Customer Reviews

Technocracy

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT INTO C.O.C. BEFORE THIS RELEASE, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. BUT IF YOUR FROM THESE TIMES LIKE I WAS IN '87', OR ARE INTO THE LIKES OF D.R.I, HIRAX, EXCEL, VOIVOD, FINAL CONFLICT, AGNOSTIC FRONT, THIS IS FOR YOU. I ONLY WISH THAT THEY WOULD HAVE RELEASED A WHOLE ALBUM OF THIS VERSION OF C.O.C.

Back when punk WAS political and crossover was punk/metal not rock/rap COC graced us with a fine EP of hardcore ideology. Perhaps it was the very scientists they feared in the Technocracy that drugged them and caused their downfall resulting in the "corrosion of conformity" from 1991 on that sounds like lynyrd skynyrd crossed with nirvana.

Those of you who discovered COC in 1991 or later might be surprised to find that they could actually be considered sellouts by some who were listening to them as early as 1984. COC seemed to have trouble keeping a solid vocalist until they found Pepper. (Actually, I think Pepper found them.) The first album, Eye For An Eye (1984), which was really more hardcore punk than metal, featured a vocalist named Eric. He left the band very soon after that album was released. On album #2, Animosity (1985), bassist Mike took care most of the vocal duties, drummer Reed singing lead on two songs. For the record, I believe Animosity was COC's best work by FAR. Intensely brutal and severe. Mike and Reed really should have maintained their positions as instrumentalists AND vocalists. Their voices, gutteral hissing growls etc. were perfectly suited for their style of down & dirty no-nonsense speedmetal. Technocracy was their 3rd record, a 5 song EP. 4 songs, really. The last track was a complete throw-away. During this era, they enlisted Simon Bob Sinister to fill in as vocalist. Simon Bob had just broken up his own Bible Belt based band (Ugly Americans) and was apparently in need of a job. Big mistake on COC's part, taking him up on it. I cannot think of a less powerful vocalist in the speed metal scene. His voice is almost completely ineffectual, devoid of any and all agression, or any other emotion for that matter. He just breathes the lyrics out as hard as he can, which isn't very hard. He practically whines. Still, it's a cut above the "Please please PLEASE, we WANT to sell out!" stylings of Jim Morrison/whatever-wannabe Karl Agel on Blind. Thank God he only lasted one record as well. And thank Pepper for taking the dead shell of a spent once-great group and breathing new life into them. As far as I can tell, COC are now little more than Pepper's backup band. They have absolutely nothing to do with 1980s COC, at least in terms of sound. Still, Deliverance and Wiseblood are both excellent records in and of themselves.

Thankfully, this CD reissue includes some well recorded demo verisons of songs with Mike singing them, which drastically improves them. They are, afterall, good songs.

I bought this after buying "Blind", which is fabulous. This EP is good old-fashioned thrash, and is a lot different from Blind, but still pretty good. Don't be fooled though, there are only 5 unique songs, so think before you plunk down too much for this.

You have it backwards, sonny boy. Those of us who got into COC before Blind and Deliverance were fans of a hardcore band who had integrity. Scrubs like you who only heard of them after they were on MTV's Headgiver's Ball were taken in by a bunch of washed up old sell outs. It's a good thing your stupid friend threw away Technocracy, he didn't deserve to own it in the first place. Now go back to your generic nu-metal.

I loved this album when I was in highschool & recently found my wasted cassette that I decided to replace with a download... Well I have to say that this is one of my favorite hardcore albums from the decade. They have great lyrics where they discuss corporate corruption etc, no stupid satanic lyrics, just "this stuff is wrong!" lyrics with incredible hardcore backing. They remind me of the hardcore bands you'd see in a mini-warehouse in the late 80s or early 90s when you could still find hardcore bands... Before they all turned metal aka C.O.C. & Suicidal Tendencies.

Anyway I love this album, the recording is a little muddy, but clears up nicely when you push the speakers...

I began to be a huge fan of C.O.C after buying "blind" in the early nineties and thus, I was eager to get their previous releases. But while I was stunned by the overall qualities of "Eye for an eye" and "Animosity", I had mixed feelings toward "Technocracy", their last hardcore/crossover release. Although the songs are brutal ones, I think that they rarely match those of the first albums of C.O.C. Was the band lacking inspiration at that time? It maybe probable because they even made a cover (a good one however) of "Intervention" which appears to be the best part of that production... Woody Weatherman (lead guitarist) even declared that this recording was not a memorable period for the band... So, "Technocracy" may not be an absolute crap (At moments, I was able to get enjoyed listening it...) but, don't consider it as 'one of their best'.

Dan said: "For the record, I believe Animosity was COC's best work by FAR"

Animosity was interesting (as is Techncracy) but the best work was by C.O.C.'s sister band "No Labels" which shared musicians (Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin) with them. No Labels was also the greatest Raleigh punk band. It was very ironic to see C.O.C. rise to stardom while No Labels passed into oblivion.

The best thing about Technocracy is the presence of Simon Bob Sinister. He was a much cooler guy than anyone (besides Mike perhaps) than anyone else in C.O.C.

It's too bad they never did an Album with Robert Taylor. He was the vocalist for a while.

Benji was also an interesting vocalist. If you can find a No Core bootleg you can enjoy early C.O.C. at it's best.

Otherwise I suppose Eye for an Eye is the best option you have.

I do wonder why Animosity isn't available on CD. Even if it is filled with the same pomposity of all the post EYE FOR AN EYE albums.

I was looking up the worst LP's I ever heard just for fun. I can't believe how many of the LP's get high ratings. Only about 1 percent of the CD's get a 1 rating from me, this one got a 1 which is to say it was hard to listen to the hole thing. I like the band but this was just bad.

"Animosity was interesting (as is Techncracy) but the best work was by C.O.C.'s sister band "No Labels" which shared musicians (Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin) with them. No Labels was also the greatest Raleigh punk band. It was very ironic to see C.O.C. rise to stardom while No Labels passed into oblivion."

what a load of steaming poo. no labels was a sloppy generic hardcore band and they sounded exactly like all of the other sloppy generic hardcore bands from the early 80s who were all basically a bunch of uncreative nitwit kids who thought black flag was the second coming of jesus. but as the no core tape proves, coc was ALWAYS superior to no labels. dont let this stuck up elitist fool you