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Rating: We are in 1981.
It's been a year since the release of the previous masterpiece "Fresh Fruits For Rotting Vegetables" and many things have changed in the Kennedys' camp.
Jello Biafra founds his label (Alternative Tentacles) and runs for mayor of San Francisco with a program that stretches the limits of the absurd. The drummer Ted leaves the band to devote himself to his career as an architect and is replaced by the talented D.H. Peligro.
The Hardcore scene is now reaching its peak.
"In God We Trust, Inc" is a product of this particular period and stands out as a worthy successor of the unparalleled "Fresh Fruits...".
The first thing that stands out when listening to this EP is the style: hardcore is no longer "watered down" by a robust dose of punk rock as in the previous work but now becomes the backbone of every song.
The lyrics are, as always, of the highest level and Biafra's caustic humor takes no prisoners.
Special mention for the cover: a splendid image created by Winston Smith depicting a Christ nailed to a cross of dollars.
The dances open with "Religious Vomit", an attack on all religions destined to become a classic for the group. "Moral Majority", "Hyperactive Child", and "Kepone Factory" are intense Hardcore shards, and "Dog Bite" showcases Biafra's schizophrenic vocal skills.
The group's antipathy for far-right formations materializes in "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" where they are accused of having contaminated the punk scene too. The next track, "We've Got A Bigger Problem Now", is what I consider the high point of the record and shows the Kennedys performing a jazz punk version of the famous "California Uber Alles" (adapted for the rise to power of Ronald Reagan).
A disorienting cover of "Rawhide" closes this excellent record with dignity.
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