Pistol Whip

Compiled from a seven-inch single and a number of demo tracks that were intended to be their debut full-length, circa 1976 to 1978, Terminal ― and its accompanying DVD, with interviews and a 2008 reunion gig ― celebrates a band purported to be Erie, PA's premiere punk band. Whether that forgettable footnote is true or not, the fact remains that Terminal is a powerful release that should have been available many moons ago. Uniting the likes of New York Dolls' rawness without the pomp, a touch of pre-new wave keyboards, pelvic blues and outright rock the Forgotten Rebels pine for, the album has so many loose, twangy barbs it's undeniably pure garage rock. As performed in a greasy, dingy mechanic's bay, not some pristine condo, that is. Smarmy and edgy, while still unpretentious, this is a great shot of primal punk.