Short Cuts 4/10/03
(Steel Cage Records special)
The Leaving Trains--Emotional Legs
Yowzer--this album from SST vets The Leaving Trains was one of last year's best. Emotional Legs is such a varied listen, it never gets boring. At times pure punk, others straight-up rock 'n roll, and even sometimes a bit new wave pop, this thing kicks ass without ever seeming derivative. Covers include the Urinals tune "Black Hole" and even a rendition of Black Sabbath's "Never Say Die" (!!!). A song with lyrics penned about Freaks & Geeks character Kim Kelly ("Dumb As A Crayon") seals the deal for Emotional Legs. Perfect, perfect, perfect.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE

Hammerlock--Barefoot & Pregnant
My love for Hammerlock is well-documented. With Barefoot & Pregnant, their follow-up to the amazing Anthems For Outlaws album, not a damn thing has changed about those feelings. This outing is a little rawer sounding than last time and just as great. Hammerlock are still like a harsher version of Raging Slab--more likely to open your forehead up with a spork a la Abdullah the Butcher. Typically great originals are augmented by covers of Ernest Tubb, Charlie Daniels, and Willie Nelson/Waylon Jennings compositions. Barefoot & Pregnant rules and if you don't dig Hammerlock you probably suck. Sorry to be so blunt but honesty is the best policy.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE

Cocknoose--White Trash Messiahs
Man, oh man---was White Trash Messiahs ever the dead-on title choice for this Cocknoose CD. This is gritty scum punk/rock of the highest order. Musically, it's akin to Antiseen's less hectic moments and the rockin' nature of this stuff suits me just fine. A cover of the Fabulous Freebirds entrance theme, "Badstreet U.S.A.," leaves no doubt Cocknoose are effin' righteous dudes and you need to buy this album (Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, R.I.P.). This is Confederacy Of Scum approved, so all tree-huggers are advised to start running for the hills...NOW!!!
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE

Limecell--To Evil!
Steel Cage catalog #001 and boy did they ever kick things off right with this one. To Evil sticks a 16 song live Limecell set together with a 9 song demo. It's all really great and abrasive as hell. Limecell are less Southern-fried and more hardcore rooted than what most of the Confederacy Of Scum bands have been stereotyped as being. One thing you can be assured of is that Limecell are venomous here from the word go. This one isn't for the overly sensitive.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE

440s--Hot To Go
Three sleazo dudes plus one of the hottest rocking ladies you'll ever set ears or eyes on equals the 440s. You get their usual brand of blazing punk rock 'n roll on Hot To Go. All killer and no filler, kids. It's high speed and unrelenting all the way. If you're some goofball rawk chauvenist, prepare to have your ass handed to you by a woman who tears a guitar to shreds just as well as she fills out a pair of fishnet stockings. Feel the burn, suckers.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE

Limecell--If We Can't Rock It's War
This Limecell studio album is massive and chunky, from a guitar standpoint. It only aids in magnifying the bad feelings all the more. Does If We Can't Rock It's War stand a chance of connecting with the PC community? Only if PC stands for "punk cretins." Killer songs executed with genuine conviction and loathing--you can't ask for much more when it comes to this style of stuff. Hardcore, indeed.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE
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