VARIOUS ARTISTS
ANTI STATE (ANARCHO PUNK COMP)

"Anti-State" is the second release in Overground Record’s Anarcho-Punk series that is chronicling and serving as the definitive guide to the 1980’s Anarcho-Punk scene. "Anti-State" has been pain-stakingly compiled from over 1000 recordings from vinyl, demo cassettes, unreleased studio recordings and live gigs from the mid 1980’s before settling on 21 tracks, 12 of which are previously unreleased. The sleeve notes by Sean McGhee recall the history of the scene that was pitched in direct conflict with the Thatcher government and how the State directed their henchmen the Police to enforce their rule. This was the era of the miners’ strike, inner-city riots, CND, the Cold War and war in Northern Ireland. The Anarcho-Punk scene proved to be a rallying call for many disillusioned punks and their protestations would prove to be a constant thorn in the side of the establishment. The series is already being hailed by reviewers and listeners alike as the most important punk re-issue series for years. This series is an aural historical document of an integral, important and hugely influential part of UK punk scene that has, until now, been largely written out of punk history. The CD includes previously unreleased versions by some of the better known bands from the scene such as Flux of Pink Indians, Subhumans, and Amebix plus rare recordings by Chumbawamba, Blyth Power, The Mob, Poison Girls and Toxik Ephex as well as some lesser known, but none-the-less interesting bands Toxic Waste, Decadence Within and Polemic. The 24-page accompanying booklet contains detailed biographies and many unseen photos on each band. "Anti-State" captures the anger of an era when the youth were in direct conflict with the establishment. The sound is energetic and often angry and typically delivered with an intensity lacking today. ‘Anti-State’ is a soundtrack of those times.