In the urge of repressing every fart tagged as hardcore from the 80s' that doesn't seem to ever stop, it still amazes me that it took so long to reprint the Anti Cimex eps in the right way. I mean, along with Skitslickers, Wretched, Kaaos and few others, we are talking about one of the most important band when it comes to the most radical side of european '80s hardcore. Of course it has already been done on cd & lp that compile these songs. But that's not the proper way. A reprint must be done in one way only: a perfect reproduction of the originals with as little variations as possible. So, in this case, it just means three 7"s. Two labels outta Brazil (Nada Nada discos & Spicoli discos) finally did it right. And they put so much attention on every bloody detail that is touching.
I was quite bummed when I missed the super limited box set that also includes a flexi with compilation tracks, 3 stickers, a poster & every cover variations of "Raped Ass". Since we live in the record flipping era, one copy has already been sold on eBay for more than 200 bucks. But you can't always win. In the end, after years of devote listening firstly on tape and then on mp3s, I'm super stoked to finally own them on vinyl. And it saved me a small fortune since the price for originals are just insane.
It all started with "Anarkist Attack" ep, recorded in 1981 when the band members were only 15 years old and self-released the following year. The rarest (of the regular versions) of the Anti Cimex eps. 500 only were printed. To my surprise, recently I've discovered that a lot of people consider this ep utter crap. Of course it's a bit inferior to the other two eps. But I do really love it. Vocalist sounds like he's totally drunk, songs are sloppy as hell but at the same time catchy as fuck in their extreme spontaneity. The sound is super raw compared to today's standard but it works perfectly. If you don't get this ep, I guess we have a pretty different vision of what punk/hc is all about.
As I told before, Nada Nada & Spicoli put a lot of attention to details. As you can see, like in the original version, back & front covers are wrongly printed at 90 degrees to the other. Labels are identical to the originals and they even manage to write record label names in a very similar handwritten font. It comes with two insert: a reproduction of the original lyrics sheet and an extra one with a pic of an extremely young Jonsson on one side and liner notes about this record by original drummer Charlie.
If there are conflicting opinions about "Anarkist Attack", everyone seems to agree about the greatness of their second ep, "Raped Ass". It has for sure one of the most iconic punk/hc cover ever made. Here Jonsson moved from bass to vocals and that finally defined the bands trademark sound that has influenced legions of bands from all over the world during the next 30 years. I don't know why they decided to do not sing anymore in swedish, but I guess that, along with the greatness of the music, english helped a lot when it came to spread the Anti Cimex germ all around the world. For sure a genre-defining record that doesn't need any introduction!
Of course it's again an excellent reproduction of the original. They've outdone themselves by reprinting it with all the different cover variations that are available from some selected distros. It comes with three inserts, all printed on both sides. A reproduction of the OG lyric sheet, some pics, a reprint of an original letter written by guitarist Jocke, the original ad and again liner notes by Charlie that let you discover that this ep was recorded in a home studio that was a rebuilt hen-house. It can't get punker that this!
"Wictims"...oops I meant "Victims of a Bombraid" is their third effort, the one with a cleaner production. According to liner notes, the band wasn't satisfied with the sound they archived. Maybe it was too professional to their parameters, but I think it works perfectly. The title track is probably my fave Cimex song, the one that I often find myself singing unconsciously while I'm doing something else. Again, excellent artwork. But this time I think the back cover beats the front cover.
Like in the first pressing of the original Malign Massacre Records version, the artwork is black and white with silk-screened silver band name and white labels. Three inserts again. The extras includes OG ad, pics taken from this video, liner notes about the recording and much more. Nada Nada & Spicoli head-honchos proved to be true record nerds by assembling some of the most detailed and accurate represses I've ever seen. Their maniacal attention to details is admirable and cannot not bring tears to your eyes.
If you want more infos about OG Anti Cimex records, check Stuart Schrader's Anti Cimex archive.
