Crime, Hysteria and Useless Information. Hood Rats

"Montreal punks", that is how the bio to Crime, Hysteria and Useless Information starts. Montreal may be a nice city, the second word tells it all. Hood Rats plays punk at high speed and intensity. That is all you need to know really. I've seldom heard an album where the word punk is exactly the right description. Of course, there is an option for some nuances and an extra word or two, but if they really contribute anything to that one word, punk, I strongly doubt.

Hood Rats is a trio from Montreal, bass, drums and guitar (overdubs) vocals. The only name I can find is Tony Salador. Perhaps he is the only member. Photo's show three, so tell me. What makes Hood Rats stand out, are the huge guitar parts. This is not just ramming away on a guitar. The lead parts are will thought out and delicate for a punk band. Not in the subtle form, it's loud and intense. Salador knows exactly what he wants and has written some great lead lines for his solos.

The songs themselves are one, two, three, four and go. The Ramones in that sense are the blueprint at the heart of Hood Rats' music. From there the band has far more imagination and a little more anger. This not a bubblegum song on steroids and The beach Boys or 'Wipe Out' played two to three times faster. Hood Rats are way beyond that and beyond the U.K. punkers of the 70s. The anger in Tony Salador's voice makes it far more intense. Without overdoing it, as that is the point where I usually stop listening to emo, hardcore, etc. He strikes the exact right balance in all the songs. Through a sentence like "I wanna be sick" he brings both Iggy and the Stooges and The Sexpistols to mind immediately, laying a successful and welcome link to the past.

What catches me in the end, is the energy Hood Rats shares. That is what this album is all about. 14 Songs all playing out between 1 minute and 18 seconds and 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Just go and not take any longer than strictly necessary. Intro, verse, chorus, solo, finished. 'Repo Man' has an intro of one minute, well two intros actually. That is the biggest variation on Crime, Hysteria and Useless Information.

"(Montreal) punk", I told you it would have been enough.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Crime, Hysteria and Useless Information here:

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/crime-hysteria-useless-information