Here's some reviews of the Agitated and Napalm Heart 7"s from Maximum Rock n Roll.
Think the Napalm Hearts review is a little misconceived though. Oh well, cheers!
Agitated 7"
"After showing off their greatraw guitar tone by firing off a few chords, Agitated kicks into some blazing early early '80s style hardcore. It's obvious that they're a current band going for an "old" sound, but they do it damn well without coming off as retrto, ending up sounding akin to say HONOR ROLE, playing songs with the melodic intricacies of the CIRCLE JERKS and the first SUICIDAL TENDENCIES LP, and of course the occassional modern breakdown. All fronted by a smart and sarcastic little fucker who sounds like he's gonna give posers and socialites the wall-slamming they deserve. Though I will say that, although the music here is excellent, the full-color artwork (minus the insert) is horrible and makes this record look like cartoon skate-thrash dollar bin fodder, which is misleading and does not do the tunes justice. (DG)"
Naplam Hearts 7"
"Catchy, fast almost Oi!- sounding Aussie punk. Id recommend this to my
friend and old radio mate Adam 'Howlin' Hot Dog who relocated Down Under
this year. At times id compare them to THE EXPLOITED and other times
they are more rock n roll. Energetic the whole way through to get a roo's
blood flowing. The DEAD BOYS cover is unnecessary. The chorus to 'Expletive Deleted' is my fave. "Killing, shooting, stabbing and murdering".
Fuck Yeah Good work mates. (RO)"
And some more from Sorry State Records
Agitated 7"
"Debut 7" from this Australian HC band who play wild, youthful hardcore. This is one of those records that almost sounds more like super sped-up punk than hardcore, really... there's not attempt to be tough, just youthful snot and sarcasm. Recalls classics of this genre like Teen Idles, the Untouchables, early JFA, and maybe even the first Adrenalin OD 7". Killer stuff."
Napalm Hearts 7"
" Rampaging, hardcore-inflected oi! from Melbourne, Australia. Apparently this was originally released on cassette on Stained Circles, but now it's receiving a wider vinyl release courtesy of Helta Skelta Records. The combination of oi! and HC seems to be increasingly popular these days, but while the mix is usually like 85% core / 15% oi!, Napalm Hearts are more of a 50/50 mix, sounding like a super-tough, stripped down oi! band. Think the Last Resort or maybe Blitz's early, meanest stuff. Bruising."
