As with most underground hardcore/punk bands of the '80s, unless you were a die-hard fan of a specific band during their actual existence, chances are your demo or vinyl single managed to slip through the cracks. This is certainly true of
Mass Appeal, a punk outfit hailing from Sydney, Australia, who issued various hard-to-find demos and various other oddities during their eight-year career (from 1986 through 1994). That's where the 24-track compilation, 2007's
Nobody Likes a Thinker comes in handy, as it collects an early demo, a single, an EP, a compilation appearance, and even highlights from a performance in 1987. Pedal to the metal thrash punk is what the group -- whose two constant members were singer Randy Reimann and guitarist Brett Curotta -- specialized in, as evidenced by such rapid-fire ditties as "Rat in a Hole" (featured not once, not twice, but three times here), "Elitist Shit," and "New One." If you're a punk purist who likes it obscure,
Nobody Likes a Thinker just made your life a whole lot easier. ~ Greg Prato