Comus

Despite a slow introduction Kill The Poor sets the mood for this album in it's entirety, acidic lyrical content with a fast beat all tempered by a rather epic scale of experimentation. The whole political tone of the album is set here, entirely tongue in cheek it was a huge shock to the music scene at the time. Of all American punk bands that ever "made it" Dead Kennedys were the only one to truly embody punk in a way that no one else could. This album is in its entirety a huge protest about anything and everything, you truly feel the anger and sense of dissillusion.

Here the song titles say it all, delivered in short explosions of anger and raw speed the whole album plays like a huge tantrum, and that's exactly what it is and should be. Guitarist East Bay Ray here plays his part to perfection, with subtle experimentation there for the true listener but it can be easily missed. The songs tend to meld together yet there is no attempt at a general flow in the album. Here all the songs are just as good, just as raw and explosive without the albums context. Such a huge contrast to the more progressive side of rock it's exactly as it should be for a punk album.

Hailed as one of the forebearers of the generally awful Hardcore punk scene Dead Kennedys were incredibly influential, however none of the bands that came after it ever managed to create this sense of brilliance. Jello Biafra's voice and lyrics here play so well to the era, and the whole feel of rebellion. At a time when "new wave" was the in-thing slower tempo overproduced songs claiming punk status were the new thing, this album came as a shock. Each song is as cutting as the next, but the three sonjgs starting with Chemical Warfare and finishing with I Kill Children each try to outstrip each other when it comes to shock factor.

But you get the feeling that they're not simply creating these songs to sell, there is a huge sense of message. Chemical Warfare speaks of someone stealing mustard gas to release it at a golf course and watch the ensuing mayhem. It can be taken many ways, either how easy it would be to cause such pandemonium, or comparing the use of chemical warfare by the government as that of a deranged mass-murderer. There are a lot of messages within the music, in such a way that no other band has truly been able to emulate, or achieve before the release of the album.

California Über Alles is a scathing attack on the then governor of California Jerry Brown, not only comparing him to Hitler but also lining him up as the next president of the United States where he will lead a 1984 style regime. Such a personal and politically charged attack was pretty much unheard of before in music. I Kill Children would still be incredibly shocking released today, it follows the narrators ways in which he would murder children. Starting with "God told me to skin you alive". It suggests feeding them poison candy or strangling them with telephone wire amongs other things. The fact that its delivered in such an earnest way brings a true chill down your back.

The fact that this album dares to tread on such sensitive subjects is just another testament to how truly "punk" they are. Not even at the height of the british punk era did anyone act as this. The rhythm section throughout the whole album actually plays quite well for a punk band and I feel they hold the whole album together musically. Biafra's voice and East Bay Ray's guitar are constantly trying to outdo and break free of rhythm, experimenting in ways which most punk bands wouldn't dare. This experimentation means this album has aged extremely well and doesn't become tired after many listens.

There is a feeling that they're fast simply because it suits them, instead of just being fast as is expected of a punk band. There are often changes in tempo for various reasons which help to bring a nice feel of individualism in the album, this is especially felt by the often wandering guitar tending to slip away and do something completely different.

Often regarded as their flagship song, Holiday in Cambodia can be seen as a scathing acerbic view of American culture. Comparing it to a "Holiday in Cambodia" the subject matter is without a doubt the US detailing how close the current situation is to the oppression of Cambodia a current hotspot after the Vietnam war. The song is a good starting point for what Dead Kennedys are, severly left wing to a point of fault with more opinions than a presidential election. The "cover" of Viva Las Vegas is a perfect end to the album.

The whole album plays like a political and social satire, leaving no rock unturned and no subject sacred it is the perfect punk album. Despite this, it doesn't feel like a 10/10 album, and no punk album ever will, because it is purely reactionary, no matter how well it does it, it can never reach true brilliance. And, once again, my score will reflect this.


Incredibly influential album, but for all the wrong reasons, the countless imitators that have spawned from the genre that the Dead Kennedys helped create have never been able to live up to the brilliance of the creators. Hardcore and the subsequent genres that came from it, all the way up to emo have produced countless albums of utter tripe and as such Dead Kennedys hold a grave responsibility. How this album SHOULD have influenced music was to bring back the true face of punk, cutting, charged commentary, taking no prisoners and bringing the true feeling of punk back. They failed in doing so, however you can still enjoy the brilliance of this album, and the other Dead Kennedys albums.

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