Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 10:54 AM by Giorgos Tsekas
This particular gem is an extremely important, lesser known probably, addition to the historical continuum of extreme music, so there’s any reason for it to be an honorable mention. There’s also this footage of Fenriz, back in 2005, introducing it during an interview to the general public, not coincidentally let me add. For those of you who are keen learners, this band, since 1981, an era in which metalheads and punks had a lot in common and lots more to learn from one another (this doesn’t mean that the two genres consciously or peacefully and at all times joined hands), had lay the foundations of the sound that was fully shaped ‘till roughly 1985 let’s say, and became known as thrash, being in fact a blend of N.W.O.B.H.M. and American hardcore punk. If that’s the case, “The Wacky Hi-Jinks” from start to finish makes for the perfect example of music of that era that probably made it to the ears of lots of Bay Area thrash bands and beyond, of course, but because we’re talking about a band from the States, maybe it was more possible due to proximity.
Let me explain though so you won’t get me wrong with a brief, epigrammatic throwback that is the bull hardcore scene of the ‘80s, with bands like Minor Threat, Black Flag, Verbal Abuse, Urban Waste on one hand and G.B.H., Discharge, Anti-System, Conflict on the other hand complementing the efforts of Angel Witch, Satan and Diamond Head over to the other side of the globe. With this fuse in mind and already in the works, it made perfect sense for Adrenalin O.D. to take this syncretism to the next level, on their own terms.
Now, if we were to look at “The Wacky Hi-Jinks” with the proper amount of orderliness the average metalhead would, after the few first seconds, and if you’re willing to stick to it and not be so quick to judge (“it’s too boring, mediocre, it lacks technicality” and everything else that’s being said sporadically about punk), I’m sure you’ll appreciate it for what it is. Starting with ‘A.O.D. vs. Godzilla’, blasting their way to the second milestone of the record that is ‘New Year’s Eve’, to ‘Corporate Disneyland’ later, all the way to ‘Clean And Jerk’ and finally the vicariously quoted ‘Rock & Roll Gas Station’.
It’s easy to spot and, therefore, acknowledge for its contribution to thrash metal, the pounding, furious, super fast drumming that was later on popularized as the skank beat. So it seems that if you’re patient enough and treat it with the required respect, this random discovery can turn to a great piece of music history as well as the favorite and widely discussed reference that it deserves to be every time you’re drinking with your pals, a reason to drink even more if you lack the mental preparation to understand the guys that wrote it, a motive to recap and refresh your musical arsenal if, let’s say, you’re sick of “Eternal Nightmare” (Vio-lence were blatantly closer to the punks and that’s why I cite them by name more purposely, whilst S.O.D, Slayer, all other classic bands of that era and thousands of players ‘till today should be really thankful for the fact that this band played its part in such a determinant way).
