The Nerve Agents Days of the White Owl
Goofy piano intro and outros do no justice to the pretty killer punk/hardcore this quintet from San Francisco spurt out. Although the horror imagery -- complete with dark rings painted under the band members' eyes -- would make any self-respecting music fan cringe, The Nerve Agents more than make up for this blunder with their drive and attack. Like the mutant offspring of The Misfits, 7 Seconds, Cro-Mags, and New York City youth crew bands, these guys rip through 16 songs in less than 30 minutes with ease. Admittedly, there are a few clunkers in the bunch (their cover of 45 Grave's "Evil" just flops) and the songs start to sound samey after three or four listens. In any event, this band is one to check out if you even remotely pine for the old days of punk and hardcore. Revelation Records JS

Niblick Henbane Go Away
Ah, the forgotten genre of Oi music. Niblick Henbane claim to be one of America's first Oi bands, and have been supposedly stomping heads since 1987. Oi is more interesting than three-chord punk, but not as dynamic or energetic as hardcore. Vocals are usually razorblades and aspirin throat damage, we're talking severe strain to the ol' vocal chords for this rough and raw sound. Niblick Henbane is fun, talented, and simple. Not bad for a merry band of old geezers ... too bad they elected to print a collage of band photos (the lads aren't the most photogenic bunch, either) instead of a lyric sheet. The song topics seem pretty tame and good natured though, especially the Ren and Stimpy reworking of "Happy Happy Joy Joy" to, yup, "Happy Happy Oi Oi." Those wacky Oi rockers! TKO Records JS