PRESS
The
following is a pretty complete list of the interviews and reviews
we've gotten over the years, including when we were called Ass-End
Offend. It's funny how when you change the name of your band you
end up having to start over and all those years of hard work mean
nothing to anyone but you and any "seniority" (for lack
of a less jaded sounding term, haha) you once had is swept from
under your feet. Anyways, at least it is nostalgic and uplifting
to see all the good things people have said in the past...
Interviews:
The
Defector - November 2007
The
Missoula Independent 10/11/2007
Heartattack
#48 - December 2005
Ox
Fanzine #60 - June 2005
Maximum
Rock N Roll #245 - October 2003
Reviews:
SQUALORA's
self-titled CD was released in late '07. Squalora consists of
guys from Ass End Offend, now transplanted from Montana. This
is visceral hardcore with some crust elements. Thick slabs of
riffage, dished out at both a raging pace along with the heavier
crush. "Sugar Coated Submission" has a weighty, ominous
tone, yet doesn't get bogged down in the mire. The same description
could apply to the intro of "Identity Crisis", before
turning on the speed attack: a prevailing doominess, an appropriate
sonic setting for the lyrical mood, yet avoids an oppressive murkiness.
-Al Quint, MRR #304, September 2008
Squalora
(Portland) Frank Zappa once said that "writing about music
is like dancing about architecture," which, actually, sounds
like sour grapes from a rocker who got a bad review. The idea
that somebody might "dance about architecture" is not
unfathomable or oxymoronic to me, and I sure hope somebody does
it from time to time! As incorrect on this count as I think Zappa
was, in attempting to sum up Squalora I really do feel trapped
by hyperbole: they're just that brutal. Squalora attribute their
sound to things like anxiety attacks, their rural-Montana disaffection,
and the social injustices we're faced with every day. If playing
loud, fast, and heavy music is what you do when you have severe
social anxiety, then I think Squalora may be poster dudes for
a new type of therapy. Their songs alternate among intense blasts,
ponderous, flange-modified space and severe, fast and dense riffs.
It's proof that powerful, heavy music is an excellent platform
for an ultimately peaceful and socially conscious message, but
it can still rock like fuck. -Wantage usa, Total Fest programme
August '08
SQUALORA - s/t LP
So I read somewhere that SQUALORA is most of the members of the
band ASS END OFFEND. Since I've never heard A.E.O. I can't tell
you how this new band compares to their old sound, but I can tell
you it's a pretty awesome record. It's sort of crusty hardcore,
with some heavier parts, and some thrashing goodness. Over all
the music is played at a pretty fast pace, but not too fast. At
times it reminds me of BORN/DEAD. The record has a little bit
of an epic crust feel to it, but not nearly enough for someone
to try and call it a "TRAGEDY rip-off". The vocals are
harsh, but still pretty intelligible. And the cover art is rad!
It reminds me of something Victoria (from DAMAD) would paint.
And the logo is foil embossed for extra cool-ness. (Righteous)
-Profane Existence #56 Spring 2008.
SQUALORA:
Self-titled: CD (Repetitively Futile)
The band’s name is in this prickly font, as if when you
simply think the name it’s like having a sea urchin inside
your head. The songs are the same—one wouldn’t think
that a tune titled “United We Slouch” would put such
a sneer on one’s pate, but oh my does it ever. On the whole,
Squalora remind me lots and lots and lots of Nausea or Milwaukee
crust punk bands from the early ‘90s. This is a good thing;
my understanding is that sea urchins can be pretty tasty when
you crack them open. So is this record. –The Lord Kveldulfr,
Razorcake
Magazine - March, 2008
Squalora
– S/T (Wantage USA)
Portland is truly the home of the heavy. Hell, Oregon in general
has been the spawning ground of some the heaviest frequencies
going in the underground. Yob/Middian, Paranaut, Kilauea, Nux
Vomica, Fall of the Bastards (R.I.P.) and Roanoke are just a brief
checklist of essential listening from the state.
You can add the sneering bludgeon of Wantage’s Squalora
(ex-Ass End Offend) to that list based on the strength of this
eponymous debut record. I have yet to hear Ass End Offend which
apparently features ¾ of this band, so I really can’t
make a comparison to past material. On its own merit this S/T
record is a deliberate fistful of crust that makes its point with
9 precision blasts that tear through voracious punk thrashings
with a touch of epic intent in a few select places. Maelstroms
of barking vocals collide with decisive thrash/punk riff runs
and schizophrenic rhythmic swells to keep a constant stream of
fire on your senses.
Acoustic guitars introduce the sludge-y melodic build of opener,
“A Whole Lifetime Spent Dreaming” making one think
they are in store for a more experimental crust/doom approach
in the vein of Wake Up on Fire but the track quickly turns to
speeding brute force that never lets up until the very end.
Much of the band’s approach finds them using slower, mid-paced
runs to temper their unruly speed. “Villains Desire”
has a churning beginning, mid-point and ending but fleshes out
the rest of its attack with pure unadulterated chaos. Elsewhere
the band is deadest on inciting whirling circle pits with the
nonstop overdrive of tracks such as “United we slouch”,
“Sugar Coated Submission”, “Identity Crisis”
and “Insult Crusade”. Most of these tunes allow any
expansive elements of songwriting to buttress the foundation while
the trio keeps the majority of their focus on amassing a monument
of menacing dirt punk ferocity. Slower power surges still shine
through on occasion but mostly this is Squalora charging their
audience full bore with few restraints.
The weary crawl of “Mind Lapse” flips the coin completely
and slithers forth with an abundance of edgy, doom tinged crust
that only loses its temper outright near the end. Hard nosed riffs
permeate the disease filled grounds with an ill-mannered slowness
that isn’t far removed from a His Hero is Gone/Kylesa cage
match.
Rounding out the band’s weirder forays is the Damad flavored
first half of “What’s at Stake”, which batters
out a desperate, unsettling instrumental cacophony while the organic
flow of closer “Poverty Eugenics” wallows in the filth
of Dystopia early on but finds its way to a startling, megaton
groove in the latter half that justifies the Wake Up on Fire comparison
I was so eager to make early on! It’s a perfect end to a
record that I could find myself recommending to everyone who walks
the crustier side of the streets.
They supply a dose of everything you’d want to hear in this
sound; dirge-y rumbles, pit inducing mayhem and epic breadth.
Not a bad song in the bunch from a group of guys who surely have
a handle on playing this style to perfection. All fans of brooding
crust who dig Wake Up on Fire, Amebix, Remains of the Day, Dystopia,
His Hero is Gone and Kylesa would do well by adding this to their
collection. Now it’s time for me to get educated and check
out the members’ previous exploits in Ass End Offend. Jay
Snyder, Hellride
Music -April 4, 2008
We
consider the following review to be a compliment even though it
is a blatant, although poorly translated and poorly executed shit
talk attack by everyone's favorite little hipster pompous drama
brats and art princess snobs at the Vice office in Italy. It's
an entertaining review for so many reasons!!!:
SQUALORA S/T Repetitively Futile
Un altro giorno, un’altra band della costa nord ovest americana
che fa musica crust punk. Niente di particolarmente brutto in
questo disco, a parte la tipica adorazione per i Tragedy che praticamente
definisce il suono della scena punk in Oregon. E la puzza. Come
a Genova. Genova è la Portland italiana. Pensateci: eroina,
gente pazza, skins vs. sharps, mare sporco e niente da fare. Se
fossi un teenager di Genova con la giacca di pelle borchiata che
vive in strada con il suo cane e la sua dose di speed questo disco
potrebbe apparire nella mia top 8 di MySpace (o almeno la top
16). Fortunatamente, non sono niente di tutto ciò. -CONAN
IL BABBO, VICE ITALY
TRANSLATION: "An other day, an other band of the coast north
the west American who ago music crust punk. Nothing particularly
ugly in this disc, to part the typical adoration for the Tragedy
that practically defines the sound of the scene punk in Oregon.
And it smells it. Like to Genoa. Genoa is the Italian Portland.
Pensateci: heroin, crazy people, skins vs. sharps, dirty sea and
nothing to make. If pits a teenager of Genoa with the jacket of
borchiata skin that lives in road with its dog and its dose of
speed this disc could appear in mine top 8 of MySpace (or top
at least the 16). Fortunately, they are not nothing of all that."
Oh yea, the tears are just rolling over this one. :D
SQUALORA
- S/T - LP - Wäntages latest signing comes from Portland,
Oregon and was previously ASS-END OFFEND. Now, you are a member
poorer, music henceforth only three and trades under the logo
SQUALORA. Whatever that may mean, the outcome in the form of the
first album can be heard. Modern, melodic Crustcore, constantly
proposes hook, and then suddenly abstoppt again losgaloppiert,
meets a few metal parts and the other moment of contemplation.
The intros and transitions are usually kept quiet and atmospheric
and serve as a good preparation for the ensuing carnage. Matt
Svendsen echauffiert about the consumer and Sensationsgeilheit,
and the value of moral standards of our society. Sometimes they
believe him to despair to hear before it further Hasstirade ansetzt
and his voice that turns over to the hundredth time, or even very
wegbricht. Und nicht nur daran merkt man, mit wie viel Herzblut
die drei jungen Musiker hier zu Werke gehen. And not just because
you realise how much blood the heart three young musicians here
to work. Auch der Versuch, die doch recht eng gesteckten Grenzen
eines Genres wie Crustcore aufzubrechen und durch überraschende
Momente aufzulockern, ist ihnen gelungen. Even the attempt, which
quite tight limits of a genre like Crustcore break and surprising
moments of light relief, they succeeded. Großartiges Debütalbum.
Great debut album. -Ingo Rotkehl, Ox-Fanzine Ausgabe #76 (German
zine, not soo legible!)
SQUALORA
S/T LP - I kind of want to say that Squalora plays pure hardcore,
just because I want to say I actually like hardcore music. To
tell you the truth though, most hardcore bores me to death. Not
only because it’s preachy as all fuck (I know there is a
bunch of stuff about principles and ethics inherently attached
to it, and blah blah blah…but I don’t really care),
but because I grew up with the idea that all there was to hardcore
sounded like the Cro Mags and Agnostic Front. And despite how
much and for how long I have to bow to both bands because of their
place in underground music history, musically, I never really
cared for either. And image-wise the whole muscle head angle never
appealed to me. Times have changed though, and with that new rules
of allowance have come into play; such as that one that says that
one may cross pollinate hardcore and metal without having to be
categorized a poser. Not that there is a ton of metal to the hardcore
of Portland’s (via Montana) Squalora, but the quotient is
there. And is enough for me to say that I like hardcore without
necessarily digging most of the straight up East Coast hardcore
and more importantly, without lying. Plus, this band rips alright
with pissed off attitude but is low in the muscle head value;
high in ridiculously hyperactive energy and bold enough to offer
up some pretty moody breaks (beginning of the six-minuter “Mind
Lapse”). Squalora is formed from the ashes of Ass-End Offend,
a band I know nothing about besides that they once existed under
the name Ass-End Offend. Of their current sound I can tell you
that is utterly vicious but is also smart with plenty of variations
(of tempo, texture, etc); breakdowns, skin ripping velocity, grinding
riffs that step into classic thrash and raw vocals that walk the
loose tight rope between both; hardcore and thrash. Truly, listening
to Squalora grants me the right of lying without really lying.
-Deaf
Sparrow, March 2008
SQUALORA
"And so they died miserably ever after" LP - This is
decidedly not the generic metallic crust that is pervasive in
the scene. Squalora is mixing things up with some very unexpected
and beautiful moody landscapes that break into all-out raging
thrash attacks. This shit is not only well played, but it is masterfully
conceived. The lyrics are smart and engaging takes on what is
usually summed up in chorus of "fuck the system", which
although it's a sentiment we can all appreciate it deserves to
be pulled apart and really contemplated. -MRR #298, March 2008
They
arose from the ashes of Missoula's ASS END OFFEND & play heavy/fast,
political hardcore. Part Kylesa low-frequency kudgel, part Anti-Cimex
crust blowout, their sound is a fresh, powerful one. Lyrically,
the music deals w/ the frustration of living in the Bush-era,
punk scene egotism & class struggle. -Sakistore.net
SQUALORA
(S/T) CD - "A strong dose of modern, heavy, speeding crust-core
from Portland (by way of Missoula, Montana and containing three-quarters
of ASS END OFFEND), reminiscent of the quirkier side of late-'90s
flirtation between underground hardcore and metal a la WORD SALAD,
MEDICATION TIME, or early FROM ASHES RISE. Nine longer tracks
with complex and drawn-out song structures that weave together
dark prog rock-ish intros (acoustic and flange!) and bridges,
bleak lumbering heaviness, and offhand metal influences, and break
or pick slide into wicked thrash blasts with caustically shouted
and grufflyspewed vocal tradeoffs. The rambling lyrics are relevant,
timely, and unfortunately seemingly a current anomaly -great,
outraged attacks on consumerism, Fox News, apathy in light of
present political realities, etc. Cool!
-MaximumRockNRoll #296, January 2008
Woohoo!
Squalora LP simply amazing! How can this be? Why sit back and
enjoy these stunning, yet limited features: Awesome futuristic
mirror effect on the LP jacket! Poster as well as most the cover
art done by the guy who did the artwork for the movie "Enemy
Mine"(yah, the alien movie with Dennis Quaid!!! Wow! I, like
most of America, love Dennis Quaid!) Possibly some of the best
Montana punk from Portland, Or ever! Blows the cd away simply
because we put it out! Seriously though, as this being our 3rd
release I am very happy to say that it was the most expensive
but probably the most satisfying record we've put out so far.
If you've never even heard of Squalora seriously check out the
comp from last month. They, like a lot of Portlnd bands give me
great hope for our scene. We now return you back to your advertisment:
Buy it from us orders@thedefector.com $10 + shipping or it should
be available at most punk record stores in a bit! This has been
another shameless promotion brought to you for and by us. - Riot
of the Blood, The Defector, Issue #36, November 2007
Squalora:
To Release CD in Former Home, Missoula, October 13, 2007. The
last time a band released a CD with a the spindle-hole square
in the forehead of a current Commander in Chief, it probably wasn't
a band with Montana roots. In fact, the ex-Montanans who comprise
Squlaora have been in Portland, Oregon for the past year and a
half. Maybe that's where all this anti-government business comes
from. Prior to that, when they had a fourth member, and were called
Ass-End Offend, they lived in Missoula. Squalora represents the
the unfortunate brain drain that periodically robs the Treasure
state of it's best and brightest rock and roll bands. See also
No-Fi Soul Rebellion, the Fireballs of Freedom, members of the
International Playboys, the Quiet Ones... the list is as long
and peppered with talented acts that thought a geographical change
would translate easily into larger audiences and more opportunities.
Ass-End Offend, who featured second guitarist and full-time dad,
Brent Shultz toured the US three separate times, and with the
financial support of Missoula bands (Volumen, Sasshole, the Oblio
Joes, the International Playboys and Bacon and Egg) and fans through
the Punk Rock Prom fundraiser, toured central Europe in 2005.
Ass-End Offend Released 4 7" records and a CD/LP called Character
Assassins.
I, along with a crust-punk cum carpenter friend from Kalispell,
put out the new Squalora CD, and new friends of theirs from Portland
released the vinyl. It's in a couple of words: loud, fast, heavy
and pissed. Kind of like a scalded griz on a tear through a campground.
Squalora play the Palace Lounge (on Broadway in Missoula) on Saturday,
October 13. Punks Jacktoptown and double-drummer thunder Sierra
Leone open. Doors at 8PM, show at 9:30PM. Presale tickets $5 at
Ear Candy, and $4 with a Captured by Robots (whose "Dubya"
performance happens simultaneously upstairs at the Badlander,
Saturday) stamp. -Wantage USA (press for CD release)
Rainy
ol' Portland has had a Swedishifying effect on these transplanted
Ass End Offenders and friends. Squalora comes belting out of the
gates with all the fury of No Security or Abuse or Mob 47 or Anti-Cimex
or any of those svensk hardcore legends. Pissed, blazing fast
and heavy as Pig Champion (RIP) standing on your penis. -Total
Fest Programme, August 2007
Squalora
plays metallic hardcore, but adds some cool experimentation into
the mix. There are some long, slow moody parts that stand out,
and then this rips into total thrash mayhem. Vocals are rage.
-Erin Yanke, Maximum Rock N Roll #288 May 2007.
From
the Ashes of Ass-End Offend rises Squalora. 3/4 of AEO moved about
500 miles west to the same spot where about 80% of Missoula's
brain drain ends up. Their demo recording predicts big things
for these dudes. XdISTORTX 4VRX! -wantageusa.com
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
