Crude: Attitude 12" reissue review (versus mode)

Original Straight Up pressing on the left, Feral Ward reissue on the right.

Label: Feral Ward (USA) - YAN 056
Release date: April 2009
Quantity: 1000?

Track List:
•Stand And Fight Again
•Over The Wind
•The Scum Selled Oneself
•Never Give Up Willpower
•Positive Will
•Human Feelings
•True Bravery
•No Light Soul Of State

Finally, a real Crude album is released in North America. I no longer have to drop my head in dismay when people talk about how raging the "Immortality album" is, when in reality, it is just this weird compilation of Crude songs...and not really a Crude album at all. It's crazy to think that it has been 8 years since this band from Hakodate, Japan has released a proper album. Since the Attitude album originally came out, there has been the live tracks on the Wandering Folk split CD, the low-fi recording on the 3 way split CD/one sided-LP with Burial and Nightmare, and the recent H:G Fact 7" where they completed a proper recording of the songs from the 3 way split. Hopefully, their recent touring and releases lead up to a blistering new masterpiece. And also, hopefully Crude starts to get the attention that they deserve, in this part of the world.

The Attitude 12", in my view, is the 2000s answer to Death Side. The ripping leads are too many to count, and the furious hardcore punk onslaught is non-stop, from the infectiously catchy first track, "Stand And Fight Again" clear to the end, with only a few moments lull during the somewhat ballad-like track on side B, "True Bravery." The drums sound like they are ripping through your speakers as the cymbals max out the treble frequencies. This quality gives the band a bit of an updated feel (as far as Japanese HC Punk is concerned) and a new take on a classic sound that few have been able to capture successfully (Selfish from Finland, being another prime example of the exception).

Original Straight Up pressing


Feral Ward repress

As usual, Feral Ward did a nice job. A good choice for the band to do the repress with him. The repress is mastered at 45 RPMs instead of 33, like the Straight Up version that was released in 2000. I'm not really sure why a short 12" like this was done at 33 to begin with. The result is, we get to headbang and play air guitar to a slightly louder record. The mastering job sounds very similar, except slightly more powerful, possibly due to the RPM change and better vinyl quality? There are some slight packaging differences to note. The dusk-like sky has been replaced by a more ominous cloudy sky and the back has a similar situation going on, but the song titles have been placed in a way that is actually legible. Of course, the nice pocket sleeve with rounded edges was a great touch. One thing that slightly bothers me is that it looks like the ostriches were re-done using Live Trace in Adobe Illustrator...but obviously, that has no bearing on how raging this album is. However, one thing that does...is the change in label art! I can't imagine why Feral Ward changed it! I want to see a picture disc of this album with the original label art graphics on it.

Feral Ward classy label art:


Original label art made by ragers who don't give a fuck:

Ok, despite the cowardly disregard for psychadelic, bald-headed raging, here is the Bells Of Doom Toll verdict: DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE, GET THIS SHIT IMMEDIATELY.

P.S., please do a nice reissue of the 1999 12" as well, I like that one even better.
Love, B.O.D.T.

Discography (known to me):
•Crude s/t 12" (1996, Mad Preacher)
•Crude/Violence Moment split 7" (1996, Blood Sucker Record)
•Crude/Grass split 7"
•Crude 4 song CD (1997, Straight Up)
•Crude 2 song 12" (1997, Blood Sucker Record, 2 songs from the above CD)
•Crude 1999 12" (1999, Straight Up)
•Crude: Attitude 12" (2000, Straight Up / 2009, Feral Ward)
•Crude: Immortality compilation 12" (2003, Deranged)
•Crude/Burial/Nightmare: Axis Of Wolves 3 way split CD/LP (2007, H:G Fact / 2009, Hate)
•Crude/Wandering Folk split CD (2008, Straight Up)
•Crude: Just Go Ahead 7" (2008, H:G Fact)