The children will have their say

SS Decontrol

The children will have their say

Confidence

January 31, 2024
Web Exclusive

By Matthew Berliand

After several years of lovingly reissuing classic albums by 7 Seconds, Circle Jerks and others, Trust has done the impossible and made the dreams of many die-hard fans come true here with the reissue The children will have their say by SS Decontrol (aka SSD). Originally released in 1982 on guitarist and principal songwriter Al Barile's X-Claim label as a separate release with DC's then-fledgling Dischord label and limited to just 1,900 copies, this seminal album has never been officially reissued in any format until now , over 40 years. later. And I can tell you, given the mastering (lovingly handled by Dave Gardner), the packaging and everything else, it was worth the wait and the endless hassles over the years to get to this point.

Now available in a variety of colors and variations and through retailers like Generation Records and Newbury Comics in exclusive form, it's great to see that anyone who wants one of these can now hear it in its original form and pick up a copy. And make no mistake, this sub-20-minute blast of hardcore punk is as influential as you've been led to believe, and not just because they're the first straight edge sounding band on record. Youth of Today this is not, as the hardcore punk scene was smaller and not yet factionalized, so there are songs like “War Threat” and the amazing “Police Beat” that deal with decidedly non-cutting edge topics that were on the minds of many people then and now.

Most of them are lightning-fast, but when they slow it down, as in the aforementioned “Police Beat” and the standout “How Much Art?” (written by singer Springa), stand out even more and prove that they weren't just a one-dimensional band. However, it's hard to imagine most of what might be labeled 'grindcore' or 'powerviola' a decade later without Springa's droning vocals and Barile's unruly, shrill guitar tone, which would become even more pronounced on landmark of 1983. From here though (of which a reissue is in the works!), inspired by the GE factory where he worked as a machinist at the time. Congratulations once again to Trust Records for this release. Now we look forward to them From here though! (www.trustrecordscompany.com/products/ssd-the-kids-will-have-ir-seay-vinyl)

Author Rating: 7.5/10