Raw Power
God's Course (demo 1982)

This is my fiftieth review.

I thought long and hard about what to cover: a live performance by Soundgarden; a tribute to Steve Wynn; the only album by the Mummydogs by Guy Kyser, former leader of Thin White Rope; Morrissey’s 2014 recording comeback.

Nada, none of that; all formidable albums that I decided to postpone.

Then yesterday I had the classic "road to Damascus" revelation, like a modern-day Saint Paul. I wasn't on the way to Syria, but engaged in one of my usual meditative pilgrimages on my mountains. In front of the Church of San Luca, built centuries ago at almost 1200 meters high, I stopped and it was an immediate flash: Raw Power.

The sacredness of this pleasant Church, built on a terrace overlooking the entire Val d’Ossola, reminded me of a band violent beyond imagination. Sacred and profane; Heaven and Hell, black and white.

But there’s a problem, an obvious wrench in the works since I wanted to cover the first album of the Reggio boys: that dirtbag Margahead beat me to it by a few days. Here I stop with the harsh words, but I thought of much worse comments about the two-headed entity.

Then they are two, while I am alone; but for once I will work as a duo, because I have resurrected from its sepulchral and eternal slumber my other half. That GenitalGrinder who represented for months an outlet for my desire for extremism.

I’m ready, we’re ready.

Let's go even further back in time because in 1982 Raw Power released their very first musical offspring on cassette. Thanks to the Turin record label "F.O.A.D. Records" this filthy ultrahardcore product was reissued on CD in 2013.

But despite good intentions, the results are poor; in the sense that you can’t practically understand anything from the melodic chaos generated by these few uncompromising minutes.

There are only four guys from Poviglio; Mauro is still missing, and so the various vocal epithets are shouted by the "phlegmy" guitarist Giuseppe and the "sleazy" bassist Silvio.

A sound so elementary in its progression, yet rotten and strangling in its path that does not have a single moment of peace; a depraved and barbaric crossover between the schizoid speed of Minor Threat and the expressive brutality of the early Discharge. Twenty minutes of total ferocity; in comparison, the debut the following year on full-length "You Are The Victim" almost seems like a melodic hardcore album!!!

"I Hate The System", "No Future", "Fuck Authority", "Bastard", "Destroy Of Society": the verbal content of the lyrics is quite imaginable given the song titles.

One track is titled "Fabbrica" and it’s the penultimate stage of the massacre generated by Raw Power; but I still haven’t managed to understand, not even finding any information online, if they sing in Italian. This to convey the very poor quality of the recordings; but there's no need for quality when faced with such colossal sonic walls. A delight for those who appreciate the genre.

The legend, which continues to this day, thus began.

To RIBALDO, absurdino, and SandroGiacobbe; who, of necessity, will have to enjoy it. Otherwise, I will come to get you at your place, one by one. And it will hurt...!! DESTROY-OH-BOY !!...

Ad Maiora.