Manic Ears: Discography

ACHE 001 - Chaos UK/Extreme Noise Terror 'Earslaughter' Split LP.

This album was released in November 1986 and was way ahead of its time.'Earslaughter' was cited was as one of the most influential albums of all time by Napalm Death in 1988. However, its initial release reaction was not that invigorating except for the underground Hardcore scene. In November 1986, John Peel, played Extreme Noise Terror on his show suggesting that someone should to their manager. A year later, Extreme Noise Terror became one of John Peel's favorite bands and were invited in BBC studios to record several Peel Sessions. Some of these sessions were also released on the Peel Strange Fruit label further highlighting his appeal with the band.

Chaos UK were at the best from 85-90 when Gabba joined the band from Nottingham. They were getting heavily influenced by Japanese Hardcore after touring there in 1985. Gabba's guitar was furious infused hardcore fronted by Mower on vocals, Chaos, bass and Chuck on drums. Chaos UK heavily influenced Japanese hardcore bands with their blistering beats and were not afraid to reinvent their previous early 80s style songs with ripping thrash version like Kill your Baby and 4 Minute Warning which they proved with 'Short, Sharp, Sharp' on COR Records. Extreme Noise Terror just blew everyone away with their brutal aural assault. Their debut was a pinnacle of UKHC.

The story behind the discovery of Extreme Noise Terror has been cited by websites on the internet. I remember Gabba and I were really into a demo by the band. We went to see them and they were incredible. Like nothing that had come before in British Hardcore. This was in 1985. Gabba suggested making the split LP with them as they were unknown. I totally agreed with him. It was their 1st show. I honestly did not know what impact they would have on hardcore. The demo was so brutally extreme in 1985 and had the intensity of Japanese Hardcore that we all liked. Phil Vane delivered the demo masters to me shortly after in Bristol with a couple of Polaroid photographs of themselves live at Nottingham Community Centre. Earslaughter was one groundbreaking LP for UK hardcore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TREGM62cqhU&t=46s

ACHE 002 - Civilised Society? - 'Scrapmetal' - LP

'Scrapmetal' was Civilised Society's debut album. Featuring ex-Instigators drummer and Peaceville mogul, Hammy, the band had some good coverage for this album from the metal press. 'Scrapmetal' was early type of hardcore/punk/metal crossover album which could have gained more attention then it actually did. However, John Peel opened his radio show with 'The Fairer Sex' on several occasions and even Tommy Vance played the album on his show although he said the band was Scrapmetal and the song Civilised Society. Civilised Society? worked really hard in those days and gigged a lot even supporting MDC at the Hammersmith Clarendon.They were very politically orientated which made a refreshing from the norm of metal bands. The album received some good airplay and reviews in Kerrang! and Metal Forces. The band found it increasingly difficult to strike out to the metal audience in general. The hardcore crowd were always in strong attendance at shows. Civilised Society? wanted to branch out and encompass different audiences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYWGgPLQ7os&t=3s

ACHE 003 - Various Artists - Digging In Water - Compilation LP

'Digging In Water' was initially compiled for release by COR Records. Tim just gave me some 1/4" masters of what he intended with the drawing and logo. That is why there is a mixture of COR and Manic Ears bands. COR was really into joint label releases (previously COR released an Accused LP jointly with Earache Records) and 'Digging In Water' was a COR/Manic Ears joint label release. Manic Ears handled all the finishing touches to the LP and release schedules.

There are some real hardcore gems on 'Digging In Water' from the period 1984 - 1986. Some classic COR bands appeared on this including The Stupids, Potential Threat, Depraved (Visions Of Change), Chaos UK and Disorder. The Manic Ears bands that appeared were Dr & The Crippens, Ripcord, Civilised Society? and Extreme Noise Terror. The album was cover was done by myself. The track listings and back cover typesetting are out of alignment as I have a weird form of double vision so I probably could not see straight. DIY? Very much so.

This was a low budget compilation LP as funds were very short at this time. It was received well on the hardcore underground and John Peel played the Electro Hippies song from the album called 'Life'. He soon became fanatical about the Electro Hippies who released their albums on the newly formed Peaceville Records label fronted by Hammy of Civilised Society?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3r7OTLbwbg&t=286s

ACHE 004 - Bad Beach - Cornucopia - LP

This was another release that was intended for release on COR Records. However, as COR had decided to close this album was passed onto Manic Ears along with 'Digging In Water'. Bad Beach had a different style to the hardcore norm. Only 1000 copies were pressed of this album and they proved incredibly difficult to sell. However, at least the album release tried to help the band because they moved on to Amsterdam's 'De Konkkurrent' label which was probably more appropriate for them.

ACHE 005 - Ripcord - Defiance Of Power - LP

Ripcord from Weston - Super - Mare were quite local to Bristol so it was refreshing to see new emerging bands on the scene besides Bristol's UK punk stalwarts, Chaos UK, Amebix and Disorder. Ripcord had released two demo tapes which were distributed by themselves and my tape label, Lethal Dose Tapes. These were sold at gigs and by mail order by fanzines and tape distributors. They also played a lot around the UK so the band were very well known on the hardcore underground. 'Defiance Of Power' was a classic 2 second thrash song album with Buzby on vocals who was later replaced with a previous drummer, Steve on vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Y7f8QQdBk&t=397s

ACHE 006 - Civilised Society? - Violence Sucks - LP

Civilised Society? surprised everyone with 'Violence Sucks'. This was new hardcore metal crossover. Released in mid 1987, they were rated with reviews of 4.5 K's in Kerrang and 90/100 in Metal Forces. A retrospective, consisting of 'Scrapmetal' and 'Violence Sucks!' was re-issued as a double album entitled 'You Were Warned.......' on Manic Ears in 1991 through the Trojan/Receiver Group. Hammy (Peaceville Records) made some clear statements that Civilised Society? were way ahead of their time on the liner notes of this release. Violence Sucks! was purely a crossover album. The music was a fusion of metal and hardcore with a definite attitude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_zPPNdTjW0

ACHE 007 - Spermbirds - Something To Prove LP

The Spermbirds were from West Germany. Very popular on the continent but not so much in England except on the hardcore underground. For this type of band, The Stupids were making the biggest impact in Britain. Something To Prove was first class skate/hardcore/thrash. The band toured Britain in 1990 and I saw them at the Sir George Robey in London. This was their debut album. Spermbirds were an excellent skate thrash band who did not receive the attention in Britain they so rightly deserved. However, more importantly, they were considered as classic hardcore on the underground scene. The 1st 1000 copies of Something to Prove pressed in the UK came with a free issue #4 of Skate Muties From the 5th Dimension skatezine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNO6F2HmXh4&list=PLYO8KjdF1Z2XGwzK4-xGPV4WXK_PFWD-p

ACHE 008 - Subverse/Desecration Split LP

This split LP came about through a variety of different factors. Some friends of Subverse stayed over at our house in St Michaels Park who had a Subverse demo with them. It was so extreme that it I had to get it out on vinyl. I had made friends by mail with Jack of Desecration from Mesa, Arizona This was through another friend from Los Angeles, Ron Martinez of Final Conflict. Ron subsequently stayed at our house while on holiday in the UK. The idea of a Subverse/Desecration split LP was decided. Subverse were from Vancouver, Canada. John Peel played Hunger Pains by Subverse on his show from this album. Subverse were enjoyed by the UK hardcore underground scene and approximately 1500 copies were sold mainly by mail order and at gigs by myself and the bands involved. This was truly a DIY release in the end as the record shops were not interested in stocking it. Still, it was a worthwhile project and the bands involved gained some recognition for their efforts in the UK.

Subverse came over to the UK in 1987 after this release and stayed with us in Bristol for 2 months. I managed to get them gigging with some of the foremost UK bands of the time like Chaos UK, Ripcord, Amebix, The Seers, Napalm Death, Generic, Civilised Society?Joyce McKinney Experience, Chumbawumba, Thatcher On Acid, Concrete Sox, Perfect Daze, Space Maggots and Rhetoric and they also supported The Rhythm Pigs and MDC in the UK.

Licensed Releases:

ACHE 009 - Psycho - Hosebags From Hell - LP Only

ACHE 010 - Sons Of Ishmael - Pariah Martyr Demands A Sacrifice - LP Only

ACHE 012 - Vicious Circle - Rhyme With Reason - LP Only

ACHE 015 - Stikky - Where's My Lunchpail? - LP Only

Manic Ears Records went through a period of putting out American, Canadian and Australian hardcore music to get the music across to a wider audience. Unfortunately, these releases never sold more than a 1000 copies if that and were very difficult to publicise. Manic Ears Records, along with Earache Records and Peaceville Records had began to gain a reputation for releasing some of the best UK hardcore bands so it was difficult to get these bands across. However, it was worth the effort and some of these albums were played on the John Peel show if not received elsewhere.

ACHE 011 - Concrete Sox - Whoops, Sorry Vicar! LP

Concrete Sox were the UK purveyors of hardcore metal. Their previous albums had all come out on different labels, their debut album, 'Your Turn Next...' on COR Records,a split LP with Heresy on Earache Records. 'Whoops, Sorry Vicar!' was their third album on Manic Ears Records. Their subsequent releases came out on Col Latter's label who used to be the vocalist for Flux Of Pink Indians, a seminal early eighties Crass type band. Concrete Sox were very well known on the hardcore underground. The sound recording of 'Whoops, Sorry Vicar!' was not entirely perfect but it was a classic fusion of hardcore and metal with attitude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka5Ryqhv2ME&list=PLaYW-muJF9BC344Zsis0z1ia6vKsLT_Df

ACHE 013 - Adversity - Lost It All - LP

Adversity were a 5 piece speed metal hardcore outfit from Vancouver, Canada. Lost It All was their debut album. They gained rave reviews and features in Kerrang, Metal Hammer and Metal Forces. Adversity's brand of metal crossover was hard hitting, well produced and clean cut. With plenty of hardcore attitude in their lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUuZhtGd0Zc&t=82s

ACHE 014 - Dr & The Crippens - Fired From The Circus - LP

Dr & The Crippens came from Lancaster in the North of the UK.They came to Bristol to record Fired from The Circus at Emergency Plus Studio and used Chaos UK's back line. Their style of hardcore was extremely fast and unique. John Peel called me one Sunday morning after listening to a test pressing of this LP was so totally excited for the band that he wanted to session them. Pre-release week The Crippens were featured on his show extensively. They shortly recorded one of two Peel Sessions. Dr & the Crippens were Nick Palmer on vocals, Wayne Elliot, bass, Tom Myall, guitars and Dave Ellesmere on drums.

ACHE 016 - Transgression - Cold World - LP

Transgression came from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Transgression provided 16 brutal songs on Cold World. I was quite into American speed metal acts such as Septic Death, Attitude Adjustment and early DRI. Transgression provided that outlet of extreme speed metal and hardcore. I did get some really cool appraisal of that album one night at a show when Mick Harris, drummer of Napalm Death, pulled me aside and said it was the best new album put out on Manic Ears at the time in 1988. Transgression played extremely fast metal hardcore with attitude. A killer album with some fast and furious music. Totally extreme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-57r4SFvN14

ACHE 017 - Various Artists - The North Atlantic Noise Attack - LP/CD

'The North Atlantic Noise Attack' was a definitive compilation for the late 80's for the UK hardcore scene. The album provided a cross section of the current UK hardcore bands. John Peel played this album regularly on his show. Strange Fruit Records released studio sessions as 12" LP's by Napalm Death, The Stupids and Extreme Noise Terror and released a compilation LP of the hardcore sessions called 'Hardcore Holocaust' which included Dr & The Crippens, Electro Hippies and Extreme Noise Terror. The North Atlantic Noise Attack received a page feature in NME followed by Melody Maker, Sounds, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, RAW and Metal forces. The compilation was a representation of the UK hardcore scene in 1989.

The idea of The North Atlantic Noise Attack LP/CD came from the tape label trading days. I had put a out cassette compilation in 1985-6 featuring some UK bands like Oi Polloi, Civilised Society?, Chaos UK, The Stupids, Generic & Frankfurter. I had planned another cassette compilation, a Vol 2:US. Some of the demos I acquired from that appeared on the album accompanying 12" with Septic Death, No Fraud and Desecration. A full blown USHC extra LP did not work out due to the vast amount of USHC out there. To make the North Atlantic Noise Attack better value it featured the awesome brutality of Septic Death on 12" vinyl and CD. The cover art by Bear and Beano, Skate Muties from the 5th Dimension fanzine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h9vlxZ0TPU&t=8s

ACHE 018 - Doctor: Raphanadosis LP/CD (1989)

Dr and The Crippens were explosive with the release of the second album Raphanadosis. The art of Greek radish ceremonies were at an all time high. They had been playing shows extensively in the UK with the likes of Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death, and The Stupids. Raphanadosis was a blistering UK hardcore treat that truly represented their humorous style. Songs about B-Movies and gardening with such a ripping hardcore style. Dr and The Crippens recorded their 2nd Peel session shortly after recording this in SAM studio in Bristol. They were a personal favourite of the label. Also, John Peel was very fond of them.

ACHE 019 - Saw Throat: Indestroy LP/CD (1989)

After recording 'Disgrace To The Corpse Of Sid' as Sore Throat on Earache Records Saw Throat went about to prove that they could actually produce an album of serious hardcore. The result was 'Indestroy'. This 1 (in 6 parts) song album consisted on some extroadinary slow paced grunge and industrial hardcore. It was a truly manic slabfest of grungecore and received phenomenal reviews in NME, Sounds, Melody Maker, RAW, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Metal Forces. Environmental issues were prominent on this album and truly represented what Sore Throat were capable of as serious musicians.'Indestroy' was also released as a CD (only 1000 copies were produced) and contained 53 bonus tracks that was also Side 1 of the coveted 'Never Mind The Napalm' LP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HGOjxXlTMw

ACHE 020 - Various: Manic Ears,The Histyrical Years: 1986-1990 LP (1991)

Manic Ears: The Hysterical Years was a sampler featuring tracks of each album release on the label. The CD featured 2 unreleased songs by Subverse. This compilation I put together on the request of Trojan/Receiver Records when they wanted to get the label rebooted in 1991-92. I did not put out compilations like this before as I thought it was an inappropriate use of previously released tracks. However, the label had not been active for a year so it was the start of reigniting interest.

ACHED 021 - Civilised Society?: You Were Warned 2xLP (1991)

'You Were Warned' was a repackaged reissue of Scrapmetal and Violent Sucks LP's when I was at Trojan in 1991. As far as reissues were concerned I arranged this repackage with Hammy (the former drummer) at Peaceville Records. Instead of reissuing the albums singularly we packaged them as double LP for single LP price.

EAR 001 - Sore Throat: Never Mind the Napalm, Here's Sore Throat LP (1989)

'Never Mind The Napalm, Here's Sore Throat' was another Sore Throat stunt. A parody of the famous Sex Pistols album Side 1 contained the bonus tracks from the 'Indestroy' CD. Side 2 consisted of 10 newer recorded songs including a cover of Antisect's 'Channel Zero Reality'. As mentioned in the history section, this album caused quite a storm at the time with Revolver refusing to release an original cut containing a backwards track, 'Can You Dig it?'. 'Never Mind the Napalm' title and controversy did nothing to enhance Sore Throat's reputation at all.

EAR 002 - Doctor & The Crippens: Avant Gardening 12" (1989)

'Avant Gardening' was Dr & The Crippens final release on Manic Ears. This was intended to be a promotional tool for a third Crippens album on the label. Shortly afterwards the label moved on to Trojan/Receiver group where nothing happened for the following year. This 4 track 12" EP was the first EP that Manic Ears Records had released. The Crippens first political song, 'Global Shafting' is featured here. It was truly extroadinary that Dr & The Crippens did that and managed to pull it off quite successfully. Some of their best material was on this 12".

EAR 003 - Rektum: Real Horrorshow 12" (1989)

Rektum came from East Germany, through Hungary, after the collapse of the Berin Wall. They were wanted in the Soviet Bloc for anti - Soviet political viewpoints. They escaped to Bristol and werehoused by Manic Ears Records who recorded their EP and LP. 'Real HorrorShow' was a prelude of this East German thrash band' forthcoming album 'Sakredanus'. These days they would be considered the male version of 'Pussy Riot' but 30 years before their time. The story continues below.

PSI 001 - Rektum: Sakredanus LP/CD(1990)

However, Rektum were not real. It was a pseudonym for the infamous Gaye Bykers On Acid. The Rektum band story was a scam or as we call it today, fake news. I met the Bykers at Treworgy Tree Festival in 1989 as they were friends with Bear and Beano of Skate Muties from the 5th Dimension magazine. They had obvioulsy thought about this pseudonym band for quite some time and an elaborate scam press story to promote this album long before that. As far as I was concerned it was a great idea. However, it was just a little too effective. I retreived a message from my answering machine whilst in London from John Peel offering me any help that he could including a session. I spoke to their manager at the time about it as I was not prepared to scam John Peel. He had done so much for previous bands on the label with sessions. I called him at the BBC and spoke to him explaining that it was GBOA and the whole press coverage was just a scam. Even The Independent ran a column article on this along with Sounds and the NME. Press scam or fake news? This album should have been released on Manic Ears Records but pressure from Revolver was to move the label to the Trojan/Receiver Group . 'Sakredanus' did come out in early 1990 on a offshoot label I had created. The Bykers were an incredible amount of fun to work with. GBOA actually played some Rektum songs in their set at ULU (University of London Student Union) in 1989. The also played as Rektum at a Manic Ears Xmas Party at the Bristol Bierkeller with Dr & The Crippens in December 1989.

Tabs

Discography