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NEO PUNKZ “FASCIST FUCKERS” 5-SONG 7″EP (HAARLEM, HOLLAND- NEO RECORDS, 1980)

TEEN PUNK SERIES, VOLUME 2
Here is more teen punk, but this time we have the polar opposite of the quirky teen punk of a band like the Happy Cadavers.  The young lads in Neo Punkz spewed out quite a snotty, raw, pissed-off racket that makes it legendary.  Also adding to the legend is how darn rare this record is- apparently, it’s on the most elusive and hard-to-find Dutch punk records (and, following that, one of the most expensive- got $800 to spare for a non-Mint copy?).  And it being so sought-after says a lot ‘cuz, as we all know, there are LOTS of great, painfully rare Dutch punk discs that people seek out.  Holland’s KBD era is perhaps the most comped along with our beloved late 70’s Swedish scene, come to think of it.

I (and most other people?) first heard of Neo Punkz when “If I Watch The TV” was included on 1992’s wonderful Killed By Death #5.  The mix of snotty vocals, sloppy playing and razor-sharp tinnitus guitar breaks on that tune was full of urgency, and I was hooked.  I finally heard the entire EP a few years later and was pleased to find that they were not a one-hit wonder- EVERY song was in the same great vein and all songs had the very thin, garage-y production which I think adds a certain charm.  I would have to say that the leadoff, “Fascist Fuckers”, sets the bad vibe of the whole EP and is my favorite tune with its evil rumble and screaming vocals.  That evil undercurrent runs through the entire EP, actually- the next track, “Green Devil”, is a real corker too- the boing-ing guitar noise on it is to die for.  Then of course we have “If I Watch The TV”.  The whole EP is kind of a mid-tempo affair to begin with, but the pace slows down to a grind of sorts (and we have a different singer) on the next song, “Got To Go For A Piss”, which is one of the best sloppy piss takes I’ve ever heard.  I’d have to say that the shouting on the last track, “Kanker”, gets to be a bit rote and annoying to me (and sounds like a piss take!)- it’s my least favorite song on the record, but is still passable.

The band was from Haarlem, which is the capital of “North Holland”, and which sits in the Eastern part of the country, not too far from the North Sea.  Perhaps being from a sea side town made the boys in Neo Punkz so pissed off and “salty” (har har).  This was their only record- in the next year, the band morphed into Suspense who released the OK Murder With The Axe EP in 1981- also on the Neo label- that has been comped several times too.  Haarlem was also the home of Squits, who released one EP in 1982 (and which also got the comp treatment on 1996’s great Punk Rock From Holland LP).  Jesus, what band from Holland has NOT been on a comp?!

Apparently, there was a Neo Punkz CD that came out in 2000 that I’d love to hear- anyone have it (or have more info on it)?  Unreleased live stuff?  Demos?  Same snottiness level as this EP?  I hope so…

Fascist Fuckers
Green Devil
If I Watch The TV
Got To Go For A Piss
Kanker