Originally issued in 1981,
Punks Not Dead
was
the Exploited
's first full-length album. They'd issued singles like
"Army Life"
and
"Exploited Barmy Army"
previously, and those were re-recorded for what was hailed and/or reviled as a jagged, messy, and more aggressive reaction to the
punk
"establishment" of the time. The mix of hate and love toward
was fine by vocalist
Wattie Buchan
and his revolving cast of bandmembers -- they just wanted a reaction, to get people to really listen. Tracks like
"S.P.G.,"
"Out of Control,"
"I Believe in Anarchy"
were mush-mouthed dynamos of chanting, ranting, and ragged song structure, early templates of the U.S.
hardcore
scene to come. ~ Johnny Loftus