SOUTHERN HOSTILITY
World's scummiest band. Dirty and Pissed would be a very fitting description of their attitude. This release has a very raw metal punk sound. 14 tracks with some titles like Leeches and Losers, My God can Beat Up Your God, Kicked in the Head, Slice You Open , and more TOTALLY NON-EMO songs. Lyrically you can be sure that the following words have been used in AT LEAST one song ever recorded by AntiSeen: Blood, Bastard, Stupid, Loser, [censored], B*tch, mother[censored], toilet, kill, stab, drunk, whisky, beer, [censored], damn, shoot, whore, mother, up your [censored], etc.. Fans of GG Allin and the Mentors will love this band. Living next door to this band would be a world's worst nightmare. Living next door to someone who listened to this band daily would be the 2nd world's worst nightmare. Is this their best? Gasp! you mean I have to listen to all of their other releases and compare? No thanks.

ANTISEEN-The Best Of (TKO, 2xCD)
Let's get this straight—Antiseen don't like you. Especially if you're one of them crusty or hippy punks or lookin' for spare change, are a vegetarian or fall into any other “PC” category. In other words, they like to push buttons but do so with a knowing wink. At least I think they do. Antiseen's credo is “Fuck All Y'all” and, while I don't share quite a few of their political/social viewpoints, I do subscribe to that credo a hell of a lot more in recent years. Antiseen never wanted to be cool or loved. They just wanted make bile-filled, buzzsaw punk rock and they've been succeeding at that for 25 years, without any sign of packing it in. I'd say it's a distinct possibility that Jeff Clayton's parents force-fed him sandpaper stew when he was a young'un because, even in the beginning, that voice was a nasty instrument. And, speaking of nasty instruments, Joe Young's guitar fills that bill. That's where the buzzsaw description comes from. Two discs/40 songs covering their illustrious history of mayhem. Antiseen have never really refined their approach all that much over the years. Truth be told, that's the way it should be. No compromise, just volume and a bad attitude to match. I still start grinning ear to ear when hearing the opening chords to “Hippy Punk” and it makes me want to smash their skateboards, too. (8941 Atlanta Ave. #505, Huntington Beach, CA 92646,

SUBURBAN VOICE


ANTISEEN
Noise For The Sake Of Noise (TKO)

Time heals all wounds, even this gnarly, festering mutha. Originally unleashed on the recoiling public back in '89, Noise For The Sake Of Noise doesn't sound so outlandish now that our generation's hippies groove to stoner rock and Ozzy Osbourne is American television's favourite daddy. Making sloppy noise rock in the pre-grunge days was not fashionable, especially if the band was an unkempt hairy beast such as Antiseen. Keeping company with the likes of G.G. Allin only served to alienate any semblance of a following. Yet in retrospect there is a method in this apparent madness. Antiseen may have been a tad over the top, but there's no denying the true spirit of rockinroll is cursing through their polluted veins. This offering may be the best of TKO's re-release series (number five if yer counting): a mish mash of the original album, rough live material, some singles and a rather inspired reading of Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street." There ya go.

© 2003 - John Sekerka


ANTiSEEN REVIEW (VARIOUS RELEASES):

"Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible." That was Stonewall Jackson's motto, and even as his men carried his dying body to the shady trees of Chancellorsville, I wonder who among them might have felt the distant seismic tremors of ANTiSEEN, exemplars of a roaring, sanguinary, and deathless Southern pride that continues to mystify and surprise even after they're done spattering the stage with blood. Sometimes I'm not sure what to make of ANTiSEEN, though they sure have been thoroughly ignored by mainstream critics. This critical nonchalance seems a bit like bigotry to me: ANTiSEEN are southerners, they love guns and whiskey, and they do everything they can to invade the austere confines of political correctness. Also, they were affiliated with the cursed G.G. Allin, that one-trick-pony poop-tossing sleazeball who is now viewed as the ne plus ultra of rock'n'roll insanity. (Indeed, it was probably ANTiSEEN who brought G. G. Allin to Memphis in 1991, thus inspiring the astonishingly beautiful Drive-By Truckers ode "The Night G.G. Allin Came to Town"). Just like with P-Funk in the 1970s, I think ANTiSEEN is a critical victim of its own singular ghettoized worldview. I mean, on top of the political craziness, the lead singer cuts up his face at almost every gig. It's almost too easy to dismiss them, isn't it? And that's where the mystify-and-surprise comes in, because these guys take their Southern blue-collar pride very seriously and they dare you to peg them as dumb-ass crackers. No, they aren't racists (their bassist back in 1986 was a black man), and no, they ain't gonna sing anthems for Lyndon Johnson or George W. Bush. But they will push your face in with some tunes about solidarity-masquerading-as-individuality ("Stormtrooper", e.g.), and they will keep you attuned to the stanky and bloody beer-soaked netherworld that is their home. I like them. So should you.

Who are ANTiSEEN, then? They formed in Charlotte in 1983, and the core of the band for the ensuing twenty years has been guitarist Joe Young (a buzzsaw mastermind who should get more recognition) and singer Jeff Clayton (his forehead now scarred by countless bloody gigs). Other members have come and gone, but this talented duo has given their sound a buzzing-growly definition that no rhythm section could seduce. The ANTiSEEN catalog has been a shambles for years, and TKO Records is taking on the admirable task of rationalizing it and reissuing it.

The first installment in TKO Records' Vault of ANTiSEEN Rollout is Drastic / E.P. Royalty , a reissue of their first two EPs (1985 and 1986). With 14 gruff tracks in 22 sludgy minutes, it's probably gonna kick your superego right out the back door and get your id (and gut) running for the hills. The muddy sound and rudimentary Black Flag imitations don't score many points for originality, but you can hear that crazy Jeff Clayton coming into his own by rattling the stalactites in his whiskey-burned pharynx as if he were Yosemite Sam doing a Lemmy Kilmeister imitation. And guitarist Joe Young was obviously learning a lot from Tony Iommi and Greg Ginn. The debut Drastic EP is the weaker of these twins, though I dig the shaking-cage anarchy of "Queen City Stomp" and the psuedo-Stooges anomie-dirge "Nothings Cool". E.P. Royalty , on the other hand, is non-stop fun, even if the jokes fall flat and the politics start getting weird. The sound is a lot more rhythmic, speedy, and funky, and I'm guessing that the presence of bassist Marlon Cherry -- a black man in a southern redneck punk band -- has something to do with it. (For those who care, closet KISS fan Marlon is now a member of the NYC experimental-rhythm troupe Mecca Bodega , featured occasionally on National Public Radio.) The opening track -- an inevitable anti-scene gripe called "N.C. Royalty" -- is a headlong bass-heavy rush with a burly Jeff-Clayton bellow declaring that the "N.C. Royalty are ruining my life". Whatever, 1986 was a weird year for all of us. Still, you might want to listen to "WhitEtrasHbitcH" more than once, because they seem to actually sympathize with the poor sex-slave eternal-teenager whose husband keeps calling her a "white trash bitch". It ends with the protagonist putting a gun to her husband's head. (I betcha Le Tigre or the Gossip would do a job on this tune.) On the other hand "RUBY, RUBY, get back to the hills" is Kenny Rogers reversed, a noisy ruckus with ambiguous lyrics. I vote for the stagedive favorite "Cop Out" as the best track here: hardcore transmogrifying back and forth into a funky spatter of angry bile. On the whole the Drastic / E.P. Royalty disc is mostly a historical curiosity, a dirt-eating trip into the germination of the whole Southern hardcore scene. I dig it, but I also dig Black Flag's Slip It In , so be forewarned.

Part two of the ANTiSEEN rollout is their 1993 album Eat More Possum , and this hunk of noise is an absolute masterpiece, one of the greatest punk albums ever recorded. And if you're shaking your head at my hyperbole, then you haven't heard this new remastered version. Apparently the original release in '93 was a nightmarish sludgefest, mixed with no definition or separation of parts. Just an amorphous sonic mulch. After several remasters and reissues (detailed in the liner notes), TKO Records finally hit the zone with this definitive version, a spine-tingling concept album about eating meat and living large in Dixie. Hell, purgatory spat the eternal soul of Stonewall Jackson back onto the swampy earth just so he could hear this shit for a brief second. For all I know, this is the first New South hardcore LP to take its inspiration directly from George Clinton: it begins with a spacey speech from the Cosmic Commander of Wrestling ("They have told me rock'n'roll and wrestling secrets that no other human here has ever heard") and segues directly into bracing cover of the Ramones' "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World". Well, they cover the first part of that anyway: after someone counts down in German midway through it, they blast off with their own raucous anthem called "Stormtrooper", a bellowing hardcore tune like you've never heard. The rest of the album wrestles across the mudflats, with conceptual interludes by Jack Starr and some creepy Deliverance -type warbling oddball, and lots and lots of noise. "Animals...Eat 'Em" is the album's centerpiece, a thumping anthem for carnivores that takes a jocular logical viewpoint ("Animals, eat 'em / So you don't have to feed 'em"). Me, I don't eat meat, but I much prefer the proud "fuck you " of this tune to the quivering-lip sanctimony of the Smiths' "Meat is Murder" (and anyway both songs just preach to the converted so there's no point in condemning either for errors of moral dietetics). Other highlights include the harmonica-inflected "Shittin' In High Cotton", the speedball cautionary sex tale "Break It Off" ("I'll have to break it off in your ass"), and the speaks-for-itself hooky punktoon "Trapped in Dixie". Throughout, you can picture that burly nutcase Jeff Clayton "juicing" his face (i.e. cutting up his forehead and letting the blood run down) and leaning into the crowd as noise guitarist Joe Young keeps the adrenaline riffs rolling. This was 1993. Cobain? He couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.

ANTiSEEN are still going strong (check their website for a gig near you), and though I ain't about to debate them on politics, I do dig their righteous working-class rage all the way down to the carnivorous core. So check out these albums: it's the "other side" of punk that you rarely hear about while flipping through Maximum Rock'n'roll or consulting the Trouser Press guides. Decadent, drowning in whiskey, violent, dangerous, it's a pretty fucking necessary antidote to political puritanism. And yeah, if I could recruit 'em to my left side of the political fence, I would. Sometimes I think they're halfway here already.

— 21 February 2003


Antiseen - The Boy From Brutalsville
TKO

Antiseen are definitely not for the faint of heart, or those with half a thought. The country/grim, punk/rock style has garnered them a devoted following, and the guys are sure to please them with the release of their most recent work, The Boy From Brutalsville . While their sound is uniquely their own, the best comparison for someone unfamiliar with them would be to compare them to he Ramones on ten packs a day followed by a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Southern Comfort for that country boy kick. Make sure you check your decency at the door because the unforgiving tracks on The Boy from Brutalsville are going to throw you into the dirty, debauchery filled world of Antiseen.

Don't expect much in the way of musical range - or for that matter anything not sounding like they're scraping the notes out of their instrument along a filth ridden floor. A very raspy, dry sound is what spews from the lead singer's mouth, making the vocals maybe even less of a treat to listen to than the actual music. While Antiseen get the thumbs up by some, the majority of people are just going to find this album, or any other album Antiseen has put out, offensive and an assault to their senses, which is most likely a reaction that the band along with their fans would be very proud of. The credibility of the album seems to slip further into the shadows as the tracks lurch by. Most of the tracks can be summed up quickly by stating that they're fast, heavy, thick and interestingly some have plenty of cowbell. There is in truth not much appeal to Antiseen and their whole “destructo rock” feel. They have offensive songs such as “Melting Pot” about how foreigners are bringing their evils to the USA. If you haven't turned away yet, you likely will find yourself ending the whole Antiseen “experience” now. It's bad enough when they're just spitting out mindless filth, but to actually put up with such views would, I hope, make the majority turn away. This whole down-home crap is simply that. This album is nothing more than a sad attempt to pass on their mindless thoughts to the public and, frankly, it doesn't even warrant the space on this page. Some things do not get better with age and Antiseen is one of them.

ANTISEEN / ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN:
Split: 7”
A venerated, age-old approach that we wily music critics like to use in reviewing “splits” like this, is to pit the two bands against one another in a sort of fictional brawl. And if there was ever a split that perfectly lends itself to the brawl motif, it's this one; two of the more bruising, brawling bands around, both sonically and physically speaking—brought head to head on none other than TKO Records. It's a natural. But this one turns out to be a bit of an upset, at least the way I score it. I expected the brutish hillfolk of Antiseen to rip open a can of whoop-ass with the few teeth they have left in their heads and tear the EF boys apart like hapless chickens in a geek pit. You see, over the past few years, I had started to think Electric Frankenstein had lost its electricity, so to speak; that they were a soft, pudgy, couch potato-y version of their former mighty self. Whoa, son, was I wrong. At least this time around. They come ripping out of their corner and bullwhip the mammoth hillbillies around the ring like cheap beanbags with ratty hair. All right, I'm exaggerating a little bit; it's not that much of a lopsided ass-beating. To be fair, the Antiseen song isn't bad at all. It chugs and growls in typical Antiseen fashion but it's just a bit sloggy and uninspired sounding, at least compared to the EF song. It fries my ass a bit that they'd go to all the bother of putting out a record with only two songs on it, especially with bands of the caliber of Antiseen and EF, but this one's worth dropping a couple bucks on regardless. –Aphid Peewit (TKO)


ANTISEEN:
Dear Abby: 7"
When I pulled this out of the envelope, I groaned. Ugh. Antiseen. Rebel flags and songs about guns and possums and redneck stuff. Yuck. Fortunately, I'm really stoked about this. It's a really cool concept record; four songs about four of the badassest wrestlers ever (Abdullah the Butcher, Sabu, Terry Funk and Cactus Jack) and the clincher, the thing that made me jump up and down with excitement, was the ad for Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs and Chinese Food. It's real. It's a real restaurant; Abdullah the Butcher really owns it. That officially makes it one of the coolest theme records ever. Good job, Antiseen! –Ben Snakepit (TKO)


Antiseen
The Boys from Brutalsville
So, I popped in Antiseen's latest, The Boys from Brutalsville, with absolutely no expectations. And it turns out that the supposed "Scourge of the Carolinas" has created a decent metal disc, which, coming from me, is really saying something. The CD has the Southern toughness of Pantera coupled with the raw dirtiness of Mötörhead, as well as the short-but-sweet-ness of the Ramones.
Jeff Clayton sounds like Lemmy Kilmister sans the British accent. He has that barely-trying, almost-talking quality that makes Lemmy instantly recognizable. Joe Young, Doug Canipe, and Sir Barry Hannibal form a backing band that displays influences of classic rock, blues, and, of course, metal. They create a solid driving wall of sound that is both simplistic and complex, and most importantly, each song is distinct, with its own set of riffs and drum lines. The occasional infusion of piano and organ by Jamie Hoover not only sounds cool, but also shows that the piano is an extremely versatile instrument. It can be used to create mood in any type of song.
The cover of The Ramones' "Commando" not only sounds great, but it meshes perfectly with the rest of the record. The band does what is always necessary when covering a song -- they make it their own. To the unknowing listener, this song could easily pass for one written by the band for the record. All in all, The Boys from Brutalsville rocks. It's more of a "traditional" sounding metal CD -- no sampling, no computer enhancement, just straightforward rock -- and that sort of thing is hard to find these days, so this disc should have a welcome place on your CD shelf. (CM)


ANTISEEN
HONOUR AMONG THIEVES
TKO
The bad boys from North Carolina known as Antiseen have been very busy as of late, archiving all of their old-school releases and putting them out to today's hapless and unsuspecting music scene. 1988's HONOUR AMONG THIEVES is one of these works, and it truly captures the essence of a band that doesn't bother with finesse-and this is them at their most raw. Given today's tepid musical climate (and by reading the graphically detailed first-hand accounts in the liner notes), Antiseen was by far 100 times more volatile than Eminem and Marilyn Manson combined. Chaotic spurts of Joe Young's guitar work and Jeff Clayton's out-of-control vocal rants highlight the 20 tracks which comprise this collection, but it's the collective attitude of Antiseen that always pervades, a spirit that encompasses anxiety, rebellion, and everything rock 'n' roll should stand for. www.tkorecords.com
-Mike SOS


Antiseen "Thee From Parts Unknown" EP

For those who don't know, Antiseen actually kicked out quite a few good-to-great records in the late-Eighties/early-Nineties (the early EPs on Death Train and Ajax especially) before becoming the cartoonish redneck punk-rockers they are now. But I don't have a bad thing to say about Jeff Clayton, as he's managed to keep the band together for over twenty years now and create an entire cottage industry out of the whole Confederacy of Scum thing, all the while doing it his own way, in true independent fashion. They're a great example of a band who found their niche and made it work. I'm sure there are legions of Antiseen fans out there gobbling up the shirts, DVDs, books, and the well over thirty records they've released, as well as all the bands riding their coat-tails. A true underground success. They've become the NASCAR of punk rock. And I say good for them. It's not as if I've listened to any of their records since they ditched the semi-traditional punk approach and started really playing up the super-redneck/wrestling angle about ten years ago, but I certainly don't think they're doing anything too bad. It is what is: well played heavy-duty punk in a genre of their own creation (destructo-rock). I'd rather have to listen to these guys than the Hellacopters. At least they're actually from the South. And Jeff Clayton has bled more for rock'n'roll than all of us combined, Larry May included. Anyway, this EP is their dedication to masked wrestlers, and comes in a slick looking gatefold 7" package with all sorts of cool vintage pics. Masked Superstar, Mr. Wrestling, The Spolier, The Saint, Mil Mascaras, they're all there. I think I even see a shot of the Cuban Assassains! Now you know something bad was going down when those guys showed up ringside...oh yeah, the record: four songs, you know what you're getting into.(RK)

(Scarey Records // www.scareyrecords.com )


THEE FROM PARTS UNKNOWN EP - Antiseen ( Scarey Records )

Trash-punk's leading exponents liberate four of their songs from whatever rehearsal room they were briefly held hostage in, blow their heads off with a sawn-off and dump their bodies in a garbage can. There's no use in forensically examining the remains; far better to let the maggots eat 'em out from the inside. I don't know if these guys rock my boat as much as kick a fucking hole in the bottom of it and send it to the bottom. It's greasy, hairy punk rock with sweat that smells of cheap meth and sour mash. "Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know" sums up side one, while chick vocals (courtesy Kelly Kisses Canipe) in the breakdown make the B side's stand-out, "From Parts Unknown", this week's best rock and roll wrestling song.


Antiseen, "Badwill Ambassadors" (TKO Records)

Antiseen will kick your ass, plain and simple. If Lemme had been born in a trailer park somewhere in North Carolina it would sound just like this. These self-proclaimed Badwill Ambassadors take their brand of 21st century Destructo-Rock to new heights with this latest TKO release. It's pretty obvious that they mean business when they kick things off with a song like “Alpha Male”. This is bone crushing rock n' roll, a taste of heavy metal without the dungeons and dragons shit, hardcore punk without all the whining. The closest band I can think of to compare them to is Nashville Pussy and if you know who Nashville Pussy is then you probably already know about Antiseen. A warm beer and a listen to Badwill Ambassadors will cure any shitty workday you may have had. If it doesn't you'll at least come up with a way to get revenge on your boss.

Review by Review by J.R. Oliver

Antiseen – “Badwill Ambassadors” CD 17/36:32

Growing up in North Carolina, I've known of the legend of Antiseen for years, and even caught a show or two by them during my high school years. And while I can't say that I listen to them very often these days, hearing their new disc “Badwill Ambassadors” only proves to me that they haven't lost a step. Their Motorhead-like aural assault mixed with all things redneck/white trash is certainly an entertaining combo, and I can just imagine ne'er-do-wells I grew up with getting a kick out of every note.

Jake


ANTISEEN
THE BOYS FROM BRUTALSVILLE
TKO RECORDS
3.5

Ah, this edition was a fancy digipack, which came bundled with an additional DVD of a couple of videos and an 18-song performance from 2001. Antiseen are one of the last bastions of dirty pop punk rock. I'll probably catch flack for that, but really, until I heard them cover The Ramones' “Commando” it never clicked. The two bands share similarly structured songs: few chord changes, rapid machine gun guitar riffs, and rudimentary songwriting. Granted Antiseen are much gruffer, both vocally and in the overall sound, but had all of The Ramones had shared Dee Dee's smack, me thinks the end result would have been something similar to Antiseen. The bottom line is this is a definite endorsement. – Brad Mitchell

Eat More Possum still sounds killer today, mostly due to the explosive energy of tracks like the cover of the Ramones' "Today Your Love," "Cactus Jack," "Destroy Them All," and "Fuck All Y'all." The songs are punchy as all hell, clocking in usually around the 2 minute mark. It is that quick, brutal, crowbar to the head feeling that has always made Antiseen one of the more interesting bands out there.

As always, the Antiseen sense of humor is there - from the guaranteed-to-piss-off-animal-rights-activists front cover to songs like "Trapped In Dixie" to the interludes featuring one Jack B. and the Cosmic Commander of Wrestling. It's always been one of Antiseen's better qualities to let the music speak for itself and to not take themselves too seriously.

If you're an old school Antiseen head, you'll want to pick up this re-release as the album has never sounded this good. If you've never sampled Antiseen's music this is a good way to get infected.

(www.bullymag.com)


ANTiSEEN
Boys From Brutalsville
TKO Records

Before I start this review I suppose I should admit that I never really enjoyed, or ‘got', G.G. Allin, and likewise I probably wouldn't ‘get' a band that backed him on his Murder Junkies album. That said, most people on this planet also don't like or understand G.G. Allin so I think I can say that I am in good company with the direction I am going on this review.

Basically Boys From Brutalsville sounds like what The Ramones would sound like if Lemmy from Motorhead was their singer, only if they were also drunk and lacked any sort of real creativity. Sure, ANTiSEEN has their own sound here, and that is admirable, but when it basically boils down to crunching noises and vocals that, while impressive that they can be maintained without causing permanent damage to the vocal tract, never really reach that seemingly elusive moment where they remotely fit the music or the time signature said sound becomes a bit less awe-inducing. Sure, certain songs like “Six Days on the Road”, “Broke Down Blues”, “Sod”, and “Suicide Boogie” have some parts of them that have a certain charm, but that doesn't change that the entire album sounds like bad drunken karaoke – right down to being off beat and featuring vocals that seem to crack and having trouble remaining solid throughout; this is music that could induce a headache in the most hardcore of Morbid Angel fans.

What makes these problems even worse is the band has a superficial ‘in your face' attitude that would be edgy if anyone out there actually gave a damn, or if they had the musical intelligence and lyrical chops to back up otherwise juvenile blather. Lyrics like “Ass-fucker, mother fucker, cock sucker trying to run my world” are about as deep as Boys From Brutalsville gets, and there is something painfully ironic about a man who, in addition to being barely intelligible at times, has a grasp of his native vocabulary that is tenuous at best yelling at foreigners struggling with English to go back to “wherever they came from” because he is pretty sure he “lives in America, not Mexico, Africa, or Vietnam”. Don't worry though, it is all a joke because at the end of the song he mumbles “we stole this country fair and square.” Hilarious! Such originality and edgy wit will definitely impress all the fifth graders, as will lyrics like “went over like a fart, a big smelly fart, in a crowded elevator”. If this sort of racism and pure idiocy was uncommon on the album it might be forgivable, but unfortunately it seems to be a mainstay or the ‘artistic' direction.

Sure, an album like this is definitely designed to anger people, and, apparently it has done its job, but the song is doubly insulting in that the song isn't even done with an ounce of anything that could be considered clever, being instead a flimsy attempt at “FUCK YOU” that simply falls down with not even a single point or sense of reality behind it; this isn't witty and intelligent word play that is provocative while raising a point, this is just aimless yammering over aimless music. For a quick one-sentence wrap up: these are lyrics that make The Nuge's worst ramblings sound like the most articulately verbalized thesis.

This edition of Boys From Brutalsville is a re-release so, luckily, if after wading through the prejudice and poorly designed anti-PC statements you just can't help but want more, TKO has added four bonus tracks (three are radio-edit repeats, horribly recorded live versions, and rewrites of other songs) to the end of the album to that feature even more of the band playing the same riffs over and over while the singer completely ignores them and stumbles over basic words while trying far too hard to make sure people think he doesn't care what they think.

If there is anything at all redeemable about this album is that the band does have some energy and, on occasion, they get close to nailing something a little neat. Overall though, their desire to be offensive and edgy, as well as their complete inability to sound like a cohesive unit, does nothing but make them laughable, and this album is for a select few only. As a closing note for those who decided to listen to this album, here is something to think of: if Boys From Brutalsville sounds this bad now, imagine how it sounded before it was re-released.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go bleach my ears.

3/10 - Wes Robertson


Southern Hostility
One of the things I love about Antiseen is that they have the Goad-like power of the long distance hairy eyeball. They're reputation as heavy duty bruisers is so formidable, nobody wants to cross 'em. So, even if they released a CD full of their fave beer piss moments, it'd get a hearty thumbs-up from punk ass writers all along the fanzine belt. Personally, I'd rather take my lumps and earn my Confederacy of Scum patch, not buy it with phony praise. Luckily, I'm out of the woods this time around, because "Southern Hostility" is a re-re-release of their seminal '91 ode to GG, Skyrnd, Poison Idea, and drunken rednecks everywhere punching each other in the face for rock and roll. So many half-assed wannabe villains have run with Antiseen's sourmashed formula for bad fun in the past ten years with nary a drop of their conviction or fortitude that you almost forget that these cats were pretty close to being the second most hated band in the nation at the time, and pretty much paved the Asshole Rock road you so brazenly truck down, bronco. I'm not saying that's to be applauded, but I am saying it's true. Recorded in Layton's mom's basement over one long hot summer, it's a biker baiting, bile tasting, punk n' roll barb-b-q of the damned, all hateful and bothered, and the absolute definition of 'gumption'. Just don't ask what kind of meat you're eating. Rife with copious and insightful liner notes from Allan the Goddamn King, as well as plenty of surly and burly vintage photos, for Scum fans, this one's a winner. No shit.

-SLEEZEGRINDER


ANTiSEEN
"Southern Hostility" LP
A brilliant record from the South's finest scumfuck sons. Released sometime in the early 90s and then again by Man's Ruin several years later, TKO is making sure this piece of work doesn't lose any of its luster. I cannot argue with the liner notes that declare this one of the most hostile records ever...ANTiSEEN is southern rock gone horribly wrong; ANTiSEEN is the MISFITS on a six-day amphetamine bender; ANTiSEEN is a shock rock band that doesn't want to throw shit on you, but just wants to make you shit yourself. Southern Hostility was my first taste of ANTiSEEN, and it still sounds just as frightening today; they aren't polite, I never want to sit down and have a beer with any of 'em, and in most circles it certainly ain't cool to like 'em, but I cannot deny the fucking unbridled power of this band. Fans already own this, but if you haven't yet taken the step in to the Confederacy Of Scum underworld, then look carefully to make sure that none of your "hip" friends are watching, snatch up a copy of this classic LP, and then slip quietly into the confines of your room and get a lesson in true outlaw rock and roll. - (Willie Nelson)
MAXIMUM RNR


Antiseen
Honour Among Thieves
TKO Records
Damn, TKO is going to make Antiseen one of my favorite bands if it kills them. I just reviewed Eat More Possum a few weeks ago, marveling at how that record broke apart and delved into the band's influences London Calling-style, arriving at a chunky mix of punk, metal and garage stomp that sounded utterly unique and sophisticated and now I hear Honour Among Thieves, which has promptly knocked me on my fat, North Carolinian ass.
Whereas Eat More Possum was a sophisticated blend of Antiseen's influences, Honour Among Thieves is like the Replacements' Sorry Ma Forgot to Take Out the Trash or Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material, a record that finds that band at their earliest, most brutal and most enthusiastic. Some of the songs on Honour Among Thieves actually sound like hardcore; Drug Thru Thu Mud is total hillbilly thrash, coming off like the Dead Kennedys if they were real-life southern rednecks instead of California boys who watched too many westerns.
But even on this very early material, Antiseen are far more than just a punk/thrash band. Their songs range in tempo from the aforementioned thrashy stuff to the mid-paced Warhero, which grinds along at Antiseen's more familiar destructo pace. And Joe Young wields his mighty Telecaster more valiantly than ever before or since (though some of the licks may be courtesy short-lived guitarist Dana Ace Davis), leads squealing through a buzzsaw low end that sounds more like industrial machinery than a musical instrument.
Throw in three bonus live tracks that sound like they were recorded in the midst of the apocalypse and you've got yet another essential volume of TKO's Vault of Antiseen series. Get the more high-brow Eat More Possum first, but Honour Among Thieves should be your second Antiseen purchase, as the band would never capture the sheer brutality of their debut on wax again.
DEEP FRIED BONANZA


ANTiSEEN
“Screamin' Bloody Live” CD (TKO Records)
This is the third album released in TKOs “Ringside” live series. Quick reminder: first was Cock Sparrer, then Angelic Upstarts, and now Antiseen. Lets be fair – this is the weakest album of those three. Ok, that’s not big surprise since first two spent a hell lot of time in my CD player. There are more than 20 songs at this CD, and that’s great, production is also very good, so if you like Antiseen, you can really enjoy this. Especially since there are even two videos (“Gun’s Ablazin” and “Commando”) on CD version. I should also mention that there are also 5-6 cover songs, but to tell you the truth I don’t really like Antiseen, it’s simply too tough for me…what can I do…I’m a gentle boy….
Vlada


ANTiSEEN
“Southern Hostility” CD (TKO)
First of all – I hate these guys. It’s enough just to look at their photos in the booklet, and you’ll feel the same way. Stupid ugly southern metal-head scum. I read in one interview with one promoter that they are the biggest jerks he met (they even wanted to eat only in McDonalds, so he had to drove them 50km to the nearest McDonalds restaurant). Anyway, this is the third release in the ‘Vault Of Antiseen’ series that TKO Records is releasing and this is re-mastered album they recorded back in ‘91. There are 13 raw as fuck punk-rock’n’roll songs. Antiseen are trying to prove us that they are extremely shocking, but if I was looking for something like that, I would rather choose something I can enjoy listening to (and having a laugh) like The Dwarves......
Vlada


Antiseen
Screaming Bloody Live
TKO Records
The first time I heard Antiseen the music made me want to get drunk and fistfight someone, ...anyone who was in the vicinity. I listened to their CD at full volume while slamming a lukewarm beer. God it was good! I felt like the depths of hell had been released onto this album and were now infesting my stereo. Antiseen has been together as a band for 19 years! That to me is amazing. I furthered my interest in this vicious band by reading an interview with them, and found that they were good ole boys from the South with some pretty harsh attitudes. I also learned that they were devout politicians, hell bent on the questioning of unfair law practices and political change, always for the betterment of the USA. Kick Ass! I listened to this CD that has 24 tracks of absolute live insanity recorded all over the country. With track names like Hellstomper, Two Headed Dog, and Guns A' Blazin, Antiseen have made a powerful name for themselves in the heavy metal rock world. I have never seen them live, but now I am on a mission! If you get the chance, check them out, and I highly recommend getting any of their CD's. I now own them all. Antiseen is a force to be reckoned with, and their music continues to cause rolling blackouts wherever they go.- Evil-E Janzillaco
HECKLER MAGAZINE


Antiseen
"Screamin' Bloody Live" (TKO)
...Jeff and the band crank out the lean and mean arsenal of blood and beer soaked songs they've been luved for... for years . Big, bold and badassed pummeling from start to finish...wish I'd been there!
THE BIRDMAN


Antiseen "Eat More Possum" (TKO Records)
Seems like I have to review an Antiseen Cd every review time. Trust me, there's another CD after this one that TKO sent me. I hated the last Cd"Drastic/ EP Royalty" but this one is more tolerable. But that's not saying much. Some "wrasslin" intro makes me want to throw this one into the fire right now. But I guess fans really like this, which I'm guessing their from the Midwest. The sound is raw and the vocals sounds like he's been smoking his 20th cigarette pack the day of recording this. Again, I didn't like this but I'm sure the Midwest rubes will praise this.
Bottom Line? I don't like Antiseen
Notable Tracks: didn't have any..
Rating: 1 1/2 *
Reviewer: Bryan
SKA PUNK AND OTHER JUNK



Antiseen
"Drastic/E.P.Royalty" (TKO)
CD Review
by Duke Crevanator
The people at TKO records deserve a fucking big-ass trophy, like the kind they gave Cactus Jack for winning the "King of the Death Match" tournament. This CD (or you can get the limited-edition vinyl version) contains the first two Antiseen EPs, Drastic (’85) and E.P. Royalty (’86). These two ultra-rare early records of Antiseen are now readily available to even people like me who can’t afford to spend booze/drug/gambling money on super expensive eBay auctions. This release is what it is, the early incarnations of the Kings of Destructo rock. For fans of ’80s punk/hardcore, you can’t go wrong buying this. For modern fans of Antiseen, y’all will either love it or hate it. If you’re a modern fan and you hate it, I personally think you shouldn’t be allowed to listen to Antiseen at all. Lastly, whether you hate them, love them, or are indifferent, I can unequivocabally state that if you ever see Antiseen live, you’ll get far more than your money’s worth. Best live band EVER!
LOLLIPOP


ANTISEEN
Southern Hostility (TKO)
There’s only one way to relate the true dirty horror of Antiseen: my friend got drunk at one of their shows and woke up on the bar bleeding profusely. He never knew what happened until one day he was looking through a ‘zine and read an ad for bootleg videos. "See a guy get clobbered by the singer." He ordered it. To his horror/amusement, he watched himself drunkenly stagger in front of the singer, accidentally bumping the mic into his face. The dude got pissed and slammed my friend in the head with the mic stand, rendering him bloody and unconscious. He still has the scar. There’s nothing scarier than these angry hicks playing overly distorted metal with an evil message and now TKO has re-released their angriest album. Yeah, it sounds basic and shitty but its anger and intensity are unequalled even by grindcore.
Keith Carman



Antiseen-Drastic EP (TKO) digi-cd
Sorry people, I can’t review this shit now! I’m too fuckin’ busy at the moment! You see I’m on my knees thanking TKO for this re-release program of one of the best motherfuckin’ bands to ever blasts outta my stereo!! This band is on the same level as a band like Motörhead and well…. They’ll be the first band in Pure&Simple to be in this zine twice so you know they gotta be the most badassed-groinshredding-shitspitting-destructo-rock’n’roll in the entire world!! This is their first shit and well… Sound quality could be better, but the lay-out makes up for that shit and makes these songs still hot after all that fuckin’ time….

Antiseen -Southern Hostility (TKO) CD
So I got up to walk up to my mailbox and BAM!! there it is! Another Antiseen record!! YESSS my prays have been answered! I step up to the stereo to inject my sweet rock’n’roll-heroine in my ears. As I get my freak on bangin’ my head like I’m fuckin’ deranged fuckin’ lunatic I see my neighbours lookin’, through my window, at me like I’m crazy. So I ask ‘em in and so we now have 4 people headbangin’ people in the lvingroom. Then my other neighbors come by to complain about the infernal wreckage that we’re creating. We punch the fuckers in the face and rob ‘em of their money to buy us some beers and the party really gets smokin’ from here. And well…. Stuff like this could happen to you bastards, so pick up this record and turn the volume to “ruin y’r ears” and rock out like a motherfucker!!

Antiseen - eat more possum (TKO) CD
I’m currently foaming from the mouth. While typing I’m trying not to drip on my keyboard and hope I can manage to do so… Another Anitseen record really got my drooling and in total ecstasy. This is the third vault that gets opened and what a sweet fuckin’ record once again! Great coverartwork and once again a nice rock’n’rollstory is in the booklet, which is always a nice read. I can’t wait till number 4 hits my doorstep so TKO-people! If you read this; just don’t be shy and fill my mailbox with more records. I want it… NO! I fuckin’ NEED IT!!!
MARNIX / HOLLAND


Antiseen, The - Eat More Possum
2002, TKO Records
There's no doubt we could all use a fuck of a lot more possum in our diet, so cheers for the advice. This nasty little bastard is part of TKO's Antiseen reissue series; something we have all been pining for I'm sure, ever since those members of the Antiseen chapter of PETA were mysteriously shot in the ass by a pepper gun. In all seriousness, and of course, this is serious business, Antiseen are the Billy Carter of punk rock; swishing beer down the front of their grease stained shirt, pissing where convenient, and in the process of being badass punk rock slobs, alienating anyone and everyone like a redneck at a rally for the Rainbow Coalition, and STILL, we can't help but want to bar-b-que a sea lion with these fellas.
Maybe because Antiseen make it pretty fuckin' easy to nod in agreement. They make me think of corn, and potato salad, and grills; briquettes, Pabst Blue Ribbon and your drunk uncle Tony; pool cues, bar fights and fishing lures. It's like one big fuckin chili cookoff on disc. If you are easily offended, get your namby-pamby self back to protesting the latest cause; if not, Antiseen would be happy to teach ya' a coupla' life lessons if you'd just plant yer ass down, and let the boys stroll you through some Southern hostility.
- Michael Farr

ANTiSEEN
"Honour Among Thieves"
TKO Records
Attention all y'all reading this born, currently residing or otherwise trying desperately to get back to South of The Mason-Dixon Line: You Need This Record. "Why?" I hear you asking, and it's just like you to ask "Why?" isn't it, you contrary little snot-nosed glue-sniffing secessionist-minded Rebel cretin you. Anyway, here's why, and I'm only going to say it once, so Listen Good: You need "Honour Among Thieves" because it's the super-cool first- time-ever CD release of the legendary 1988 debut album from ANTiSEEN, the band of bastards out of Carolina that all but birthed the seminal Southern white-trash punk metal sound. Fourteen two-fisted musical tales of terror covering everything from the joys of owning killer attack dogs to brother-on-sister incest, wife beating and the ever popular murder-by-hammer attack. We're talking scorching, godforsaken hillbilly music that's guaranteed to offend everyone and run the roaches off for good, all while giving endless hours of listening pleasure to your delicate ears. Also features three live bonus tracks taken from a very out-of-control 1985 live gig and never-before-seen original cover art (a wonderfully inspired and twisted homage to The Last Supper featuring the band) that's guaranteed to loosen every tooth in your head. Say a little prayer of thanks on the way to the record store for finally being able to get your grubby little hands on what was thought to be lost to the ages!


ANTiSEEN
"SouthernHostility"
TKO Records
Jim Beam-soaked 1992 follow up to "Honour Among Thieves" (reviewed above) that's really rude and hateful, but in a Good Way that recalls the socially toxic residue still lingering from all the bitter shit that's gone down in The Dirty South over the years. Basically works the same crank-addled Rebel Hellion turf the band originated with even more no-quarter-asked-and-none taken gusto. We're talkin' deliberately sloppy, fuzz-chord fueled, ain't-takin'-no-shit hard-edged punk rock filtered through a quintessentially Southern "Yes Ma'am" meets "Fuck You" prism that's positively guaranteed to warp your profondly impressionable little inhalant-addled mind. As if that isn't cool enough, I'd like to point out it was recorded 10 (count 'em, 10) years before The Drive By Truckers extraordinarily successful and much ballyhooed "Southern Rock Opera," which you also need, for similarly overlapping - but functionally discreet - reasons that we simply don't have time or space to go into here. I realize all you triflin' Yankees (Fuck All Y'all Up North Motherfuckers!!!) will have to come up with your own excuse to buy it, so here's a little hint: ANTiSEEN singer Jeff Clayton (who looked like Rob Zombie when Rob Zombie was still in Pampers) co-wrote "Evil Rock 'N' Roll" with GG Allin (RIP) and briefly fronted the Murder Junkies on tour after everyone's favorite scum rocker overdosed on heroin in 1993. I'm going to assume you Old School Southern Hipster types have already worn out several vinyl copies, so you're off the hook, but all you po' but proud New Schoolers best recognize. Indispensable!
Robert T. Nash
URBAN HIPSTER

Yikes! Fourth Antiseen review in two months, that was gonna make this hard...or so I thought. This, their debut album, I'd never heard before. According to the press release this is the first CD issue of this material and after listening I gotta say someone really needed to make this avaiable again. I'd have to say it's my second favorite of their's right behind the almighty "Eat More Possum". It's definitly Antiseen..buzzsaw guitars, bellowed vocals, punk and roll with a southern flavor and a blatant kick in the face of any form of political correctness you could think of.
There is, however, something a little different about this than the other Antiseen material I've heard. It's...hmmm dare I use this word regarding Antiseen?..... "Catchier" than the other stuff I've heard. Let me make this clear it's a good thing. It's not at all top 40 bubble gum catchy, it's gnaw at your brain tarball filled with brambles catchy, it's got drunk forgot the condom and now it hurts to piss catchy. Definitly a little more early punk in the mix.
It's definitly hard to pick favorite tracks on this one, but the lead off one two punch of "I Don't Ask You For Nothing" and "Jailbait" really grab you by the ears, while cauliflowering them at the same time and while less catchy than it's disc partners, "War Hero" packs an intensity and power that'll put finger prints on your replay button. If you're at all into Antiseen, or the review above sounded at all like your deal, pick this up immediatly.....and if not, well hit your tofu shoes over to the nearest "Save the Tree Frogs Rally" while burning incense, chanting at crystals and stroking your inner child...by the way Antiseen will be by later to kick your inner child's ass.
HELLRIDE MUSIC

Antiseen- Eat More Possum (CD)
More from crazy ol’ Antiseen… So crazy and ol’. Number two from the ‘Vault
Of Antiseen’ series on TKO, is the fourth reissue of their classico 1993
album, Eat More Possum. If gratuitous amounts of blood spillage and hysteric
Southern-fired rockin’ is was strikes your fancy, this may very well be your
new favorite record. Eat More Possum, overwhelmingly said to be the best
thing the ‘Seen ever did. I don’t see it on any different level from pretty
all their other stuff from the last 10 years. Features Intro provided by the
‘Cosmic Commander Of Wrestling’, and a cover of the Ramones’ ‘Today Your
Love’, plus the all-time classics ‘Fuck All Y’all’ and ‘Cactus Jack’.
‘Trapped in Dixie’ is an awesome song too.
-Rock nRoll Outbreak

Antiseen
Eat More Possum
The prodigal album returns once again. Eat More Possum has been previously released a total of three times on numerous independent labels that went belly up. In addition, past releases of Antiseen's definitive album have featured poor production quality that didn't really give the music its proper sonic feel. TKO has just re-released the album with a complete re-mastering that finally gives the album the sound it deserves. This is a very important disc for the band as it's the first one where the classic Antiseen sound really solidified itself on songs like "Animals…Eat 'Em" and "Stormtrooper."

Jeff Clayton's growl reached its deeper tone and Joe Young's guitar finally got that super-thick fuzztone to it that drives Antiseen's music. This was the disc that proved how much tougher, ballsier, and downright mean Antiseen could be compared to their peers. Eat More Possum still sounds killer today, mostly due to the explosive energy of tracks like the cover of the Ramones' "Today Your Love," "Cactus Jack," "Destroy Them All," and "Fuck All Y'all."

The songs are punchy as all hell, clocking in usually around the 2 minute mark. It is that quick, brutal, crowbar to the head feeling that has always made Antiseen one of the more interesting bands out there. As always, the Antiseen sense of humor is there - from the guaranteed-to-piss-off-animal-rights-activists front cover to songs like "Trapped In Dixie" to the interludes featuring one Jack B. and the Cosmic Commander of Wrestling. It's always been one of Antiseen's better qualities to let the music speak for itself and to not take themselves too seriously. If you're an old school Antiseen head, you'll want to pick up this re-release as the album has never sounded this good. If you've never sampled Antiseen's music this is a good way to get infected.
-Bully Magazine


Antiseen: Blood of Freaks 7"
TKO Records
6 out of 10
1989/2002 Ever wondered what it would sound like to gargle with shards of broken glass? No, I can't say that I have either, but after listening to the first release from Northern Carolina's premiere punk band; The Antiseen, I know exactly what that sounds like. This is their first 7 inch EP from 1989 that has been re-issued for your audio destruction. These guys are nuts. They are fast and loud and angry and really, really pissed off. Knowing that these guys have been around for well over ten years, I give them their respect, doing what they like, intense touring, intense music. But, I just couldn't get into it. They're too fast, and too sloppy and too angry for me to enjoy. This isn't you're typical TKO release, not another sing-along punk band. This goes well beyond that into an area of music that I can't even put my finger on. If I had to compare this release to something, I would say if you took Big Pete from Forced Reality and threw him in a blender with the guys from Slayer, you would have the Antiseen. Keeping in mind, that this was the first recording this band ever made, it's pretty good, and the fact that they have by far surpassed this with their newer releases over the years, some of which you can get through TKO, I just don't get it. Maybe I'm missing something. But anyhow, if anything above described sounds like it interests you, pick up some of these guys stuff.
-J.J.
Sandiego Punk

ANTiSEEN
Blood of Freaks
TKO Records Limited to an edition of 1000, the four songs on this 33 RPM 7" are pure redneck punk from these raw and at time offensive South Carolina originals. It's been out of print since 1989 and is now reincarnated on pale red vinyl. Completely re-mastered to be extra mean, just do not tell these angry men that their record looks pink. (3.5)
newsounds.net

Antiseen
Drastic/EP Royalty
TKO Records
Time to take a step back way into the past, circa 1985-1986. Antiseen were just a two year old punk band clawing their way out of North Carolina playing a brutal version of hardcore southern punk that must've sounded as alien to their neighbors as an O'Jays record.
But what is readily apparent by this combined re-release of Antiseen's first two EPs on one compact disc, is that from the very start these guys had a sound all their own. Sure, Jeff Clayton's voice seemed somewhat less like a drunken trucker with terminal throat cancer, but the hard driving, over the top sound we know today was still there on "Queen City Stomp," "She's Part of the Scene," and "Destructo Rock." While Drastic does feature a more-diverse Antiseen, the band seemed to know what they wanted to sound like but still were testing different ideas on "Psycho Path" and "Absent Minded." Even when the music doesn't measure up to the band's reputation, it succeeds in its raw punk energy, as can be heard on "Destructo Rock." E.P. Royalty is the obviously better of the two EPs, especially considering it was released a full year later and shows the band finally comfortable in their musical direction. From the moment "N.C. Royalty" kicks in you hear the live, raw sound that has made Antiseen. Also, the band's twisted sense of humor finally starts to rear its head on "White Trash Bitch" and "Ruby, Ruby Get Back Top The Hills." If nothing else this double-EP proves these guys have been unique since day one. There is no punk, rock, hardcore band in the world that sounds quite like them.
-Bully Magazine


Antiseen
Drastic / EP Royalty
TKO Records
Until this point the only Antiseen I'd heard was their latest record on TKO, The Boys From Brutalsville. Until now I didn't realize that I was so behind; this band has an impressively deep discography, most of which is set for re-release on TKO Records. This compilation of the band's first two DIY EPs is the first in the series, and I've gotta say I'm impresssed.
It's amazing to me that Antiseen had such a unique sound right from the get-go; their debut EP, Drastic, is as concise a statement of "Destructo Rock" (Antiseen's self-divised moniker for the type of music they play) as the band's latest material, perhaps even more so. So what is destructo rock? Well, if you take the first Ramones LP and slow it down to about 15 RPM and get Lemmy on vocals you've pretty much got it. In theory this sounds like it would be really boring music, but somehow the band make it work; the songs are so slow and thick that you feel as if a tug boat is dragging you through a river of molasses.
It doesn't hurt that the songwriting on Drastic is excellent, either. "Queen City Stomp" is a dead ringer for the early Ramones, infectious chorus and all, and "Rumours" gets by without any sort of chorus thanks to a really cool spooky, early Misfits vibe. Every one of the songs is totally different, and even if they aren't all instant hits each one has something new and cool to offer. This is as great a debut EP as you'll find in the mid-80s DIY punk scene, as by that point hardcore and crossover had made playing punk rock a pretty cool uncool thing to do.
The other record that appears here, E.P. Royalty, is a bit looser and faster than the debut, and I think that Antiseen loses a bit of their magic because of it. The chorus of "N.C. Royalty" is so sing-songy that my wife asked why I was listening to bad Oi! music, and the slightly faster rhythms of "White Trash Bitch" (don't be scared by the title; Antiseen love to push people's buttons, but the lyrics are actually a relatively sensitive portrayal of the life of a Southern housewife) and "Ruby, Ruby Get Back To the Hills" lose the cool, driving sound the band had on Drastic. It's still a good record, though, and the slight shift in sound wouldn't be so drastic if you didn't listen to the records back-to-back. Oh, and I can't discuss E.P. Royalty without noting how blatantly "Cop Out" steals the riff from Iggy's "I Gotta Right;" every time this track starts I think I'm listening to Poison Idea's cover of that song.
Unfortunately the only bonus track is a version of Drastic's "She's Part of the Scene" re-recorded during the E.P. Royalty sessions (if you were wondering, it doesn't sound all that different), but TKO more than makes up for the lack of vintage audio with large reproductions of the front and back of the original picture sleeves. Oftentimes a collection like this will only intensify the feeling that I need the original vinyl, but this collection feels like the total package rather than a botched "improvement" on the original design concept. This collection is also released as a gatefold double 7", and though I haven't seen that package myself I can guess that they're near-exact reproductions of the originals.
If you're a casual Antiseen fan and you haven't heard this material I'd certainly suggest picking it up; it's as close as you'll likely get to owning the original EPs without dishing out a hefty sum of money. While the lack of new visual and auditory material may make this a more questionable purchase for the die-hard fans there's a whole generation of punk kids who haven't been exposed to this band's earlier work, and TKO deserves another shiny gold star to add to their collection for making this seminal material available to the punk public.
Deep Fry Bonanza

ANTiSEEN
Blood of Freaks EP (TKO Records)
Few bands scream "fuck you!" as convincingly as ANTiSEEN do on "Hippie Punk," a ditty as poignant today as it was when it was released in 1989. Singer Jeff Clayton and his North Carolinian cadre of unkempt rednecks have a way of making you believe the South will rise again—and that the fabric of your speakers has a rip in it somewhere.
Blood of Freaks is a remastered rerelease of the 4-song EP that put ANTiSEEN on the map back in the day. I was alive, barely, "back in the day," and, while I never saw ANTiSEEN live—though they did seem to tour Florida every other weekend—they certainly had a reputation among my pressuring peers.
"He has a permanent wound on his forehead!" my school chum John ejaculated. "And when he goes onstage, he bashes it with the microphone so it reopens and blood pours down his face for the whole show!"
What a band!
There were a scant 1000 copies Blood of Freaks pressed, available only on gorgeous red 7-inch platters of grooved petroleum product, unfit for modern-day digital appliances (though you are welcome to try). On a side note—and typically these reviews are all side notes, but this one shall be brief—ANTiSEEN once released a song that was written by my friend and Rash contributor Shayne Hansen's old band, Broken Talent. It was called "My God Can Beat Up Your God," and was quite good, actually.
Noah Masterson

Antiseen
"15 Minutes of Fame 15 Years of Infamy" (Steel Cage)
by Scott Hefflon
AntiSeen returns with two recs, including the rarities/b-side comp 15 Minutes... which sounds authentically shitty, as any collection dating back 5-15 years oughtta. And with 28 tracks (one being a hilariously awful cover of the Talking Heads’ "Psycho Killer"), this sucker’s a damn good way to get the goods offa various bedroom labels that’ve either gone out or are simply festering in their own hatred and not releasing records at the moment. The Boys from Brutalsville is AntiSeen’s first studio rec since ’96, and it’s probably the "easiest to swallow," though that phrase doesn’t mean much when yer talking about AntiSeen. It’s slower and clearer and actually has, like keyboards and piano jamming in some of the bluesy numbers, and for anyone familiar with these dirty, evil rockers, any kinda restraint seems outta character... But, like the Fear record that came out a while back, maybe the gruff-voiced growlers wanna try something a little different. Well, very little different... I love the bio’s closing line: "GG is smiling up in Scum Fuck Heaven."
LOLLIPOP


Antiseen
Hell CD, 2002, Steel Cage Records
Antiseen are pretty much the meanest, roughest, punkest motherfuckers to ever come from Dixie, and their no-holds-barred approach to life and music has turned quite a few of the world's more sensitive, humorless, and well…wimpy punk rockers off to them. Well, not every punk rocker can wear a sweater and sing about their prom dates. Some have to wear big-ass fur vests, a Confederate flag, and swing a big leg bone around as they blow fire and thrash around in barbed wire. Say what you will about the boys, but they damn sure suffer for their art and they're damn sure the meanest gun sin town. Plenty of punks talk tough; few of them live it to quite the extent as Antiseen. Hell is a remastered rerelease with seven new tracks, and it runs a lot of miles, including some priceless cover material. A lot of folks have never been able to grasp the Southern fried punk rock Antiseen dish out, and attempts to dismiss them as a bunch of redneck racists from the hills of North Carolina are undermined by things like them covering Curtis Mayfield's "If There's a Hell Below" or Sun Ra's avant garde jazz masterpiece "Space is the Place." There's a lot more to Antiseen than most people care to look for, but for those who do, what you find is equal parts charming and brutal. They're like a county fair or a wild wrestling match. If you want to get a good feel for the band, I suggest either the Eat More Possum/Southern Hostility double CD or this collection of various material. Hell showcases some of my all-time Antiseen faves, including covers of songs like Thanks a Lot, Haunted House, and We Will Not Remember You. Buzzing, meaty, relentlessly powerful, but also always melodic and even catchy. Motorhead meets the Ramones. If you can't fathom a band that can cover songs by Curtis Mayfield and Skrewdriver (not to mention tunes by The Ramones, goth rock pioneer Roky Erickson, Bachman Turner Overdrive and the traditional "I Saw the Light"), then Antiseen will probably just confound you. It you remember that getting a rise out of people is part of what punk used to be about, then you can better grasp what they're doing. All that aside though, what they're really doing is playing some of the best goddamned punk rock that's ever been heard. Hell rocks in every sense of the word. Head poundingly perfect in every beer swilling, skull cracking, piledriving, blood-shedding way you can imagine. It's a thing of gory, gutsy beauty. The Cactus Jack of punk rock.
TELEPORT CITY


Blood of Freaks
It’s odd to talk about an ugly, underground punk group and relate it to an electronic music release. So fucking shoot me! There’s a point to this so bear with me. Technopunkmusic.com is based on discussing the two main forms of sound located (for now) outside of the collective mainstream (respectful nod to grassroots, we just don’t do much of it here!) and the one thing, besides the rebellious roots, that connects the two forms we adore here is their love of vinyl…
ANTiSEEN are fucking ugly, plain and simple. And what's even better about that is their 1988 Blood of Freaks, four tracks of brutally raw chaos, has been reissued, yep, you guessed it, only on vinyl. Talk about making abrasion even fucking rawer.
Naw, this isn't some enjoyable listen, this is straight out of the oil-stained garage, perfected in some dive bar where the audience is constantly kicking the group in the head. You could say it’s old-school (well, it was made in 1988) but they just don’t make em like this anymore. Insane pacing, nasty disregard for comforting chorus-strewn song structures, the love of the two-minute scream anthem. Hoarse and hollered vocals that make one’s throat ache just thinking about it, fucking noise that gets the blood pumping feverishly where the primitive drumming collides into the razor-sharp guitars and head-slamming bass for a wicked cacophony of violence.
Well, it ain’t art, it ain’t supposed to be. It either chews you up or provokes you into hurting the nearest available object. This is punk, nasty and unlovable ANTiSEEN style, fully prepared to stuff all five-digits down the throat of the closest emo-lover for this, its crazed resurrection. Here’s hoping…
technopunk.com

Antiseen- Hell
If there's one thing you don't ask a rounding rebel about, it's what he/she thinks about you, in general, and the capitalism you might affiliate yourself with. The most anti-corporate, government, and social, of all, not to mention a whole convoy raiding the way. In the epitome of wrath, the essence of fury arose. It is here, in the beginning, why they're reign of terror will tower. One push from your prudent pointy finger and off it goes, left with a gnarled nub from front man, Jeff Clayton w/ proud pals. Proud of what? Proud to be unlike you and your corrupted heads! ˜Hell" is a rockimony to testify face to face giving an inside view of their testicles dangling in front of your blurred, third eye shakra and face- raves the underground pupils from the Super Rock Revolution Now! Hey, it may not "sell", but it sure sounds good enough to me, wouldn't you agree? Have you driven a new revolution, lately? If not the Kings of Destructo Rock supplies bloody sledgehammers, and sleaze grindin' guitars to choose from to get you through the day! There's only a few I expect to outlast to see the fall of nu metal, and Antiseen and Ford Falcons on are @ the top of the list! Now booking a bloodshedding show near you!
review from sleazegrinder.com

Over 18 years and somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 releases in their discography -- most on indie labels that no longer exist -- the North Carolina punk legends Antiseen have become a steady presence if not a household name. Combining Ramones-style punk and Motorhead-like hard rock, they have carved out a singularly blazing sound they dubbed, "destructo-rock", somewhere along the way. For this, their first studio album in five years, they enlisted fellow Charlotte resident Jamie Hoover as producer. It's an unlikely choice, since Hoover is best known for his stint with Beatlesque popsters The Spongetones, but he does a fine, mostly unobtrusive job. Never ones for high-falutin' production techniques anyway, whether it be for budgetary or aesthetic reasons, Antiseen simply sounds better with minimal gloss. Here, the main improvement in sound is the crispness and clarity of the recording—it resembles the sonic punch of one of Motorhead's more recent major label outings. Compared to Antiseen's Jeff Clayton, however, Lemmy is Tony Bennett to Clayton's Tom Waits. More a shouter than a singer, Clayton's shredded tin-can vocals chords are nonetheless the driving force behind the band's energetic performances, and as a lyricist he minces no words. If PC is in his vocabulary, it is from the computer aspect of the abbreviation, not any perceived need for political correctness. Antiseen's past classics include the non-pc ode, "Animals, Eat 'Em", and, "Fuck All Y'all". There is nothing quite so blunt here, but "Run My World", is suitably profane, and "Talk Show Trash", offers up much hilarity in the name of obscenity. The band offers up some interesting nods to their influences with a trio of brilliantly raucous cover songs: The Dave Dudley trucker country anthem, "Six Days on the Road," which the band rips through Ramones-style, an actual Ramones song, "Commando", which they do in appropriately menacing fashion, and the obscure Screaming Lord Sutch's "Smoke & Fire". With hard rock, punk, and metal going in increasingly commercial directions and gaining significant airplay in the process, it is hard to imagine a band like Antiseen still exists. It is our good fortune that they do, and their good music that allows them to continue to thrive on the fringes of rock and roll in a place they call Brutalsville.
review from popmatters.com

Antiseen
Screaming Bloody Live
TKO Records Probably the closest thing to a WWF TV show being re-enacted to music, Antiseen's live sets are usually a pretty raw affair. Then again they used to back up GG Allin so what else can you expect. That vibe is captured pretty goddamn well on Screaming Bloody Live . The set kicks off with "Guns A Blazin" and then rolls right into a beefed up version of the Ramones "Commando," both explosive tracks in that Antiseen southern krackers on a rampage style. Lead singer Jeff Clayton is an interesting character: he's probably the only punk frontman who plays a washboard and also has a penchant for cutting his forehead with razorblades like a pro wrestler. As for the tunes, everything from "Wifebeater," to "Six Days on the Road," to "Funk U" have a distinct southern blues element that sets the band way apart from other punks. One would never think that punks could be that bluesy. Of course when they aren't bluesy, they are just plain brutal. "O.D. For Me" "SOD" and "I'm A Babyface Killer" have all the subtlety of a baseball bat to the face. Considering Antiseen has been doing their thing since 1983, they have their live sets pretty well dialed. It's another element that comes across really well on this disc. The playing is tight, focused, and packs a wallop. They even throw in some new material with "Ten Pounds of Shit In A Five Pound Bag." (C'mon, after reading a title like that, you know you're interested to hear what these guys are about solely out of curiosity. ) Anyway, the song has a killer groove to it and like most of Antiseen's music, rattles along with the force of a freight train. As always the band's crude and yet still hilarious sense of humor is right up front on songs like "Two Headed Dog," "O.D. For Me," and "My God Can Beat Up Your God." Probably the most important thing to keep in mind about Antiseen and their live shows is that much like a lot of their influences (KISS, Alice Cooper) they strive to put on a show that entertains. At the same time they throw out songs with way more energy, aggression, and a swagger like a drunken hick looking for a fight. That's what really makes the live disc worth listening. Tracks like "SABU," and "Fuck All Y'All," teeter on the brink of chaos like a beat up junker coming apart at high speed. A great chance to hear this band in its natural element with a lot of the reckless aggression that you just can't capture on a studio album. - Ken Wohlrob
review from bullymag.com

At least tolerance of the use of "faggot" as a demeaning descriptive is required for access to this album. Getting past that self-marginalization by the group one is presented with some of the most unrestrained, solidly delivered hardcore country on the planet as on "Guns A Blazin' " and "Ten Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag." Again, the content of such songs as "Fuck All Y'All" and "Wifebeater" would make it easy to write all this off as meaningless redneck rock, but hear their versions of "Six Days on the Road," Roky Erickson's "Two-Headed Dog" and two Ramones songs and you will know this group is a warts-and-all boar-charge of backwoods punk rock. (3.5)
review from Outsight

Antiseen - "Screaming Bloody Live" By Sarah Wooten
Before I start this review I would like to explain a few things. I first discovered Antiseen when I was about 15 years old. They only lived an hour away in Charlotte, NC, so the opportunities to see them play were abundant, and I took every one. When I've found myself trying describe them musically, the easiest explanation has always been this: Imagine, for a second, if The Ramones had been a couple of white trash Southern boys sitting around consuming 12-packs of PBR and watching professional wrestling. They are rough sounding three chord punk rock with gruff, Southern-accented, vocals. That about sums it up. Yep, I was a huge Antiseen fan from the ages of 15-18 and though the interest diminished over time, there wasn't a point that I ever stopped liking them. In recent years I've noticed two things about Antiseen. The first was that their popularity was growing. The second was that this fog of controversy seemed to surround them. When I happened to give it any thought, the controversy confused me. You see, the Antiseen that I used to listen to, while far from being politically correct, wasn't the racist propaganda that people seemed to associate with them. So when this album showed up in the mail, I jumped at the chance to review it, thinking maybe I could help set people straight. Plus, the playlist included a ton of my old favorites. Not wanting to waste any time, I took the CD along on a drive and slipped it into the CD player in anticipation. A few songs in I noticed that they seemed to be mixing the old and the new tunes, with some Ramones covers thrown in for good measure. A little more than halfway through and I knew one thing for certain. Antiseen are long past their prime. The new tracks are simply half-hearted re-hashings of the old tunes with new, terrible lyrics written over the top. A prime example is track #6, "Ten Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag". The music sounds like a poor rendition of their earlier music and the lyrics are as lame and ridiculous as the saying they are swiped from. I mean, c'mon... when you are writing lyrics as shitty as these, it's time to call it quits. This leads me to my next Antiseen revelation. I was driving along, getting into track #15 "Fuck All Y'all", another old Antiseen standard. I was remembering all those Antiseen shows I had been to, the broken bottles, the fun, the... Then the intro to track #16 rolled along, disrupting my stroll down memory lane. All of a sudden you've got Jeff Clayton pissing and moaning like a little girl about some guy who wrote bad things about them because of the upcoming song. Now, this is what the TKO press release refers to as "the shocking and offensive between song banter", you know, because at this stage in the game Antiseen definitely isn't selling records based on talent. The "banter" boils down to Clayton saying faggot a few times and while it isn't shocking, it is offensive. I really thought people were over that shit. And it totally feels like a pathetic attempt at getting the "shock value" from the word, whether he's actually a homophobe or not. Then there is the song itself, "Melting Pot". I am about as far from politically correct as it gets, but there is no way that this song can be construed as anything but the racist crap that it is. Basically a non-stop ramble of Clayton complaining about things like going to the convenience store and having to listen to people not speaking English, which he doesn't like because, "This ain't Africa, India or Vietnam." Then he proceeds to say that he wishes that "everyone would just go back to where they belong." Of course, there are no lyrics actually included with this release, or with the album that the track originally came out on. One might argue that the song is xenophobic, and while it certainly is that, you can't help but notice that he never complains about any white foreigners. It isn't like he's telling anyone to go back to Germany, Sweden or England. Gimme a fucking break already. In interviews Clayton tries to justify this viewpoint by saying that people are only upset because they have "white guilt", and usually makes a statement about how he's proud to be white. I don't care if he's proud to be purple, green or fucking pink, the issue is that he apparently DOES have a problem with people who are not white. And what's more unbelievable to me is that there are punks who listen to this bullshit and are okay with it. Oh wait... there are people who listen to Skrewdriver too. So my second conclusion follows. Having been an Antiseen fan for a considerable amount of time and being quite familiar with their early releases and stage show; I believe that instead of coming to grips with the passing of their "peak" years, and their obviously fading songwriting abilities, the band has chosen to adopt and cling to this racist redneck gimmick. Every recent photo of them is rife with confederate imagery. Labels have to promote their albums on the basis of the "shocking and offensive" material within. They have sacrificed being a band in favor of being a gimmick. More pathetic are the people who actually buy this crap and think that both the band and the image are "cool", you know, probably because it's "so un-PC". Since when is blatant racism something to be patted on the back for? I've got news for you, listening to Antiseen is the same as listening to Skrewdriver, and it's as simple as that folks. A racist band is a racist band is a racist band..... Whether or not Jeff Clayton and company are the hillbillies they claim to be, I don't know. I do know that this whole redneck schtick was NOT a part of the act when I used to listen to them. Now, apparently, they are supposed to be some "shocking and offensive" band... not to mention dangerous, as the press release points out. But I have some news for "The Boys from Brutalsville", GG Allin you ain't. Antiseen likes to complain that people can't seperate the music and the politics, but if they don't like it then they shouldn't mix the two to begin with. You can't sing racist rhetoric over music and expect people to not notice, or to not call you on it. The music and lyrics are inseperable and they know that as well as everyone else. You'd think they'd at least be able to take the heat without crying about it.
review from punkfix.net

ANTiSEEN -- Screamin' Bloody Live (TKO) Accent on the bloody. You name it, most all the ANTiSEEN classics are here: "Guns Ablazin," Dave Dudley's "Six Days On The Road," "Cactus Jack," "Ruby, Get Back To The Hills" and the soon-to-be-classic "Ten Pounds Of Shit In A Five Pound Bag," all recorded in the most unlikely of surroundings: Portland, OR, and San Francisco. Strangely, the album doesn't suffer very much from the lack of visual stimulation that's such a big part of ANTiSEEN shows, though the boys do their best with all sorts of blood, broken glass and the like adorning the cover. The sound quality is pretty good for a live punk album -- one can easily imagine singer Jeff Clayton breaking all manner of stuff over his head and guitarist/politician Joe Young trying to convert the masses to Libertarianism.
review from Creative Loafing/Charlotte

ANTISEEN: “Southern Hostility & Eat More Possum” CD (Man’s Ruin)
ANTISEEN: “The Boys From Brutalsville” LP (TKO)
Here we have two LPs from North Carolina’s biggest and baddest in one nifty package. “Southern Hostility” came out on the Rave label in 1991 and features some of Antiseen’s most potent smokers like “Death Train Coming,” “Old Man Hit The Road,” “My God Can Beat Up Your God,” “Kill The Business” and “Watch The Bastard Fry.” “Eat More Possum” had an ill-fated release on Safe House in 1993 before being released on vinyl by TPOS the next year. It’s got a more polished production, but that only causes Joe Young’s buzzsaw guitar to buzz in your ears even more. Still more classics abound like “Animals…Eat ‘Em,” “Cactus Jack,” “Glad I Am The Way I Am,” “Trapped In Dixie” and “Shittin’ In High Cotton.” Antiseen still are one of the last real punk ‘n’ roll bands out there and they’ve been at it going on two decades now. Here to make your ears bleed pools of crimson are just two shimmering jewels in their crown. Antiseen burns and scorches like the ghosts of the Dixie army come back for revenge and you better stand back or their fires are gonna get you!
BUT WAIT! Out just now is the newest blast of brutal Antiseen scuzz & buzz. Yeah, it’s more the same stuff, but you don’t look for “artistic growth” in a band like Antiseen. You look for dependability. You look for fist-fightin’, whiskey-swillin’, born to kick ass punk ‘n’ roll. Antiseen never lets you down. They don’t here, that’s for sure. If there’s any change at all, it’s that this effort’s got some of the band’s fastest cuts, like “Backlash,” “Talk Show Trash, “Guns A’ Blazin’” and “Rule My World.” They even do a little bit of “Broke Down Blues.” This is also quite possibly the most produced that this band has ever sounded. Oh, before I forget, there’s a song on here called “Melting Pot” that’s sure to piss off all you whining leftists out there, thank God. But other than those, it’s business as usual and the world is a much better place because of it. Antiseen is loud, proud and they don’t take shit. No prisoners, either.
review from Noises from the Garage zine

Im not sure where Brutalsville is, but I am sure there are no anger management classes, and no cute little bunnies frolicking about. "Guns Ablazin" kicks off this album with a fully loaded punk adrenaline. "6 Days in the Road" is an old country truck driver cover that I remember from when I was a kid. Starting with a lighter sound and mixing in piano fives this cover a bit of soul, but this song then kicks into overdrive with an upbeat punk style. There is also a cover of "Commando" the ANTISEEN way. This album has elements of political incorrectness that can be offensive. The songs "Melting Pot" and "Talk Show Trash" have lyrics that most people would disagree with, and show that these guys are not afraid to speak their minds. Despite these two songs this is a great album and it does not take that much effort to push the skip button on your CD Player.
review from sinkhole #6

Yep, everyone's favorite Motorhead worshipping backwoods punk rockers are back, with one fine slab of brutal fucking punk rock! Perhaps known more for barbed-wire wrestling, stockpiling weapons and ammo, and hanging out with GG Allin, Antiseen is actually a fucking killer band. If you're a whiney, self-righteous ultra-lefty sissy pants, you will be highly offended by this band, and rightfully so! Its good that there's a band out there who can talk about the great ol'American melting pot (as in "Melting Pot") as more of a shit stew then a Lobster Brisque. Lyrically, Antiseen is about as politically incorrect as you can get without being on Resistance Records. Musically, they're just as brutal, combining Motorhead-ish biker metal with classic punk rock. Antiseen has been around for quite some time, and thankfully they have not softened over the years. Raise your cans of cheap ass beers and give a cheer to the band you WILL hate.
review from Dirt Culture

For those that don't know or have only heard the name ANTiSEEN you have been missing out on the underground's best band. One part Motorhead, one  part old-school punk, one part Southern-fried boogie, and one big heaping dollop of "fuck you all" attitude, at least one ANTiSEEN disc should be in your collection. Unfortunately that's probably not the case, which is a goddamn shame.
On "The Boys from Brutalsville". ANTiSEEN's fifty-somethingth release in 18 years, they still prove they rock heavier than damn near everyone and are sure as fuck more punk than that pop / MTV bullshit all the spiky-haired mall punk kids listen to. These guys have been called "The Greatest Rock N Roll Band On Earth" for a reason and the reason is because they are the greatest Rock N Roll band on Earth.
You want songs to kick peoples ass to? Try "Guns Ablazin' ". Shit, I beat up this little 11 year old kid who I caught trying to steal the lid off my trash can to use as a shield against the kids who were throwing rocks at his ugly ass from across the street after I heard the song. Then I went inside listened to it again and walked across the street and beat those little rock throwing punks asses too.
You want pissed off aggression? Try "Backlash". When singer, Jeff Clayton, sings "I'll cut your throat and drink your blood" it sounds ten million more times convincing than some fag in a black metal outfit his mom made him and the corpsepaint he bought at the local dollar store saying the same thing. I am way more afraid of a big guy from The Southwho stabs himself in the forehead with a beer bottle for a living like Mr. Clayton than I am some freak with a hubcap-sized pentagram necklace, singing songs about conjuring up demons while dousing himself in stage blood.
You want controversy? Try "Melting Pot". Where ANTiSEEN say things I won't even print here because I don't want to answer the damn hate-mail I'd get for doing it.
Add songs about talk show guests and pro-wrestling and you have the greatest album ever created for white trash motherfuckers like me to listen to while chugging down PBR and MD 20/20, watching Smackdown, and trying to figure out how long we can draw unemployment before we have to fake a back injury to get SSI.
There's alot more to this disc than I have the space to say about it. The music is outstanding. Guitarist Joe Young rules the fucking world.ANTiSEEN are the greatest goddamn band on the face of the planet Earth. 'Nuff said.
review from customheavy.com


Antiseen---The Boys From Brutalsville
K (1 'K' out of 5)
Four fart-obsessed yetis
WELL, the title says it all really . There’s no available evidence to suggest that Antiseen should be described as anything other than the boys from brutalsville, yet a more pedestrian example of pointlessly aggressive poorly executed, prehistoric punk schlock brutality would be damnably hard to find.
Specifically, this is the sound of bear-like beard-wearers desperately trying to shout empty bourbon bottles full, while stumbling haphazardly about a guitar-filled garage in the boisterous manner of an insensible quartet of hillbilly Father Jacks. Hilarious to watch undoubtedly, but incredibly difficult to listen to.
review from KERRANG