Stick Men With Ray Guns

One word to sum this reissue up would be "ugly," all in caps and ready to jump off the page and pop you in the nose. This is as obscure as they come, as these guys were around the Austin, TX, hardcore scene in the early '80s, recorded some stuff and disappeared. They're in the vein of the Butthole Surfers and David Yow's pre-Jesus Lizard outfit, Scratch Acid, but in many ways they render those bands tame. There's a whole lot of hateful energy in these 23 songs. This is the kind of punk that would make the average Blink 182 or NOFX fan run screaming. And it's all the more dangerous when you consider it was made some 20 odd years ago, when songs like "Nazi Cowboys (On Welfare)" and "Kill The Innocent" were likely to send many of their Texas neighbours into murderous rages. The booklet comes packed with liner notes that give a detailed history of the band and its members, plus many photos and other info. Even though the music is sometimes tough to handle, this is a good piece of hardcore history for the daring among you.