Monday, December 14, 2015

More greatness from The Ills!

Given my deep affection for the "Fuck off and die!" strain of punk rock, it's always a great day when a new release from the almighty Ills shows up in my mailbox. After all these years, this band remains as committed as ever to its three defining tenets: no friends, no talent, and no songs longer than a minute and a half. Fuck This Planet is the band's latest EP, and the title alone makes it clear that The Ills have not gone soft on us. They power through 15 snotty-as-hell tracks in exactly 17 minutes - with lyrics full of dark humor, horror references, and good old-fashioned people-hating. What's not to love?! Erika Ebola remains the perfect vocalist for this sort of '90s garage punk meets early '80s hardcore (imagine Kathleen Hanna or Allison Wolfe fronting the Circle Jerks). And Danny Dysentery's minimalist songwriting is nothing short of genius. Seriously: if really simple songs are as easy to write as most people think they are, then why doesn't every punk band attain this level of awesomeness? If ever there were an anthem for the times in which we're currently living, "Fuck This Planet" is IT!

Far from running out of gas after an album and three EPs, The Ills sound like they're having more fun than ever! And the addition of Stella Salmonella on saxophone adds a cool new dimension to the band's sound. If dealing with your fellow humans has got you feeling down, I have exactly the prescription you need. Crank "Fun Fun Fuck You!" and "Hate This Place" at the loudest volume possible and make ample use of your middle finger. Fuck This Planet is available on 10" vinyl from No Front Teeth Records or directly from The Ills' Bandcamp in digital form. Vinyl is limited, so get on it!




-L.R.

https://theillsrock.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/theillsrock 
http://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/#!product/prd1/4356731215/nftr-168 

1 comment:

mickfletcher said...

their best yet and one of 2015's top album's