Record Label: Propeller Sound Recordings
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The good folks at Propeller have kindly reopened the vaults to bring back the sounds of the Athens, Georgia-based band Mercyland, which raised hell at Southern clubs back in the mid-’80s.

This retrospective disc was overseen by Mercyland frontman David Barbe, later of Bob Mould’s Sugar and also a professor at the University of Georgia. You’d likely attend classes more often if your teacher rocked as hard as Barbe does on opener “Amerigod,” which will make you punk fanatics rather happy. Enjoy the vibe—and don’t worry if you have trouble understanding the lyrics—as “Black on Black on Black” kicks in. “Ciderhead” is pure punk energy, and “Fall of the City” would make the Sex Pistols proud. The party continues on “Radio Thieves,” and then really kicks it up to 11 (we miss you, Rob Reiner!) on “Vomit Clown,” one of the disc’s highlights.

The songs can sometimes feel rather similar one to the next, but try not to imagine yourself in a mosh pit circa 1986 as “City of Embers” and “Western Guns” wash over you. “Imperial Vision” and “Can’t Slow Down to Think” are two short yet very raw punk tunes that presage the likes of Nirvana. The album closes with the pure unadulterated angst of “Nightfall,” 39 seconds of F-U energy.

Propeller has been doing the music world some good indeed by bringing back some of these potentially-forgotten underground recordings. It will be exciting to find out what else they unearth in the future.

Notable Tracks: Amerigod, Black on Black on Black, Vomit Clown, Can’t Slow Down to Think
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