Impact/Eu's Arse split 7"
Label: ?
Release date: 2007
Quantity: 500?
Track List:
Impact-
•Polizia
•Governo
•Dolcisensazioni
•........
•La Lettera
•Giustizia
•Cadaveri
Eu's Arse-
•Cibernauti
•E Noi?
•Fino A Quando?
•Servitu Militari
•Corruzione Statale
Impact: Solo Odio 12"
Label: Gonna Puke (Italy)
Release date: 2009
Quantity: no idea
Track List:
•Non Puoi Giudicare
•Morte Chimica
•Processo Di Vita
•Ribellione
•Eroi
•Delitto Legale
•Solo Odio
•Sulla Loro Croce
•La Vostra Violenza
•L'uomo Procede
Impact is a generally unsung great of early 80s Italian hardcore. Pre-internet, most people in the United States' only exposure to this band was from the P.E.A.C.E. comp. Recently, we are graced by nice, legitimate reissues: the Eu's Arse split 7" in 2007, and the Solo Odio 12", this year. In a time of horribly done bootleg records using MP3s as the source material, this is a welcome treat.
For many years, the split E.P. was scarce and expensive. The Eu's Arse split E.P. was originally released in 1983 during the heyday of great, raw Italian hardcore punk. Impact's guitar tone sounds like they plugged the guitar straight into a 4 track from a DOD pedal. It's muddy, ugly, sounds like shit. Fucking great. They managed to cram 7 songs on their side, so it feels like a full 7". The Impact cover art is one of the coolest looking covers of the time, in my opinion, and for this reissue, someone cleaned it up, boosting the black and white contrast. It looks great. I think there were 500 of the reissues done, something like 300 on the purple vinyl that United Record Pressing was running a special on at the time, and I think 200 on clear. The Eu's Arse side is no joke either. More Discharge sounding and decidedly more rough. The vocals are constantly cracking, with more of an emphasis on the d-beat, it sounds like it could have been an early Swedish release. Oh, and their solos are some of the most horrendous solos you've ever heard. Great. As far as I know, this band only had a couple releases: this record and a 7", plus a few comp tracks.
The Solo Odio 12" (translates to 'Only Hatred') was originally released only a year later (1984), but it sounds worlds different. It sounds like they learned to play a little better and went into a real studio. Don't be fooled by that though, this is still rabid as hell...10 songs in 15 minutes! The guitars are heavy and the drummer is ripping. There's a little more melody on this, but the overall tone is fast and desperate. A fantastic reissue, I don't have the original to compare it to, but the sound is crisp and cover looks great. Check out the cover art on the back: the naked cop being shot up into the air and the other one being drug by the dog while the punks are laughing. This record is perfect, I can't find anything wrong with it.
Posts
The 2nd IMPACT 12" is worth checking out too. Not as good as Solo Odio, but nowhere near as bad as what most Italian bands had turned into by 1986 (i.e terrible metal). It was recently bootlegged as a 7".
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard the Impact LP from the 90s, I am afraid to. The cover art doesn't look too promising! The sad thing is, I have a copy of it in my house.
ReplyDeleteThere was an Impact LP in the 90s? Never heard of it (the 2nd one, "Attarverso L'involucro" is from 1986 and is pretty good). All I remember is a 7" in the very early 90s, which sucked.
ReplyDeleteOk, I checked on it, the album was recorded in '98, it's called 'Pistoleros,' released by Suburbia and Revolution Inside. I checked it out, it's not really as bad as I had expected. Definitely not the same as the raw and fast Impact of old, but it's not too bad. It is a lot more produced sounding, but still punk. Kind of reminds me of later Freeze or maybe the Agent Orange- Living In Darkness, but nowhere near as good. At least it didn't go into "terrible metal" territory!
ReplyDeleteOh shit, I'm still listening to this and a cover Coffeine by Crucial Youth just came on.
ReplyDeletethe solo odio lp is one of the best punk records i think i've ever heard. thank you for sharing this amazing band.
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