Various Artists
Skitliv! Fucked up passed out no memories left...
D-takt & Råpunk
Sarcastic punk zine iconoclasts "Skitliv!" pay tribute to themselves with a double-disc collection of cuts from (almost) every artist they ever interviewed and that adds up to ten issues and 48 tracks of uncompromising Swedish d-beat/käng/råpunk. Most of the big names are represented, from old-timers such as Anti Cimex, Moderat Likvidation and Mob 47 to Wolfbrigade, Disfear, Skitsystem and Victims, as well as up-and-comers like Tortyr, Kvoteringen, Giftgasattack and truckloads more. Of course the quality here runs the gamut, be it related to songwriting or recording, but it kind of doesn't matter in end because it all starts to blend together after 20 minutes or so. On the other hand, as a genre-dabbler, it's a great resource to have because the song selection is so all-encompassing and overwhelming; I'm sure I'll be going back to revisit in smaller doses to pick out new favorites. For everyone else, especially if your only knowledge of Swedish punk is limited to the mediocre "Svenska Punkklassiker" discs, the uncompromising, unrelenting hardcore noise attack of "Skitliv!" is a great overview of a much-heralded underground scene well worth investigating, even it does veer towards overkill.
- Avi Roig
