Attitude Adjustment American Paranoia

Attitude Adjustment 'American Paranoia' (Pusmort 1986)

I've mentioned 'crossover' on a few occasions already and if you were to play a band to somebody who didn't quite grasp what hardcore mixed with early thrash metal sounded like then I'd recommend playing them this. Political, socially aware, anti-work, anti-war; Attitude Adjustment are the epitome of 80's crossover.

Released on Pushead's label, the man perhaps most famous for Metallica and Misfits artwork, as well as being writer and artist for the legendary 'Thrasher' magazine and fronting 80's cult hardcore band Septic Death, this LP has cool credentials even before the needle hits the record.

The cover is in a cartoon Discharge/Crass style with the various 80's paranoias, organised religion, hard drugs, far right politics, nuclear war and pollution all attacking a school kid's tender young mind. As the poster inside proclaims, 'War is the Real Enemy!' - this is pure punk. The back cover, emblazoned with Pushead's unmistakable font, has the band in various hardcore poses with vocalist Andy doing a particularly good example of the 80's skate thrash legs akimbo jump. Did I mention that this is very 80's? Thought I might have.

Attitude Adjustment have been influential over the years without ever getting the same plaudits as 'bigger' bands like DRI, but it's obvious that Municipal Waste, in particular, have listened to this band more than once. Clearly Napalm Death are big fans too seeing as 'Dope Fiend' appears on the second of their 'Leaders not Followers' homage releases. Appearing on one of those releases may not garner the same financial rewards as having Metallica give one of your tracks a visit to the Garage, but it certainly bolsters your reputation in certain underground circles.

This is so of its time that I want to put on an Ocean Pacific sweatshirt and do boardslides down a hill in Broughty Ferry before playing spin the bottle and smoking illicit fags. It's a great feeling listening to these short sharp bursts of punk metal fury.

An interesting point for metalheads is that drummer, Chris Kontos, played on one of the biggest metal albums of the 90s; Machine Head's 'Burn my Eyes' and has also filled in on various occasions for Exodus and Testament.

Peace