. Fuck all of you.

-sickboi
(get a job)

CallingLondon (October 6, 2003)

i hunt vampires in MY spare time

Anonymous (October 6, 2003)

Can you ever stop being pretentious BSD?

-Greenvandal

Anonymous (October 5, 2003)

anybody know where i can pick this up? i'd be awfully happy to hear that Devon song, thank you

Anonymous (October 4, 2003)

I like CV and LoC a lot, but the squat punk scene in NYC has been around for a lot longer than you seem to think it has.

-BSD

8dollarclarinetsolo (October 4, 2003)

id like to hear that devon williams song.. i just may pick this up... its cheap i assume?

Anonymous (October 4, 2003)

bitch fight.

Anonymous (October 3, 2003)

me-ow

adam (October 3, 2003)

I'll edit YOU!

-adam

maverick (October 3, 2003)

"Arn't you supposed to be editing these?"

Would you like me to edit your comments, too?

-Scott

skankin_in_the_pit (October 3, 2003)

This is a good compilation cd. It's one of the few comps that I actually listen to more than a couple times.

adam (October 3, 2003)

Arn't you supposed to be editing these?

-adam

maverick (October 3, 2003)

"Sixgun Radio throws in the driving, unreleased track “Culture Crave” that rejuvenates the Down By Law-styled stakepunk sound."

So they're a band who hunts vampires in their spare time?

-Scott

adam (October 3, 2003)

Sixgun Radio is out later this year, from what I'm told. Their stuff sounds great so far.

-adam

Dubar (October 3, 2003)

wait... bankshot actually released an album?! and to think it was just a couple years ago that they started this thing.

I had no idea: is that muppet NAMBLA the new one they recorded? sweet deal.

Oh and Six Gun Radio is so much better than you are. They just had the unfortunate luck of being signed to bankshot, so the record they finished up last october is still in limbo somewhere. Rest assured it will kick your ass when it appears though.

Bankshot puts out some damn fine music.. they just dont seem too dedicated or something. I say pick this one up before it goes out of print for like 2 years.