Crust punk verging on grindcore, Ale to England was originally a 7" that slipped through the cracks due to a fly-by-night label. Not only has Moshpit Tragedy picked up the pieces, it has also added nine live tracks, new artwork, and liner notes by the band for a nice little, dirty slice of crust. This is the first official release for the Canadian label, which until now has specialized in beautifully handmade, limited-edition CDR releases.
The three tracks on the original 7" are covers of "Out from the Void" by Antisect, "Ain't No Feeble Bastard" by Discharge, and "Sunshine Ward" by Amebix. The covers are generally faithful, going so far as to replicate the fade-in intro of "Out from the Void."
Things really get cooking with the live tracks, recorded in 2005 at "a celebration of the life of the late Wayne Southworth in Bradford, England." Southworth was the singer of the legendary crust punk band Doom; he would have been proud of this tribute. These tracks memorialize a sweaty gig filled with breakneck tempos, filthy (and sometimes metallic) tones, roaring vocals, and foul-mouthed onstage banter. The recording isn't all that great, but it contributes to the "you had to be there" quality.
With the recent reissue of Napalm Death's Scum, the time is ripe to revisit the sound that inspired it. No more clueless "what is crust?" comments!
7/10
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