Nightmares From The Underworld
Back in the `80s, bootleg compilations were coming out by the barrel-full, turning every Chesterfield King and Tell-Tale Hearts fan onto new sounds from all parts of the world. Some of the best included The Chosen Few (Volumes 1 & 2), Off the Wall, and Nightmares of the Underworld (Volumes 1 &2), which was one of the first to capture the Canadian garage scene. I remember how mind-blowing it was to hear MG & the Escorts for the first time off this compilation. Well 15 or so years later the Nightmares volumes have finally been reissued on CD which is cool since the original comps were limited to 300 copies and went out of print immediately upon release.
The double CD, which includes both volumes, is chock full of Canadian killers that deliver enough fuzz, snot and noise to fill anyone's appetite. The CD opens with "Lost Soul in Disillusion" by the Power of Beckett, which ranks as one of thee best outings from Canada with its powerful fuzz, deadly three-chord hook, and department store keyboards. This type of song reminds me of the sound that a lot of the retro-`80s bands were trying to emulate. "A Someday Fool" by MG & the Escorts follows and hearing this song always brings chills to my spine; the over-the-top snarling guitar, pounding drums and phenomenal screaming vocals, are simply mind-blowing. "I'm Sufferin" by the Midnight Angels is another winner with more pounding drums and snotty vocals. It's insane to think this original picture sleeve 45 sold recently on Ebay for over a grand (Yipes!).
The second CD, which represents Vol. 2 of the original series, is good but doesn't shake nearly as hard as its predecessor. Still, it has many highlights with songs by the Quiet Jungle, Don Norman & the Other Four, the Quid, and the Moving Sidewalk-like sounds of the 409.
In comparison to many of the compilations being put out today, this one is seriously lacking in the liner notes department (there are none) and the sound quality is in the same category as Highs in the Mid-Sixties (mediocre). I would've thought that after 15 years some information on the groups could've been included or at least some label scans. Despite that though, this double dose has so many tracks that it gives one a great introduction to many obscurities form Canada.
- Tony Sanchez (Originally published in Ugly Things #19, 2001)
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