Revulsion

Revulsion (2012)

Rich Cocksedge

Once again, Boss Tuneage reaches back into the past to resurrect the output of a band that many might well have ignored or not even been aware of when they was originally active. This time it's the turn of Norfolk (UK) based punks Revulsion, a band that were obviously influenced by the US scene, and at its best those influences can be traced specifically to a handful of bands that were coming out of Washington, DC via the Dischord label.

The ten tracks are culled from the band's The Only Revolution 7-inch single, some tracks featured on a compilation 7-inch, and all rounded off with some previously unreleased tracks. In terms of the Dischord comparison (a compliment and not a criticism) it's specifically bands like Soulside, Ignition and Grey Matter that come to mind when listening to tracks from the aforementioned single, with the former really coming to the fore in terms of the sound Revulsion managed to produce.

What I find enjoyable about listening to the first three songs especially is that the production allows the band to come to life, rather than be stifled by a sense of trying to do anything particularly grand with it. It's crunchy and melodic, with a good mix of all parts of the band without it all sounding compressed and listless. The original 7-inch (the first two tracks on the CD) was obviously the pinnacle for Revulsion, as the band had found a sound it was comfortable with and one to which it was well suited with the added bonus of a not too bad production job either.

The other tracks on the CD don't have the same impact as that initial pair of songs, yet across the board they do convey aspects of the UKHC scene from the mid to late 1980s (similar to bands like The Instigators and Visions of Change) with a range of elements being noticeable, i.e. the gradual progression that a more metal sound made into the scene along with some of the more emo stylings that came across the Atlantic and were embraced by a growing number of bands. Also, Revulsion were able to do a more direct style of hardcore, which is evident on tracks like "Effd The Rich (At Xmas Time)" and "Another Bloody War" (the latter is also very Crass-like at times) both of which have a more UK sound than earlier songs on the CD. Despite there being a quality gap between the single and the rest of the tracks, this whole collection still manages to be an enjoyable listen displaying quite a variety of sounds, and highlights another band that, when on form, were able to produce some pretty good music that has subsequently stood the test of time quite well.