Everybody Loves Antiseen
A Tribute to the Boys from Brutalsville.
TKO
Antiseen has been churning out simple, dirty, fuzzed-out punk for over 25 years, with lyrical content focusing on the small-town grotesque (without the sense of irony and condescension that bands like Big Black displayed) alongside more important topics like professional wrestling and the importance of meat in a healthy diet. While the band should be a household name for longevity alone, Antiseen is known mostly for backing G.G. Allin and spectacular live shows that can involve fire, washboard destruction, blood and barbed wire. Hopefully this tribute CD can introduce a new generation of fans to Antiseen and the beauty of their simple, raw punk.
The majority of the 57 tunes come from Antiseen’s early albums, especially the defining Southern Hostility and Eat More Possum. While not all the bands can get that fuzzed-out Joe Young guitar sound – sort of like a swarm of bees – most of them approximate Jeff Clayton’s hoarse Lemmy-from-North-Carolina roar. However, with the majority of the bands represented sounding similar to Antiseen in the first place, the more successful covers are the ones that reconstruct the songs a bit more. Hank Williams III turns “Ruby, Get Back to the Hills” into a lazy country song with punk breakdowns at the end, Volatile Baby turns “Wifebeater” into a dirge complete with cello, and The Boils turn “Scapegoat” into a country stomp with brushed drums and acoustic guitars. Even more interesting are different takes on songs. Jeff Dahl contributes a glam-punk version of “People Like You,” while Simon Stokes turns it into a mournful reflection.
As with all tribute albums, if you are a fan of the original artist, you’re going to want to dust off those old albums and if you’ve never heard the originals, you’ll want to check them out. Since most Antiseen fans seem to be in their 30s at least, hopefully this CD will introduce some young’uns to the power and beauty of Antiseen’s catchy, angry rock.
TKO Records: http://www.tkorecords.com
