Most of
Vol. 1 is terrific early-'80s Southern California punk. Though
Dead Kennedys guitarist
East Bay Ray's production on 1982's Rat in a Maze EP is so high-end it sounds more like a Norelco shaver than a set of guitars -- a fault largely corrected by
Geza X when he mastered the classic "Making Room for Youth" 7" -- nothing could blunt this youthful, zealous, masterful collision of speed and melody, with the manic vocals of Creetin K-Os. Sadly, K-Os split, and the band's later recordings were more clichéd (sneering, snarling) though still decent. ~ Jack Rabid