whngr
11/3/2022
7-inch, A Library
Swedish Hardcore punks negotiate ferocity, blast beats, the disenfranchisement of youth, and a spray of cynical humor with alacrity and aplomb.
Fri Som En Fågel… translates to “Free as a Bird” which is surely an allusion to the avian imagery that G-anx would employ in their cover art and the stark, slightly sinister, and dichotomistic aspects of this 7″ is part of what drew me in to this release. The ferocity, innovation, and humor is why I shall return.
G-Anx were a fucking great four-piece of long-hair punks with grindcore leanings from Jönköping and Huskvarna that packed it up in ’92. Raw and visceral, this is the real deal for this miserable volunteer.
Filthy Christians were a five-piece crossover project from Falun with a predilection for denim that also had a couple long-hairs in their group. Check out “Vaktmästar Jazz (Olle P)” (“Janitor Jazz [Olle P]” [B3]) for the album’s oddity which features a couple of catchy jangly guitar interludes reminiscent of pop from the 60’s or the very short “Skate And Die” (B6), a nihilist ode to my preferred rolling toy of doom, destruction, and delight. Of special note is the track “Another Metal Band” (B5) which relates (via the thorough liner notes evocative of the era) a tale of a Hardcore band that rejects their roots to explore the often absurd Satanic fantasy realms of Death Metal… which is exactly what Filthy Christians would do not long after this release. What a bunch of fucking clowns… I love it!
Sweden – 1988