Top 5 Pacific Northwest/Rocky Mountain Hardcore Punk Records

The Rockies and Pacific NorthWest have also had their fair share of intense hardcore punk (and other extreme/fringe genres as well). It's a shame that documentaries about the punk scene such as American Hardcore just barely acknowledge the existence of punk/alternative music outside of grunge bands or possibly Poison Idea. Here is where I will try to make a bit of improvement on that situation. There's more to this region than Starbucks and rain. Hardcore punk have very deep roots here and this is just a sample.

Honorable mention: bands that did make to the list include Solger, White Trash and the legendary straight-edge band 7 Seconds

1. POISON IDEA - Pick Your King EP

"SHUT UP. LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY TO YOU, CAN YOU BELIEVE ANY OF IT'S TRUE? PHONEY LEADERS STEAL YOUR MONEY, THAT AIN'T FUNNY, THAT'S THE GOSPEL."

Poison Idea is one of those rare bands like Negative Approach that just exude hostility from every pore and are utterly unique from all other hardcore bands. What also makes this band unique is the insightful and poetic lyrics of the late (and rather hefty) singer Pig Champion. While their later albums (such as 'Kings of Punk' and 'Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes') benefited from a thicker and heavier production, this album is lean and mean sounding. It is a perfect record without any weaknesses, just pure adrenalin, angst and aggression. The record's cover on one side is the face of Jesus while the flip side has the picture of Elvis. No matter which king you pick, there is one one pick for the kings of Northwest hardcore. Need I say more?

 "I reviewed their demo tape tow issues ago, and now I have a chance to rave again. This soon-to-be-released EP has thirteen thrashing songs which run into each other at breakneck speed. Keep your ears peeled."
-Tim Yohannon (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll, March/April 1983)

POISON IDEA - Pick Your King [Full EP]

2. ACCÜSED - The Return Of Martha Splatterhead

"LIFE SHOULD BE UNCHAINED A PLEASURE WITHOUT DOUBT KEEP MATERIAL WEALTH I'D RATHER HAVE MENTAL HEALTH."

 AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Okay, the Accüsed are an amazing band. Like really amazing. The are one of the forgotten cornerstones of crossover thrash. Hey, my own band is straight up Accused/Cryptic Slaughter worship. That's how much me and my friends love this band. And there's good reason. The drums are pounding, the guitars are grinding, the bass is galloping (as the bass player this excites me greatly) and the vocals are batshit crazy!!! Lyrics range from teenage angst to politics to gore and the music ranges from hardcore attack to thrashing assault. Also, they are made of the who's who of Washington Punk Rock including former members of The Fartz and Solger. And they are still going today. 

"You missed last time, so don't miss this chance, 'cause this firebomb rips with that kind of crazed ferocity of speed, lightning-paced and raw deliverance that cranks the rug out from your feet. The dentist rips teeth from your jaw as Blaine tugs at his frenzied vocals in a passionate form of chaos, and the band giggles with nerve-smashing thrash. The original plus eight new tracks to light up your neighborhood."
-Pushead (from Maximum Rocknroll, June 1986)

 ACCÜSED ~ Return Of Martha Splatterhead

3. SEPTIC DEATH - Need So Much Attention

"FROZEN IN IGNORANCE I CAN'T UNDERSTAND. SCREAMING ON THE SCREEN SHOUTING ON THE TUBE. GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE HAVE TO BE FREE. THAW!!!"

Brian 'Pushead' Schroeder is a talented visual artist, record producer, music critic and musician who has been one of the world's greatest connoisseurs of extreme punk music. Many people have said, with alarming accuracy, that critics are the ones who have failed at the art they review or are pretentious assholes. Well, I have no idea if Pushead is an asshole or not but he doesn't just review records, he's a fan and a student of records and he really did his homework combining the best of the best and adding his own colorful touches to the palate of what is known as Septic Death. Totally unique yet straight forward. A classic in every sense and an awesome listen. [This was later repackaged with extra tracks and reissued as "Now I Have The Attention, What Do I Do With It? under his own label Pusmort Records.]

"Heh, heh. After Pushead's wisecracks at the beginning of his column, I can't wait to review his band's record. Unfortunately, it's good. Oh, well. Actually, it's ferocious. It combines the manic attack of the Boston bands with the recklessness of the best Finnish and Swedish thrash groups. Being a perfectionist, the Pus has worked long and hard on his debut, with excellent results. It should serve as a lesson for many young bands--wait until you've got it together before going public. This shreds."
-Tim Yohannon (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll, March 1984)

SEPTIC DEATH - Thaw

4. THE FARTZ - Because This World Fuckin' Stinks

"YOU'VE GOT A BRAIN, YOU'VE GOT A BRAIN, YOU'VE GOT A BRAIN. USE IT!!!"

The Fartz are generally known as one of two things. 

1: That band the guys in the Accused played in. 

2: That band Duff McKagan (Guns n' Roses, Velvet Revolver) played in back when he was a punk.

Even though they have a really juvenile name, The Fartz are actually quite a political band with a serious message and a passionate hatred of Reagan. Their fast, raw and precise thrash attack is truly something wonderful and they deserve to step out of The Accused's/Duff McKagan's shadow and get the props that they so richly deserve. [Alternative Tentacles rereleased this record with their World Full Of Hate record and other tracks with the comprehensive career CD 'Because This World Still Fuckin's Stinks' which is totally worth getting.]

"My favorite release of 1981, and that's saying a lot given the quality of the competition. The Fartz thrash so hard and fast that they leave most hardcore bands behind in a cloud of dust, but they still manage to exercise a lot of brainpower. This EP is as intelligent, frenetic, and intense as any you're likely to hear, so get it now before it's out of print."
-Jeff Bale (from Maxumum Rock'n'Roll, July/August 1982)

THE FARTZ ~ You Got A Brain

5. BUM KON - Drunken Sex Sucks

"IT'S A SLOW DEATH... I WANNA DIE..."

Colorado's Bum Kon is one of those bands that even punk aficionados can go a lifetime without ever hearing about. But the people that know about Bum Kon (named after a Korean serial killer) LOVE them. They're another lo-fi thrash punk band but they are quirky too. There are lots of little things that they do that are outside the box that makes them so enjoyable and these experimental tendencies were explored later on their following albums and it is a damn shame that they are hardly remembered at all. Thankfully, however, Maximum Rocknroll magazine saw fit to re-release it with a whopping 20 bonus tracks and advertise it in their fine pages and spread the word about this forgotten band that never wuite got the attention they deserved all those years ago. Check it out. You'll be happy you did.

"Raw thrash emanates form Colorado's Bum Kon. They have a frenetic instrumental attack and intense vocals, but the generally poor production doesn't always highligh their potential--note, e.g., the variation between the muddy title song and "The Draft," which has a much hotter sound."
-Jeff Bale (from Maximum Rocknroll, June 1984)

BUM KON ~ Forced Away