Band(s) : Blatz & Filth
Album title : The Shit Split Double CD
Label : Alternative Tentacles
Distributor : Sonic Rendezvous
Release date : 09/12/2008
Release : (Re-issue) Compilation CD (also available on LP with original track-list)

With the re-issue of this split-LP, Alternative Tentacles brings us a piece of Punk Rock history, more specifically that of the Gilman Street Project, the all-ages, non-profit, collectively organized music club known to local punks as just Gilman, which was started in late 1986. For some more short history on the venue, consult Wikipedia, here’s where we’ll concentrate on the bands at hand, which apparently both had rehearsal rooms at Gilman!

In 1989, Crust Punk act Filth formed from the ashes of Isocracy, Vagrants, and Crimpshrine, and they would be one of the bands to define the East Bay Hardcore style. The rhythm section was composed of this East Bay Punk known as Mike-o The Psycho on bass (later to play with Strychnine and Fields Of Shit) and Vargrants drummer Dave Henwood (later of Wynona Riders and Pot Valiant; after the recording of the Shit Split album, Henwood was replaced by a guy known as just Toby). On the guitars there was Jim Gray (later to play with The Exploited and Tension) and Isocracy’s Len Rokk, whose more upbeat poppy guitar styles were used as the foundation of the band’s music. Former Crimpshrine roadie Jack Styles (later of Fields Of Shit, Abandon, Wild Dog Gods, Blackie and Our  Mother Of Sorrows) would provide the band with his harsh screamed vocals (more like a combination of a squeal and shout). Filth made their official recorded debut thanks to their Live The Chaos 7-inch on Lookout! Records in 1990 (re-issued through Life Is Abuse Records in 2000 and by Springman Records in 2008). After a contribution to the 1990 If You Can See Through It…It Ain’t Coffee compilation (also featuring Fuel, Monsula and Thumper) on Very Small Records, followed The Split Shit, released the same year on Lookout! When Toby left, he was shortly replaced by Blatz’ Joey, but the band split up in 1991! Post-mortem, the band had a split 7-inch with Submachine entitled This Is Why We Are The Drunks (released 1992 on Rust Records), and still saw songs contributed to a couple of compilations!

Also forming in 1989 were Blatz, whose music was closer to the legendary Crass thanks to the frequent combining of high-pitched female vocals (courtesy of Anna Joy and Annie Lalania) to male ones (Jesse Luscious, whom would become somewhat notorious for taking off his clothes during performances; together with Anna, he would go on to sing with Gr’ups, he then went on to sing for The Criminals and The Frisk; Anna went on with Cypher in the Snow). Other band members were guitarist Robert Eggplant (who’d go on to play with The Hope Bombs, Harbringer, and Lil’ Runt), drummer Joey Perales (afterwards played with Jack Acid, Dead And Gone, and Swann Danger), and bassist Marshall Stax (would continue to play the drums for Subincision). Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day (who would be banned from Gilman when they moved to a major label) occasionally provided the band with second guitar, and Aaron Cometbus (of Pinhead Gunpowder) did the same on additional drums! The Shit Split was Blatz’ official debut (following the earlier and 1990 demo Banned In RC) and was followed by the 1991 Cheaper Than Beer 7-inch issued on Lookout! (just like Filth’s 7-inch on that label, it was re-issued through Life Is Abuse in 2000 and by Springman Records in 2008) and the 1992 split 7-inch with lesbian act Tribe 8, first titled Stranger Fruit and issued on the somewhat comically called Lickout Records, the deleted release was then re-issued with different cover and the title of Bitches And Brew on Outpunk Records. Just like Filth, the band broke up in the early ‘90s, but songs of theirs still made it to a couple of compilation albums.

The original recordings of this album were already re-issued on CD through Lookout! in 1996, then again in 2000 on Life Is Abuse (who also issued the album in a 2-CD version…I’m guessing in the form we’re coming across it today: as an anthology compiling all material on both bands seperatedly…indeed each CD contains all original vinyl releases by the band, enhanced by extra live and/ or demo material). Obviously, the fact alone that this compilation is now issued through Alternative Tentacles will bring the album under the attention of a much bigger group of Punks, globally seen! Seen as this IS a re-issue I’ll not go about rating this fine double-CD anthology, but I’ll let you know that the album IS catalogued into my personal year-lists (even if it was already available in 2000 as such!). As mentioned in the heading, you can find the original recordings re-issued on vinyl as well! For audio material of the bands, check out lookoutrecords.com, and lifeisabuse.com (I ain’t sure what you’ll find, though) for Filth, and cockroachcafe.com and myspace.com/blatzcheaperthanbeer for Blatz!

Tony.