PAGAN IDOLS

I just spent several days driving back and forth across the Southwest, a few dozen hours behind the wheel alternating between reactionary talk radio and healthy doses of this 1983 demo from PAGAN IDOLS.  Every song on this tape is nothing short of complete brilliance; the phaser laden plodding dark punk of "Ruined Eyes," a mid tempo UK burner like "Plastic Surgery," or dreary anarcho tracks like "Death March" and "Ain't No" (the latter is in a league with THE MOB's "I Wish," it is absolutely that stark and every bit as moving). The demo closes out with a ripping KBD worthy track called "Video," but it's the opener that really wins me over..."Last Punk" is a damn near perfect punk song.  The tempo sits uncomfortably, I keep wanting it to speed up or slow down - it does neither - and the intensity swells and the vocals turn to snarls before the song slowly starts to deflate and in the end it just kind of collapses in a sea of reverb.  From KFTH, I can guess that there is at least one more piece of brilliance from PAGAN IDOLS out there, another demo tape from the following year.  Until that miracle happens, these 7 songs will keep me happy to be a punk.

THE LAST PUNK