Buzzov-en Albums (4)
'Welcome to Violence'
Release Date 4/26/2005
Tracks 21
Label Alternative Tentacles
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
An example of Buzzov-en's early Allied Records output, Welcome to Violence is a necessary link in the early-'90s D.I.Y. scene chain, where metallic sludge melds to punk brutality in a sick, Southern-fried batter. Collecting the out of print Wound and Unwilling to Explain EPs with their early full-length To a Frown, this disc only serves to remind listeners just how volatile, intoxicated, and bipolar these Charlotte-based noise lovers really were. Through eardrum assaults like "Shove," "Drained," and their very own eight-minute opus "Weeding," fans and curiosity-seekers can relive the nihilism and draw conclusions of their own. Some may find it difficult to imagine the redeeming value in these disturbing, drug-induced themes; however, the notion that longstanding censorship adversary and one-time Dead Kennedy Jello Biafra released this compilation through his own record company makes complete sense. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After reforming and dissolving Buzzov-en a number of times since 1994's Sore, and after numerous trips to the detox, founder Kirk finally settled on a line-up and recorded At a Loss. Though it's every bit Sore's equal in terms of songwriting and engineering, it's not quite as menacing, violent, or out of control. That's certainly not to say that Buzzov-en has lost a thing -- after all, even the most sedate version of this outfit could still pass for an underground dogfight any day, but during those extremely reckless years, Buzzov-en had a careless glow about them, as if they could trainwreck and explode at any given moment. At this juncture of Buzzov-en's chequered career, it had become axiomatic that the band would break up, go to rehab, get back together, and start the cycle anew. Consequently, a lot of the band's even most die-hard fans grew frustrated. In addition, through years of abuse, theft, and bad blood, Kirk had made a number of enemies across the country. Buzzov-en were equally reviled and loved, but in any case, were one of a kind in their destructive, volatile brand of Southern-fried noise metal. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Opening with the repeated audio sample "welcome to violence" over a wash of rumbling white noise, occasional bass notes, and gunshot snare hits, Sore is perhaps one of the most vicious, violent albums ever created, and certainly not in a posturing sense -- the kind of false bravado adopted by hardcore and rap/metal crossover bands -- but in the purest, most undiluted manner. Buzzov-en lived it like they played it: with absolute, careless abandon, violence, hardcore heroin use, theft -- you name it. Certainly not pretty or laudable in any sense. However, the band, particularly founder Kirk, was able to harness this negativity into one of the most potent vessels of hatred and rage since Black Flag in the early 1980s. Recorded and mixed powerfully and percussively by Billy Anderson, Sore captures the mammoth drumming abilities of Ash Lee, Kirk's exceptionally painful pick-slides down his Les Paul, and the punishing, hardcore brutality of this trio at their peak. Unfortunately, it was precisely the elements the band sang about that took them down. Heroin and years of physical abuse took their toll on the original incarnation of Buzzov-en, and Kirk was left holding the bag -- quite literally -- as the band imploded. Over the next few years, he would reassemble Buzzov-en numerous times with different lineups, some to great effect, some to quite the opposite, however, none with the same kind of viciousness as this one. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Raw as a heroin abscess, Buzzov-en's debut, To a Frown, ushered in a devastatingly ugly admixture of bastardized Southern rock riffs, heavy metal, noise rock, and the broken bottle aggression of early Black Flag. Though not the band's finest album, it packs a violent wallop, with Kirk's contorted, half-growled, half-screamed vocals threatening menacingly over the sturm and drang of the rhythm section. Though Buzzov-en owes part of its aesthetic -- both in appearance and sound -- to Southern scum rock outfit Antiseen, they upped the ante in energy, presence, recklessness, and songwriting. Half of the album resides in sludgy blues riffs dragged through the sewer of Kirk's drug- and violence-oriented lyrics, and the other half is pure Damaged-influenced, early-American hardcore aggression. The band toured relentlessly for this album, destroying clubs and leaving a wake of drug-induced terror in its wake. A year later, Buzzov-en was signed to Roadrunner, where it would release its finest album, Sore. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
