MDC - – Millions of Dead cops/More Dead Cops

 

Originally called The Stains, these guys had a Dead Kennedy’s connection and I don’t just mean sound wise. East Bay Ray and Klaus Fluoride, guitar and bass player of the DK’s respectively, helped out with the production of this record. There are similarities between the two bands, both sound wise and politically, but MDC have a far more brutal approach to both and as a result are relatively less well known than The Kennedy’s. This is a particular shame, as this has to be one of the most face- shredding, pissed off hardcore I’ve ever come across. Politics is naturally the focus and of a very left wing kind as well. One thing is for sure these guys sure don’t like the police! Not only because of their band name (Millions of Dead Cops), but also on songs such as ‘Dead Cops/America's so straight’ and ‘I Remember’. It is inevitable that as a left wing band, Multinational Corporations such as McDonalds are going to come under attack such as on ‘Corporate Deathburger’. But the ultimate song here has to be ‘John Wayne is a Nazi’. Let’s just say I won’t be looking at his movies in quite the same way again! The other LP on offer is ‘More Dead Cops’ which is an odds’ and sods’ collection of EP’s and various unreleased material, which is especially good for people like me who can’t be bothered hunting down every single song ever committed to CD. The first two songs on this LP however are simply slower and older versions of ‘John Wayne is a Nazi’ and ‘Born to die’, recorded as The Stains, which I found to be completely pointless and unremarkable to say the least. Fortunately the ‘Multi-death Corporation’ EP helps to improve things somewhat and is even more manic and brutal than the self-titled debut. So much so that this caught the attention of Crass’ Steve Ignorant who included it on his Bullshit Detector compilation, making MDC the only American band to be signed onto it! The rest of the album follows pretty much the same pattern, with the sole exception of the frankly hilarious mock redneck/country style song ‘Chicken Squawk’ proving that MDC had a sense of humour after-all! The last two songs on this compilation are throwaway 70’s covers, of little importance to anyone. Overall this is a decent compilation but not as essential as the self-titled debut.