Review by Carl on September 1, 2024.

Although the reason for this EP's existence is not entirely clear to me, I can still dig this. A bunch of covers brought to you by one of the most aggressive 80's crossover bands, it's an interesting listen, I'll admit. Next to that, I'll also admit that this one is in my collection primarily because I'm a big Cryptic Slaughter fan, as well as an equally huge collector nerd.

The first thing that stands out to me is that the covers chosen are all stuff that pretty much lacks the full-speed grindcore-bordering hardcore thrash assault we know from their full lengths. Where Cryptic Slaughter's original material is characterized by lots of relentless speed, with manic thrash metal riffing underpinned by primitive blast beats, the songs on here are all a good bit lower on velocity than we're used to the band. Which in all honesty is pretty interesting to hear, actually. We also have to take into account that all the recordings are from the band playing either in a live or a rehearsal setting, so the sound quality is going to be on the rough side, yet it never gets totally unlistenable.

The opener "Banned in D.C." is the band going through this Bad Brains classic while rehearsing, with the vocals being kinda buried in the guitar and snare sound. It's a thin-sounding, not very energetic performance to be honest, but it's a decent version. The energy levels go up significantly on the next couple of live tracks, two Minor Threat covers and a raging version of Attitude Adjustment's "Bombs", and although the sound is, again, on the rough side, the music gets propelled forward by the battering snare drum and raucous vocal delivery. Both guitar and bass (this last one audible at last) are more in the background here but still get the point across. It's a charming, energetic performance, and in style the most adjacent to Cryptic's own sound. Following this we get a high-octane, severely sped-up version of surf staple "Wipe Out", that sounds really thin and great fun at the same time, as well as a charmingly raw version of the Beastie Boys uber-classic "Fight for Your Right". No matter how crappy played or poor sounding, there's just no way you can go wrong with that last one. Too bad it gets abruptly cut off in the middle.

On side B the fun continues in all its unpolished-sounding glory with a Rolling Stones cover that I find an odd choice, although the lyrics have gotten a bit of a sleazy reworking I do appreciate. The fact is, however, that a slow track like this does not sound all that 'wow' in the hands of a band of sonic speedfreaks like Cryptic Slaughter. If you happen to get a bit sleepy during that last one, Gang Green's "Alcohol" will bring you right around. Sounding as if they're playing in an empty soup can, the band blows through this Boston hardcore classic with gusto and an overload of energy. It's a bit funny that the band covers this ode to hedonism and debauchery, while on the A side, there are two tracks of straight-edge pioneers Minor Threat present. You just gotta love that irony. As a last, there is "Stepping Stone" by The Monkees, as vocalist Bill mentions in the intro, a track covered by both Sex Pistols and Minor Threat (and many, many more). It's another raw performance, but the huge sing-a-long breaking out in the crowd makes it a pure joy to listen to, in great part aided by the raw guitar sound and pulsing bass that shoves the percussion into the background, save the snare drum. This is simply great because you can't beat the atmosphere on this one.

So this question remains: is this essential listening? No. It's a collection of raw recordings that rely mostly on historical value and especially the atmosphere surrounding them, stuff that is fun to listen to once in a blue moon, just for the chucks of it. As I stated above, I own this one primarily because I'm a completist, but would I never have found out about its existence, I doubt it would've made any difference. It's just a fun little collectible, good for the occasional spin if you're a fan of the band. Outside of that, not really essential stuff at all. If it's essential Cryptic Slaughter you want, I'd simply recommend their "Convicted" LP. On full volume.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10