Adrenalin O.D.
Humungousfungusamongus

After a hard day's work, listening to or playing music is of vital importance, like a cigarette after coffee. Working in a store, overwhelmed by old widows in the midst of an existential crisis and noisy spoiled children, I store a daily dose of stress that could bring down an adult African elephant. In the evening when I return home, I don't listen to the relaxing works of rock (I reserve those for Sundays), but I put an album like this "Humungousfungusamongus" on the turntable, then I start banging my head against the wall and screaming like a madman until I pass out on the floor. And there I am, the following morning at seven on the dot, fresh as a daisy at my workplace.

The A.O.D are a band from New Jersey from the early eighties, characterized by fast music (in some cases thrash-influenced) and sarcastic themes rich in accusations and protests. In their history, they have been a source of inspiration for many bands, although here in Italy they are almost unknown. Debuting musically for a compilation by ROIR Records alongside bands like Bad Brains, they deservedly found themselves with modest success in the underground scene, enough to release their debut album in 1984, "The Wacky Hi Jinks of... Adrenalin O.D." After two years of breaking their bones in concerts and settling matters within the band, A.O.D. returned with "Humungousfungusamongus," one of their most appreciated works.

If identifying a band with a musical genre is usually a more difficult task than one might think (if not pointless), for the music contained in this album, the venture becomes impossible. Many tracks are straight hammer blows to the face, fast and in some cases "diabolical", akin to primitive thrash played by naughty kids. Other songs, however, are more lighthearted and fun, culminating in pure Oi! anthems. We find a distorted dark guitar churning out power chords like crazy and occasionally attempting poor solos, a pounding drum playing in various tempos, excellently recorded, and a strongly characterized bass, distinct from the guitar parts. Spice these features with a good dose of noise, a singer purely in the punk hardcore style, sometimes (I emphasize sometimes) with melodic vocal lines, and other small nuances that change from song to song the musical imprint of the band, and you'll realize what A.O.D. is about.

If I had read this review, I would have thought that mixing too many things disgusts me. Yet no, A.O.D. manages to remain listenable despite all the various facets present on the record, from rock ‘n roll, to metal, Oi!, and even ska, all indiscriminately well-mixed in a hardcore baptized by some wise guys as Thrashcore. The tracks flow faster than ever, averaging a minute and a half in length, well-structured, and manage to remain catchy, thus not excessively heavy.

I can't say that all the songs are equally good, small blunders to report are present on this album too, but telling the whole story with nonsensical themes sometimes makes it difficult to remain serious musicians. However, historic tracks (at least for the band) are present in this work; I could point out "Yuppie", "Office Buildings", the fantastic "Bugs" or my favorite "Bruces’ lament".

For those interested, the new version of the record also contains covers, among the bands Kiss and Dead Boys.

In conclusion, how could I not say I recommend this record! The Adrenalin O.D. are a small part of hardcore punk history and genre enthusiasts should appreciate it.