Skull Control

Skull Kontrol bust out a crazy sound that's primarily comprised of the kind of punk that hasn't been convincingly thrown down since hardcore's heyday. They've got the dangerous, go-for-the-throat swagger of a Damaged-era Black Flag, the desperation of This Is Boston, Not L.A.-era East Coast HC, with a dash of Pussy Galore/Jesus Lizard fuckery thrown in for good measure. The already defunct Skull Kontrol's line-up included alumni of Delta 72 and Cupid Car Club, but this super-group punks out in a way that surpasses these past groups in sheer intensity. There are only six tracks on this EP, but each one smokes. The opener, "In A Different Cage," has totally amazing Greg Ginn-like guitar lines driving the song, as does "Primitive Offerings" with its cool male-female vocal trade-offs. It's great to hear a band sound so heavy and menacing who don't come off like bad metal, and who also seem to have some semblance of intellect to their music. The music is perfectly complimented by the pre-"Photoshop," pen-drawn, black and white cover art.