Unrest Records – Release date… it's weird. Read below.
Dayglo Abortions slaughter every sacred cow in sight.
With all due respect to D.O.A. and SNFU, both of whom I love, Dayglo Abortions might be the best punk band from Canada (or at least my favorite). Even after more than 40 years, Murray “The Cretin” Acton and company don't seem to have lost a step. They're still angry AND funny, a rare and wonderful combination. Hate Speech will get in your face, challenge your belief system, and step on your toes.
With no physical product yet available, and the official release date in limbo, Dayglo Abortions took a novel approach in rolling out Hate Speech. They dropped one song per week over the course of ten consecutive Fridays via ten different punk/metal sites. Hopefully this raises some awareness of the band. As good as they are, a lot of younger punks have never even heard of them.
It's been said that the best punk bands comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. Dayglo Abortions and Hate Speech certainly fit that bill. Side one opener “White People” is a perfect example. Its venomous lyrics are likely to make people on both sides of the political spectrum uneasy. While DGA generally live somewhere between blunt and crass, they are not a one trick pony. Side one closer, “Sacks of Meat”, is both crude and existential. In between we get the thrash-punk attack of “Kill Kill Kill”, the bitterly ironic “God is Love”, and the cannibalistic “Smart Food”.
While Dayglo Abortions are definitely punk in attitude and delivery, Hate Speech has enough killer riffs to appease the most militant metalhead. Anti-establishment tirade “Sociopath” kicks off side two. “What's For Breakfast Mom” is a cautionary drug tale, and “Raised On Chest Milk” will probably offend a few. “World of Hate” feels like the record's key song. The closing track, “Calling All People”, might be the album's most surprising twist. It's an appeal to unite against the real enemy – corrupt political, corporate and religious leaders.
Usually when a band's been around as long as Dayglo Abortions, I would recommend you start with something from earlier in their catalog. In this case, I don't think Hate Speech would be a bad place to jump in (nor would 1986's Feed Us A Fetus, 1991's Two Dogs Fucking or 2016's Armageddon Survival Guide). It's some of DGA's best work, well after most of their peers have called it a day. These angry old men deserve an audience beyond fellow angry old men. This is what punk is supposed to sound like!
For vinyl fiends: There is nothing good to report on this front. A physical version of this is supposed to be coming in 2022, but given the current state of things, nobody knows when the wax will show up. I really want that twisted, Dr. Seuss inspired artwork LP sized.
Note – currently this “album” is only available as singles via Murray “The Cretin” Acton's Bandcamp page. As such, TGEFM is just going to link to that page here. You can identify the songs by the cover, and the start from the oldest to the newest to follow the intended track order.
Part-time punk writer, suburban dad and angry old man. Follow my adventures on the Punk Till I Die podcast!