“Heard today, these recordings land like warheads – hardcore distilled to a certain gutbucket essence, backloaded with enough humor and funk that it all goes down like a smooth yet bracing shot of motor oil.” — Noisey
Legendary punk/power violence act, SPAZZ, recently unleashed reissued editions of Sweatin’ To The Oldies and Sweatin’ 3: Skatin’, Satan & Katon via Tankcrimes Records. In celebration of the release of these pivotal records, Vice’s music channel, Noisey, is currently streaming both offerings alongside a mega interview with Spazz guitarist Dan “Lactose” Bolleri, bassist and Slap a Ham founder Chris Dodge, and Scotty “Karate” Heath of Tankcrimes.
“The extreme music landscape has shifted dramatically since these tracks were first released,” observes Noisey. “During SPAZZ‘s active years, punk and metal played to different audiences, and power violence didn’t neatly land on either side. For reasons more cultural than sonic, SPAZZ fell to the punks and so confined its performances to venues like Berkeley’s 924 Gilman Street. Twenty years later, the walls between punk, metal and hardcore have collapsed. Heard today, these recordings land like warheads – hardcore distilled to a certain gutbucket essence, backloaded with enough humor and funk that it all goes down like a smooth yet bracing shot of motor oil. Samples from kung-fu movies, skateboarding videos, hip-hop, television and b-movies serve to break up 40- and 70-second blasts of metallic hardcore that bounce around the skull like a pinball, tagged with song titles perfect for scrawling on a bathroom wall. Of the 131 tracks on the two Sweatin’ collections, only two run more than three minutes. SPAZZ gives each just enough time to find a groove and swing a bit before moving on.”
Hear SPAZZ’s bursts of timeless insanity alongside an in-depth interview examining the band’s history courtesy of Noisey at THIS LOCATION.
Originally released on Slap A Ham Records in 1997 and out-of-print for fifteen long years, SPAZZ’s Sweatin’ To The Oldies is a must-have ear-bleeder boasting sixty-four tracks compiled from splits released with Charles Bronson, Brutal Truth, Rupture, Floor and more from 1993 through 1996 as well as SPAZZ’s debut EP, tracks from various comps including Better Read Than Dead (1996, Epitaph/AK Press), cover tunes and live cuts from KFJC and 924 Gilman St.
Sweatin’ 3: Skatin’, Satan & Katon was also initially issued on Slap A Ham Records in 2001. Out-of-print for a decade, Sweatin’ 3… offers up sixty-seven SPAZZ tracks amassed from splits with 25 Ta Life, Lack Of Interest, Hirax, Black Army Jacket, Gob and more released from 1995 through 1998 plus the Tastin’ Spoon EP and tracks from a host of compilation appearances including Short Music For Short People (1999, Fat Wreck Chords) and the original motion picture soundtrack for Gummo.
Purchase the reissued Sweatin’ To The Oldies + Sweatin’ 3: Skatin’, Satan & Katon via Tankcrimes at THIS LOCATION.
For review links and interview requests contact liz@earsplitcompound.com.
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