“Morning in America?
It’s Fucking Midnight!”
After surrendering Jones Very, Vic Bondi soldiered on by enlisting Colin Sears (drums) and Roger Marbury (bass) from Dag Nasty to form Alloy.
Vic calls Eliminate “…arguably the best thing I ever did.” AOF fans might differ but listen carefully. Hear the harshness that suffuses this entire record even in the ballads. Hear how abrasive fury bleeds into sadness between opening track “Alloy” and the second, “Unafraid”. Hear how razor-thin the line is between personal regret (“More Alone With You”) and political regret (“An Advertisement”). It’s enough to make you scream; and Vic does. Continuously.
Boomp3.com
Alloy carried on through a scorching self-titled album and then a final e.p. - all present and accounted for.
Self-Titled
Paper Thin Front
Then, barring the Weathermen demos with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, it seemed to be all over.
But seventeen years later Vic re-appeared (with the mighty J. Robbins from Government Issue, Jawbox and Burning Airlines in tow) as Report Suspicious Activity because, as he put it, “…the next impeachment needs a soundtrack” Also, Vic kicked ass in American Hardcore (he states the thesis at the start plus he gets two quotes and a song into the preview).Vic’s vindication may be at hand.
Eliminate is a monster. Along with Jello Biafra & NoMeansNo's The Sky Is Falling ... THE punk album of the 90s. Eliminate is powerful both musically and lyric-wise. Just
ReplyDeletetake Rote for example, the music alone is very powerful - if The Proletariat (Boston) were still around, they'd most likely sound that way too. My only complaint is that the album sounds sometimes pathetic in bits, like New Worlds or Absurd (the solo part).
DD
I always like the Proletariat though they were VERY Gang of Four inspired (how contemporary!)
ReplyDeleteThis is one my fave Vic albums as well - when it came out I listened to it constantly