The Masters Apprentices – Undecided / Wars or Hands Of Time
re-released by Ugly Pop Records, 2012 (black vinyl 7″)

“You gotta give a little lovin’ honey, if you want a lot of love in return.” These are the opening (and closing) lines to “Undecided,” the A-side of first single by The Masters Apprentices, one of Australia’s earliest rock bands. At their debut they could be considered Down Under’s answer to England’s Rolling Stones, as both bands got their start giving more than a little lovin’ to classic American blues while honing their sound. Having up to this point been most familiar with their harder rock sound from albums like Choice Cuts or A Toast to Panama Red, this reissue provided me with a glimpse of their 60s beat origins and gave me an appreciation for how far they had come in 4 years.

“Undecided” was their first official hit, reaching #8 on the Australian KMR charts. After the aforementioned line, the fuzzed-out jangly guitar kicks off a foot-stomping rock’n’roll tune that has some real teeth. It turns out the guitar tone was due to a faulty valve in the amp, but they liked it and went with it, giving this track a raw garage rock feel that fits the attitude of the riff and vocals perfectly. The song was written in the studio in about 15 minutes, which may be what lends some of the urgency and energy heard on this track, as well as what led to the name “Undecided” when pressed as to what was the name of the song they just laid down.

The flip side is “Wars or Hands Of Time”, a slower and more melodic tune that features gentle strumming on the guitar and some pleasing vocal harmonies. The song, one of the first in Australia dealing with the Vietnam war, implores the listener to “Wait for me, I’ll be back some day.” The tune has a much dreamier feel than “Undecided” but keeps thing interesting with its melancholy melodies and tempo shifts.

It turns out that one reason this material sounds so different from the 70s hard rock era is that every member besides vocalist Jim Keays had been replaced by then. Probably the most striking substitution was the loss of original guitarist Mick Bower to a Syd Barrett-like breakdown. The Barrett comparison one is an apt one, for he was the driving creative force in the band at the time, responsible not only for their name but also having written nearly all of their tracks.

If your a fan of that classic early 70s hard rock sound and haven’t checked these guys out, I highly recommend picking up a copy of their Choice Cuts LP from 1971. This EP will be a more rewarding find for lovers of classic garage and beat music, and is a great example of Bower’s skilled songwriting in its prime. The fact that this was just re-released over 40 years later by Ugly Pop, a punk label from halfway around the world, should tip you off that we’re talking about an important piece of garage and proto-punk history here.

In School – Praxis Of Hate
released by Kill Test, 2013 (black vinyl 7″)

On the heels of a solid demo tape, NYC’s In School have released their debut EP Praxis of Hate on Kill Test (whose only other release was a Sex Vid EP in 2006, which shows they’re content to release at least one killer hardcore platter per decade). Praxis of Hate showcases their development with 3 updated recordings of demo tracks along with 3 new furious bursts of hardcore punk.

This is everything good hardcore should be: smart riffs, fast changes, some nice variation between guitar and bass (with solos kept to an absolute minimum), and relentless drumming. Golnar Nikpour (whom loyal readers of MRR will surely recognize) is a thunderous hitter behind the kit, and propels the songs forward at a steady gallop. Yumi Lee’s guitar had a slight overdriven buzz with the treble cranked to 10 that makes even the mosh breakdown of “Maggot Rot” still sound punk. And Tayla Cooper’s bass tone is even moreso on the clean side of the mix, which allows the complementary harmonies to cut through.

Bidi Choudhury’s vocal delivery is right at home at the forefront of this hardcore fury. Her shouted vocals are angry and urgent, but with a husky character that reminds ever so faintly of Vi Subversa. Opening track “Conquest” has a gang vocal chant of “nothing to beat” that would be a great soundtrack to any circle pit, while “Knocked Out” bounces along in an almost poppy manner while describing broken teeth and and black & blues.

Their name “In School” is less a testament to their academic dedication and more to their devoted studies of the likes of Die Krutzen and other historical figures from classic US hardcore (with some Swedish and Japanese influence as well). The sleeve is a basic black and white pocket variety, with cover art featuring what could be an illustrated step-by-step guide to the worst mosh fail of all time. The lyrics insert are a combination of distressed typewriter and handwritten, and the inner sleeve has a red “KILL TEST” stamp on it. Very punk, all around.