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.
Interviews:
Maximum
Rock N Roll #309 - February 2009
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
Ass-End
Offend 2005 tour diary
Reviews:
SQUALORA
...And So They Died Miserably Ever After LP
Anvil heavy crust-core from Portland, Oregon, but I recognize
some of these dudes (and this label) from Montana bands like ASS-END
OFFEND. If you ever heard that band, picture a chaotic, pounding
hardcore wrecking ball dosed on NEUROSIS. This is much more punch
drunk on crust-heavy beats but the NEUROSIS angle still drives
their creativity. Great lyrics cementing any proof you'd need
that capitalism is pure evil. Kick ass artwork as well, looks
like it was done by the dude who did BLACK SABBATH's "Mob
Rules"!!! Solid modern political hardcore through and through.
-Short Fast & Loud #21 July 2009.
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
