After splitting from the Crass label in 1984, Conflict kicked off their anarcho-punk hallmark Mortarhate with the release of the 18-song multi-artist compilation
Who? What? Why? Where? When? With this 2003 re-release, Conflict keeps the track listing unchanged but adds an informative 12-page booklet loaded with photos, artwork, and band anecdotes. The antiwar, anti-animal cruelty, and anti-sexism stance of the tunes offered here still has a poignancy and urgency that hasn't diminished in the years following its initial release. Great, angst-ridden, shout-driven cuts like
Icons of Filth's "Stupid" and Vex's "It's No Crime" provide fuel for the fire, while preachier tunes, like the brooding
Poison Girls track "The Offending Article," spell out the manifesto. All in all, a nice overview of a fledgling punk label's fight to establish both a musical niche and a strong unified ideology. ~ J. Scott McClintock