Interviews:
Heartattack
#48 - December 2005
Ox Fanzine #60 - June 2005
Maximum Rock N Roll #245
- October 2003
Reviews:
ASS-END
OFFEND - UNCHECKED AGGRESSION EP
Montana hardcore veterans' third EP, and this one surpasses even their
stellar "Character Assassins" LP from '04. We got them here
in town last summer, after 5 weeks in Eastern Europe and a bizarre skin
infection, and all 7 people who came to the show were fucking floored.
Musically, this band is built for the road, and these 5 tracks capture
the ferocity that levelled Sara Lou's living room in August. The dual
guitar assault works to their advantage, using leads, hooks and breaks
liberally to write kick ass songs and make it all shred my speakers at
maximum volume (ok, the volume part is my fault). The best moments of
DEAD AND GONE (especially on "Your American Dream Is Our Nightmare",
the best song on the record) injected with a searing blast of intensity.
Another often overlooked band...too bad they weren't from somewhere cool.
Too bad, that is, for the people who ignored them simply because they
came from an unhip zip code. They broke up shortly after their last tour...sucks
for us. -Slug & Lettuce #86, March 2006.
ASS-END
OFFEND - Unchecked Aggression 7"
Imagine if CHARLES
BRONSON didn't play their patented thrash/ powerviolence assault and instead
opted to play something along the lines of RUINATIONS hardcore insanity.
Basically these guys are brutal. Vocals reminiscent of CB with songs in
the vein of RUINATION. They have four previous releases and have toured
extensively since they have been together in the last 6 years. They are
a cornerstone of the Montana area hardcore scene. Check em out! You will
not be disappointed. -Profane Existence #50, Spring 2006
ASS-END
OFFEND- ‘UNCHECKED AGGRESSION’ 7"
Turbulent hardcore punk, fast and unruly and a vicious follow-up to ‘Character
Assassins’. This is raw and restless and a dose of real energy in
these days of limp dick, childish music. Very powerful without getting
metallic- just intense and that’s the shit that gets me going. Fantastic
DIY approach. 5 tracks, all fierce and with a killer screen-printed cover.
This is a huge recommendation that you’d be a cock to miss out on.
- No Front Teeth
'zine
Ass-End
Offend "Unchecked Aggression" ep
My fave contemporary hardcore/ultra rock band returns with another devastating
EP. Since all good hardcore is based in the 80's (and since the new Bush
is Reagan-er than Reagan) I'm happy that they use 80's lingo to damn the
right, reviving "Yuppie" as a epithet. And they have actual
social content in their music. But it's hard to hear the pleas for reforming
the exploitation of the third world over the roar of lawnmower rock exploding!
-Roctober #42, January 2006
Ass-End
Offend - Unchecked Aggression
Ass-End Offend has just split up, with some members planning a move to
Portland, but they leave behind a strong five-song EP to wrap things up.
Aggressive hardcore with a mainly fast tempo but not really an old-school
throw-back. An early Born Against influence, if I wanted to make a comparison.
Some complex, dynamic instrumentation but without being masturbatory or
pretentious. Blistering songs and blistering sentiments-"Your American
Dream Is Our Nightmare" kind of sums it up and "Get Over It
Already" is a to-the-point commentary about homophobia. Their Character
Assassins album, which came out earlier this year, wasn't bad but this
sounds much more focused. -Al Quint, MaximumRockNRoll #272, January 2006
Ass-End
Offend - "Unchecked Aggression" EP
Recorded by the illustrious Mike Lastra of Portland, this sounds way better
than any of this band's previous material. The guitars are chunky, the
drums and bass pound hard as fuck and the singers scream, yell, and get
all up in your face. The music is based on ass-kickingly brutal thrash,
but the spare use of creative mosh/metal breakdowns and slower, dare I
say TRAGEDY-esque, bits add that extra something that makes this record
totally awesome. I feel like this would appeal to fans of the current
slew of great Bay Area hardcore bands like DEADFALL and BORN/DEAD as well
as more, uh, mature listeners. -Paul Curran, MaximumRockNRoll, #272 January
2006
Ass End
Offen "Unchecked Aggression" 7"
The latest EP from Missoula, MT's ASS-END OFFEND contains six raging tracks
of crusty thrash that is big on power and originality. while they have
several other EP's and and LP under their belts, this latest release shows
a huge maturity in their style and sound, helped greatly by excellent
recording done by Mike Lastra in Portland's famous Smegma Studios. Exceelent
music, good (and funny) political lyrics, and full-on in your face DIY
punk attitude. -Moo
Cow Records '06
Ass-End Offend is one of the best bands in Missoula right now and their latest album, Unchecked Aggression (Wäntage USA), is a salty kernel of punk that dwarfs a lot of other records this year. The whole thing is just minutes long, but the barking vocals and fast-as-all-hell hoedown of songs like “Your American Dream is our Nightmare” last like the scar from a hot cow brand. (EF) - Missoula Independent 1/12/2006 - www.missoulanews.com
Ass-End Offend "Unchecked
Aggression" 7"
A four-song barrage of mmm... unchecked aggression. As previously stated,
you're getting four, quick, deviant blasts of whirlwind hardcore insanity.
Your American Dream Is Our Nightmare is the best song I've heard by these
guys. And I really like this band. This is a little more hardcore than
their debut album if you can follow me on that one. It's great. In fact,
if all seven-inches were this much fun it would be a wonderful world.
The cover is absolutely stunning and it's printed on the reverse of junked
AmeriCorps posters. - http://www.odysseyzine.com
- December 2005
Ass-End
Offend "Unchecked Aggression" 7"
The latest release from this long-standing Missoula, MT hardcore punk
band. Ass-End Offend is one of the more committed DIY bands around these
days, having toured the US a number of times and having returned from
a European tour last summer. They've also helped countless touring bands
from across the country to get much needed shows in their hometown, breaking
up the grueling drive from the Midwest to the West Coast, and vice versa.
This band often gets overlooked, but continue to release powerful records
with a great number of influences. This EP is seven minutes of mid to
fast paced powerful punk songs that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to
fans of any particular sub-genre of hardcore punk. Personal and political
lyrics that are not embarrassing, which isn't always common these days.
Not only is the music great, but they did a nice job with the packaging,
giving the covers the two-color silkscreen treatment. -Heartattack #48,
December 2005
Ass-End Offend (Missoula/Kalispell,MT) These machete-wielding peace punks rip loose some of Montana's tightest blast-core. Swinging, pounding, and ferocious but still retaining some hope. I don't know a damn thing about grindcore or d-beat, but this shit excites me more than the prospect of meeting people in a city called "Wroclaw". Ex-Antidifrancos, Disgruntled Nation and Venal I.V. -Total Fest 2005 roster
Ass-End
Offend "Character Assassins" CD
Sometimes you hear a record that makes you want to invent adjectives,
because the record is good, but good in new ways (so new adjectives would
seem fitting, wouldn't they?). Montana's Ass-End Offend have been at it
for years, and their first LP is the perfect realization of all their
efforts. It just works. Equal parts east bay hardcore (a la FILTH, EL
DOPA, ECHONOCHRIST), modern heaviness, and 80's midwestern hardcore (a
notable comparison primarily because Ass-End Offend fall into NONE of
the typical punk trappings) fused together with dark ominous passages
that imply a secret goth past. The lyrical assault is just as poignant
as the music, especially on songs like "Becoming Our Destruction"
and "Production Rats" songs which perfectly describe the frustration
of the modern human existence...even the words to "Skateboarding
Is Not a Sport" come off bleak. While the recording is solid and
full, "Character Assassins" relies on WHAT is recorded, rather
than HOW it is recorded (translation: the record fucking rocks ass, instead
of just being "heavy" as the result of budget adn a well-honed
engineer). 12 tracks of fantastic bombastic fury, and "Permanent
Sick Leave" is the kind of song that makes me glad I'm still punk
(well, I'm always glady, but you know what I mean) I wholeheartedly endorse
this band, and I know this record by heart.... More please. -Robert, Slug
& Lettuce #82
ASS-END
OFFEND - Titre : Character Assassins
Label : Cd 12t Wantage Usa / Poisoned Candy records 2005
Pour les avoir oublié, je les ai oublié…un six mois
que je veux écrire cette chronique. C’est un des rares groupes
intéressants de WantageUsa records du Montana. Pas seulement. Même
si je les préfère et de loin aux Holy Mountain de No Idea
records, ces deux groupes sont presque similaires dans leurs côtés
punk-hardcore et leur tentative de revenir à la base avec un côté
classique à la econochrist, antichism, born against, hhig, ballast,
etc. C’est un bon cd pour un bon groupe du Montana qui devrait peut
être se retrouver sur Profane Existence ? Je crois qu’ils ont
une entrevue dans le dernier Heart Attack. - fab
tigan (17/12/05) - SANS TAMBOUR NI TROMPETTE - www.stnt.org
Ass-End
Offend "Character Assassins"
AEO= Nerve Agents + F-Minus (their first record). These Montana boys are
a refreshing surprise. So much hardcore punk has been done over and over
again, but A.E.O. put their own spins on the classic formulas to create
a ruthless punk rock record. The usual lyrics about shitty jobs and teenage
disgust are done with great perspective. The arrangement and production
may be a little sloppy, but work great with what this band is all about.
You have to give these guys credit for just being from Missoula, Mont.,
and creating a good punk record. I've been to Missoula and trust me, these
guys pulling this off is just short of a miracle. Whatever lame excuse
you have for not putting out your record, it can't be a hard to overcome
as living in Montana. -James Orme, Salt Lake UnderGround, March 2005
ASS-END OFFEND - Character
Assassins CD
ASS-END OFFEND kommen aus Montana und sind seit vier Jahren in der Punk-Szene
aktiv. Und "aktiv" bezieht sich nicht nur auf die Band. Die
Mitglieder organisieren Shows in ihrer Gegend, veröffentlichen Fanzines
und betreiben das Poisoned Candy-Label. Zu hören gibt es auf dieser
von Tim Green produzierten Scheibe zwölfmal politischen und straighten
"Voll in die Fresse"-Hardcore ohne Schnörkel. Hart. Musste
ein paar mal an THE ACCÜSED denken. (25:10) (05/10) © by OX-FANZINE
[57] und Zahni Müller
Ass End Offend "Character
Assassins" CD
This is the latest from this four piece from Missoula. Part ECONOCHRIST,
part ANTI-SCHISM, ASS END OFFEND muster all the fury of a prairie storm.
Their material is moody and brooding with the ability to bash out-a-beat
that would make BORN AGAINST proud. The later ANTI-SCHISM moodiness style
can really be heard in a song like "Becoming Our Destruction".
-EqualizingXDistort, January 2005
ASS-END OFFEND • character Assassins CD
I saw these Montana punks a couple of years ago and was really impressed. On this CD Ass-End Offend continue their brand of doom and gloom hardcore. Slow, ominous sounding parts burst into fast hardcore with screamy vocals. There is a definite similarity to Bay Area hardcore bands both past and present. The lyrics are filled with a sense of frustration and despair. A perfect soundtrack for what I can only imagine living in Montana must be like. -Heartattack #44
ASS END OFFEND - "Character Assassins" LP
Harsh, rumbling punk from deep within the bowels of Montana, these songs are pretty raw and stripped down. Things fly by pretty quickly, but there are an ever-flowing mix of tempo changes that keep things interesting. Crunchy punk with a slight metallic edge that is dark and somber throughout. -MaximumRockNROll #259 December 2004
ASS END OFFEND- ‘CHARACTER ASSASSINS’ CD
Very reminiscent of late 80’s skate/hardcore. That irritated, fast sound that’s like a stabbing. This is an attack, not only musically, but an attack on hardcore. This is how it used to be and how it should be. It’s so hard to come across genuine, straightforward hardcore these days, there’s so much over-produced pollution drowning it all but not ASS END OFFEND. This is fuming. Just looking at this CD is an indication of better days…the artwork is perfect. Really, hardcore is a fuckin embarrassment these days, don’t kid yourself that you are hardcore if you don’t understand what this is about. -No Front Teeth ‘zine (11/21/04), London, UK www.nofrontteeth.co.uk
Ass-End Offend
"Permanent Sick Leave"
From their "Character Assassins" CD on Wäntage USA
I don't listen to a lot of hardcore, but I know what I like and I like
this. These Montana punks spring forth with a huge, brutal new disc of
profound hollering. This is not typical of what you usually find on Wäntage,
but it still shows that Mr. Josh Vanek knows quality when he hears it.
Ass-End Offend is as scruffy and harsh as the last hardcore basement show
you attended, but quite a bit more complete in the song department. -THE
ODYSSEY ONLINE RADIO 9/28/04 www.odysseyzine.com/radio.html
Ass-End Offend "Character
Assassins" CD
Ass-End Offend are the best hardcore punk band I've heard in quite some
time. It's fast, dark, loud, brutal punk perfection that's as rambunctious
and sweaty as the last basement show you attended. I always have trouble
talking about hardcore, or what is generally recognized as hardcore, because
it's all pretty much the same to most ears (including mine), but some
of it is just better. This one falls into the better category. I wanted
to rip on the sorta silly-sounding intro/slowdown to "Becoming Our
Destruction" or "Permanent Sick Leave" but the entirety
of those songs are so great that it more than makes up for a couple of
cheesy moments. I really like this. There are a lot of kids at the VFW
who need to hear this.
-Odyssey 'Zine - http://www.odysseyzine.com/articles/December2004_records.html
ASS END OFFEND - "Character Assassins"
On their disc "Character Assassins" Missoula, Montana's Ass-End Offend deal in brutal hardcore / punk rock that bridges the gap between old-school Poison Idea-inflected hardcore, the crustier crossover stuff from the early to mid-nineties, and the more recent crop of hardcore bands influenced by the rosters of labels like Hydra Head and Deathwish Inc. This is music for breaking things -walls, windows, people... and is great for those days when you're pissed at everyone and everything. - http://www.roadburn.com/pgreview/reviews_new_12s_04.html
Ass-End Offend “Character Assassins” Wantage USA
Here's what usually happens with your hardcore band: First you write about a million two-minute songs. Then you decide you want to cram as many of them as possible on a seven-inch record, which even at 33-and-a-third RPMs would sound better and look less vaguely pathetic with half the amount of music on it. You find someone to record it cheaply—or you do it yourself in the basement— with the mix determined so democratically that nothing stands out except the shitty death-metal bass tone that there was no talking the bassist out of. Then you skip the mastering and end up with a record that sounds partly like a thousand others. It gets a decent review in MRR, a few carefully concealed dollar bills show up in the mail, you sell a few at shows and you trade or consign as many as you can with distributors you'll never hear back from.
Character Assassins runs counter to this established wisdom, which to some extent has guided almost all Missoula hardcore releases to date. It looks great (the LP version, like most Wantage releases, has a silk-screened cover), it sounds incredible (courtesy of recording wizard/former Champs guitarist Tim Green), and its 12 songs find this Missoula-Kalispell supergroup playing at the very top of its game. So this is the beating all those Disgruntled Nation records were hinting at. Killer. Fresh off a six-week tour; Ass-End Offend plays Area 5 on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 8 PM. -Andy Smetanka, Missoula Independent Newspaper, August 19, 2004
Ass-End Offend 'Character Assassins'
Ass-End Offend is a terrifically blazing Montana punk rock institution. They've been around for 4 years, and have turned what started as relatively standard hardcore into powerful music full of its own personality. Ass-End Offend play rock and roll that can't, and shouldn't, be pigeonholed into one convenient category. In their four years Ass-End Offend have amassed a serious following across Montana and have toured the country three times. They write songs, that for a reference point, are similar to much of the output of the Prank Records label. Civically, Ass-End Offend are thoroughly involved in their scene: they book shows like mad for touring bands. They write zines. Guitarist Matt Svendsen does a label called Poison Candy -which co-released the CD. They are entirely committed to playing small intimate spaces to the all-ages crowd. They don’t preach the gospel of DIY, they practice it. And two of them have pre-adolescent daughters. It's really hard to get your head around. At least it is for me. Oh, and their name, which the first time you hear it sounds like one of the clunkiest around: nobody really seems to know what its significance is, other than some vague reference to Flathead County car accident.
Ass-End Offend have an almost martial ability to alternate their bombast and restraint. Like the best hardcore, it's fresh to the point where it doesn't need to rely on what's been done before. Rather, it plows forward, loudly. And there's a song called Skateboarding is Not a Sport. The LPs are limited to 400 copies, and were hand screened in the Wantage USA Societal Betterment Laboratories. Fans of Gauze, Artimus Pyle, Neurosis, Prank and Six Weeks labels will enjoy what Ass-End Offend does here. Recorded by Tim Green at Louder Studios in San Francisco. http://www.assendoffend.com -Josh Vanek, Wantage usa Records - http://www.wantageusa.com
ASS-END OFFEND Welcome to the Discomfort Zone E.P
Having never heard Ass-End Offend, I'd have to say that this EP was a pleasure to review. These guys blew me away! Excellent dark HC punk with great production and plenty of melody and hooks, but in the Tragedy/ His Hero is Gone way rather than the Screeching Weasel way. Throat shredding vocals add to this release, as do the great dark and gloomy lyrics. If you haven't heard Ass-End Offend, pick up this EP, then go get their other two releases because you won’t be satisfied with just one EP -Profane Existence #43
ASS-END OFFEND - "Welcome to the Discomfort Zone" EP
Gotta admit, the name did turn me off at first, but after the needle hit the wax, I was pleasantly surprised. Straightforward, well-executed, dark punk tunes straight out of Montana (of all places) along the lines of early NEUROSIS mixed with a barrage of other, more "new-school" elements. I was especially impressed with ASS-END OFFEND's ear for cool unexpected hooks and changes that worked real well with the explosive nature of the music. Nicely done. -MaximumRockNRoll #243, August 2003
ASS-END OFFEND • 7”
Ass-End Offend plays hardcore punk in a traditional style. Parts of their sound remind me of some nineties hardcore, while other melodies seem to go back even further in time. The songs on here are strong and their lyrics help to reinforce that stance. Ideas of tracking through fingerprints, destructive interaction, embitterment, and work are all critiqued here. -Heartattack #36
ASS-END OFFEND- WELCOME TO THE DISCOMFORT ZONE EP
Simplistically honest punk rock with a thrashy sound. The songs are very loose nit, but it works. This is their 3rd ep and it's limited to 500 numbered copies. Comes on gray vinyl to boot -Slug & Lettuce #76
ASS END OFFEND ...welcome to the discomfort zone EP $3.50... another great record by MT'S great A.E.O.... great HC punk, no bullshit pretention. CHECK THESE GUYS OUT! -www.brickwallrecords.com
Ass-End Offend - Becoming
Our Destruction 7"
This is AEO's first record and it is insanely good. This is not just another
hardcore band, they are completely original and will stand out from anything
else you have heard over the years. Very creative lyrics. I think it is
safe to say that Ass-End Offend is definitely the best band I have ever
heard. -Brandon, Voice Zine #2, April 2006
Ass End Offend "Becoming
our Destruction" ep
ECONOCHRIST inspired hardcore from Montana featuring members from DISGRUNTLED
NATION "Becoming our Destruction" is ASS END OFFEND's first
release. The vocalist sounds like Sam from BORN AGAINST - very tortured
and anguished with a scream that lingers. This is only facilitated by
a style of hardcore that is mid-tempo and has a tendency to build. In
comparison to today's scenes where emphasis is placed on speed this is
a great break from the norm. I don't want to give you the impression they
aren't fast - each song reaches manic paces, but they all start off slow.
Regardless, ASS END OFFEND play some of the best, most honest hardcore
I have heard in awhile. -Equalizing-X-Distort -Issue 2, Number 9
ASS END OFFEND Becoming Our Destruction EP
Underneath the nicely hand-screened cover lurks some mid tempo melodic hardcore that occasionally blasts into faster, thrashier stuff. Comes with a Garbage Pail Kid sticker. -Short, Fast + Loud! #10
ASS-END OFFEND - BECOMING OUR DESTRUCTION 7"
Punk rock from Montana played in an abrasive raw thrashing style. Kinda disjointed in the timing with pronounced screamy vocals that roll. Lots of technical guitar playing that doesn't make this any less punk cause they rage along full throttle and thrash. The cover is one thick piece with a screen-printed front. -Chris, Slug & Lettuce #73
ASS-END OFFEND - "Becoming Our Destruction" EP
Tasty. I hear some FROM ASHES RISE parts, but with vocals more screamed than grunted, and a little bit of pretentiousness-free ORCHID comes through as well. I'm not sure what you would call that (I've heard the term "emo violence" tossed around, but I can't say that without laughing). I call it fucking good, and it makes me want to hear more of what the Montana hardcore scene has to offer. -Maximum RockNRoll #235
Ass-End Offend "Becoming Our Destruction" - $3 This band hails from Montana and plays catchy, spastic hardcore with some interesting bass licks thrown in to keep it intersting. Tempo changes abound under yelled lyrics. -Belief Crisis Records http://www.beliefcrisisrecords.com
ASS
END OFFEND/ THE ANTI DIFRANCOS:
"My Imperialist Hard-On Is Bigger Than Yours" EP...........
The Anti Difrancos
/ Ass End Offend split 7"
Three tracks each from each of these Missoula, MT bands. THE ANTI-DIFRANCOS
are very much in the raw thrashpunk mode and have lyrics as obnoxious
as their name suggest (in a good sort of way). ASS-END OFFEND aremuch
more crust-influenced and have three solid offerings here. -Moo
Cow Records '06
ASS-END OFFEND / ANTI-DIFRANCOS split EP
Yummy good hardcore by both these Montana outfits. Metallic, desperate crust-core from AEO with excellent song writing and a good recording proving you don't need six grand to sound heavy. The ANTI's kick ass with some fast paced hardcore punk, with emphasis on the punk. Montana fucking rocks, now where's that new HUMPY record? -Short, Fast + Loud #9 spring 2003
ASS-END OFFEND-Becoming Our Destruction,
ASS-END OFFEND/ANTl-DIFRANCOS-My Imperialist Hard-On Is Bigger Than Yours
DIY hardcore punk from Montana—Ass-End Offend play in a raging, yet moody vein, where the words are spat out with venom and it's a mix of speed and more haunting elements. I can hear echoes of early Die Kreuzen in there. The Anti-Difrancos, on their side of the split with AEO, slam out fast, snotty thrash. Feisty, although the drummer sometimes relies too much on the snare slam. By the way, cool packaging for both records, with hand-screened art on cardboard sleeves. -Suburban Voice #46
THE ANTI-DIFRANCOS / ASS END OFFEND - split 7”
I didn't care for Ass End Offend as much as their previous release, Becoming Our Destruction. These three songs were slower at times. Overall, though AEO keeps true to their hardcore punk style and tears through all three of their songs. The Anti Difrancos were the better of the two on the split. They have a faster punk/ hardcore style. The recording is shite on The Anti Difrancos recording. I preferred them despite the recording because of the way their songs are quick and full of energy with strong antiestablishment lyrics and tunes. -Profane Existence #40 winter 2002
ANTI DIFRANCOS/ASS END OFFEND -split EP
ASS END OFFEND, holy sweet Darby!!! These Montana punks are the fuck child of EL DOPA and early DIE KREUZEN. It's a ugly, gorgeous child. Crazy stupid fresh back and forth, overlapping dual male vox. I'm moving to Missoula. ANTI DIFRANCOS wear masks on stage, which nowadays is a good, maybe dangerous thing. The tone and direction this band are going in will be great. For now, it is a little formulaic. Everything we love about anarchistic punk, just needs some time to develop. Support Montana Anarchy! -MaximumRockNRoll #235 December 2002
ASS END OFFEND/ THE ANTI DIFRANCOS • split 7”
Ass-End Offend plays a very pleasing, sturdy hardcore on this record. Their songs are full, harsh, and pulled together. I like the deep melodies that line each fast ditty. The lyrics for these are examinations of capitalism, overcoming obstacles, and opening your mind. Cool stuff. The Anti Difrancos songs are fast punk rock with screechy vocals. The distortion is on high and they are just sort of going at it with as much energy, as they have got. The music itself doesn't really catch my fancy but the lyrics are good. They question our current President and how he came into office, commercialism, mindless rebellion, and the sorry state of civil rights in America, I really like the DIY punk nature of this release. -Heartattack #36, November 2002
Anti-Difrancos/Ass End Offend "My Imperialist hard-on is bigger than yours" ep
The ANTI-DIFRANCOS are first out of the gate with 5 new ragers. The bass is up front and played fast in a rolling manner. The guitars have a high end treble distortion wall of noise. But screaming fits of vocals are what stand out. They have two vocalists scream at you in an unrelenting manner similar to that of AUS ROTTEN, but they sound similar to the singers of ANTI-SCHISM. And my favourite song title is "A burning Bush now would truly be a sign from God". ASS END OFFEND have a heavier sound and most of their songs build from slower more straight edge sounding mosh parts, but they quickly explode into a mass of chaotic frothing energy. The songs eventually come back to their original plodding beginnings, but they never remain there. It is great the way they use the two styles to create an urgent sounding hardcore. The singer has a BORN AGAINST scream to him, but the impatience in his style is more a style of current day thrash scenes. -Equalizing-X-Distort, January 2003
Split: ASSENDOFFEND/ANT1-DIFRANCOS split CD Ass End Offend start this out with some hardcore that has more time changes than Dillinger Escape Plan. Not bad at all, a little like Grimple when they get into the gnarly last stuff. They just have a lot of time changes, man A surprisingly good recording for a little mini CD-r with a xerox cover. The Anti-Difrancos have a good bass player, and sound good only when they start to slow down from blast beats to straight forward hardcore. Nice shouted choruses. They kinda sound like that band XFilesX but not as tight. They definitely have good intentions. -Slug & Lettuce #73, 2002
Hell
hath no fury like these guys: ARTISTS: Ass End Offend, Disgruntled Nation
and The Anti Difrancos
I admit, it took me a long time to get around to reviewing these three
hard-core punk vinyl short-plays mailed with a nice note more than two
months ago. I guess I could say that my record player was on the fritz,
or that I just got busy. Actually, I just didn't want to listen to the
music. I just wasn't in the mood. Yes, it's true, I'm guilty of not giving
the music a chance, because I imagined what was there and automatically
didn't want to hear it.
Even the bands' names - Ass End Offend, Disgruntled Nation and The Anti
Difrancos - deliver a feeling of rage-filled angst, reminding me of driving
in Missoula traffic at 5 p.m. on a Friday, after 80 hours of work putting
together computer chips with tweezers and a magnifying glass. But I finally
did listen, dragging myself to the record player and forcing myself to
put on these hell-ridden explosions of sound. I made it through and am
here to tell my story.
I'll first describe the band whose name intrigued me most, Ass End Offend
- a name reminiscent of old Uncle Bud and Grandpa proving their manliness
with ungodly noises after Thanksgiving dinner, or little brother Davy
and his two buddies chasing you around with their hands in their armpits,
flapping like chickens in a panic.
The members of Ass End Offend play hard and dark. One of the strongest
aspects of the LP, "Becoming Our Destruction," is the deep vocal
style. Though the words are almost impossible to understand, the meaning
is clear through the demonic sound rising from the vocals of Brent and
Tom (nobody includes last names on these records). The instruments are
well-played. Where some punk musicians go overboard trying to make as
much noise as possible, the members of Ass End are conscious that their
instruments make many different sounds. Brent, the guitarist, and Dan,
the drummer, collaborate with Tom, the bassist, to explore the combination
of sinister vocals with melodic harmony. This makes their songs unique,
with true musicians' artistry.
Then, with relentless determination, in blasts the band Disgruntled Nation.
The best way to describe the overall sound these two Montanans and one
Other-Stater make: powerhouse punk. Without being overbearing, Disgruntled
Nation is steadfast, never missing a beat or lagging in turbo-style rhythm,
exploring the best ways to release the beast inside us all. Their vocals
have been described by a friend as "Yogi Bear on acid." This
seems pretty accurate. There is something about the throaty vocals that
points to the dopey friendliness of Yogi, with a little extra spaz stirred
into the mix. The three Disgruntled members work hard for their music.
Drummer Matt pounds his instrument with an unrelenting fury, and guitarist
Rob wails in amped-out glory. Brent, on bass, gives the music its bottom-line
endurance. The music of Disgruntled Nation is the kind I would expect
to hear in the center of a 12-volt battery.
The third SP to assault my music player is a double album. Ass End Offend
is one dark sound, but another is blasted by The Anti Difrancos. This
is the sound I was so uninterested in hearing, which took me so long to
get around to: The vocalists scream until I get a sore throat, and the
drummer, guitarist and bassist play fast enough to spin the listener's
brain upside down into a neurotic stupor. Listen to this music when the
fury has taken over your soul and all there is to do is bounce and crash
around until you collapse into a heap on a sweaty dance floor. But for
all their spinning, out-of-control fury, they each know the exact rhythm.
They can stop on the point of a needle - these guys are in sync.
Maybe the energy of the new year prompted me to finally listen to these
three electrified albums. They are full of the fire and the fury. Not
everything is happy and pretty and gentle. A little of this music, and
a punching bag, and I'll bet 5 p.m. Friday traffic won't seem so bad after
all.
Ass End Offend, Disgruntled Nation and The Anti Difrancos are available
at Ear Candy Music and Rockin Rudy's. -Erica Parfit, Missoulian, January
2, 2003
ASS END OFFEND/ THE ANTI DIFRANCOS: Split 7"
Ass End Offend: Out of their three songs, "Cross the Fence," is the standout solely by the fact it doesn't sound like a tired reconstruction of Corrosion of Conformity, pre-Crossover. That song is my favorite of the split and actually has some nice breakdowns and vocal dynamics. Anti DiFrancos: Barring a song about respecting your parents and an up-front hate for a certain hairy armpitted righteous babe, The Anti DiFrancos are a very standard, almost featureless punk band who seemed to have taken Jello Biafra's spoken word to heart (i.e. "the nation's elite bolster our alienation to perpetuate wage slave subjugation"). I'm sure they're very earnest but this musical ground — especially the instrumentation- has been trampled so many times, and like a patch of grass under the same treatment, it doesn't seem like anything new's growing out of it. My suggestion for both bands? Get more Feederz and Zero Boys and cut down on the Conflict and GBH in your diet; something to throw in and monkey wrench the mix. -Todd, Razorcake #11
Ass End Offend / Anti DiFrancos split 7"/CD
"Don't let your dirt hold you in your hole": excellent line. The Ass End Offend side is full of em. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for them musically. I'm not into metal in any of its ugly, contorted forms, and I can't say this strikes me as any different. Sounds like metal to me.
The Anti DiFrancos side is in the same vein as their other releases- fast, pissy, aware, and moral. I guess the parents out there will like "Rebel", but my favorite is "Commodity is a Plague". Who wouldn't love a song with words like, "You got "Punk" printed on the personalized license plates of your cherry red 4x4" and "Appetizing brand names, cute catchy phrases/ silly stupid jingles: annoying and contagious!" It's available as a 7 inch record, or, for those of you without vinyl spinners, as a tiny little 2 or 3 inch CD. -Kelly Ell, END OF TRANSMISSION fanzine from billings, mt
THE ANTI DIFRANCOS / ASS END OFFEND - split EP The Anti Difrancos are super raw hardcore similar to Dystrophy and the Hatemail Killerz with intelligent lyrics. Ass End Offend are on the darker and mid tempo side drawing from more present day influences. - www.somestrangemusic.com
THE ANTI DIFRANCOS/ ASS END OFFEND “SPLIT” EP ...FUCK YEAH...D.I.Y. HARDCORE FROM MONTANA!!! everyone should get off their ass and buy these great punk records! ... ASS END OFFEND sound like a modern mix of early Die Kreuzen and Talk Is Poison!!! The Anti-Difrancos are great snotty HC punk with awesome political minded lyrics... this is awesome, honest and sincere HC punk! - www.brickwallrecords.com