MANIAX - The Lost Tapes

In the annals of Hardcore Punk history, there are certain bands who stumbled their way on to many vinyl and cassette compilations of the early eighties that stuck out so severely you just had to ask yourself Why?. Although their intention and sentiment fit right in with the Reagan Sucks/Drugs Suck/You Suck vibe of the time, their ineptitude and spirit created something so unique that it hit a vein of expression that was entirely of its own. None of the mask sporting pre-conceiving art wavers of the time could have come up with statements as effortlessly bizarre as the ones presented by such brave and confused one hit compilation wonders as Church Police, B.I.U, and Demented Youth. -Ç On the tipity top of that teetering list is Fresno Californias Maniax who supplied us-Ç with the beyond classic anthem Off to War on the beyond classic Not So Quiet on the Western Front double LP compilation in 1982. For nigh on twenty five years now, this track has intrigued the fuck outta me. With the fidelity lower than whale dung, a truly buzzsaw guitar battles for space with a barely pubescent vocalist who drones on and on reciting the words Off to War over and over again for a good five minutes. I always wondered if their other songs were this disorienting and wonderful. Well, I need not wonder no more! Maniax vocalist Gregg Mitchell has finally found the time to share with-Ç us the lost tapes of Fresnos youngest early 80s Punk band and its every thing Ive dreamed it would be and more.-Ç 34 tracks of bedroom recorded early teenaged Punk Rock-Ç anthems about-Ç dead-Ç dogs, posers and having a crush on Wendy O. Williams. Are they using an air organ on track 29? What the fuck? THE MOST ESSENTIAL AND NEEDED POSTHUMOUS PUNK ROCK RELEASE OF OUR CENTURY AND I MEAN THAT. Even though I really hate how nothing of the past is left to the imagination anymore these days, I gotta say my brain is exhausted after twenty something years of wondering what those other Maniax tracks sounded like. Thanks for the rest,-Ç Gregg. -- Tony Rettman.