VV.AA.

The Vikings Are Coming… (LP)

Radiation Records - 16 €

Swedish punk began in the late ‘70s and by the mid-‘80s, the small steel mill town of Fagersta had seven bands, immortalised on rare compilation The Vikings Are Coming, which is surprisingly diverse: Bizarr’s old-school punk is influenced by the Clash and SLF; Cruel Maniacs give social criticism and Crude SS’s hardcoredraws on Discharge; Rescues In Future’s speedcore is super melodic, influenced by Husker Du; Fear of War’s thrash is anti-religious and there’s more thrash from Bedrovlerz (or ‘Miserablerz’), while Ugly Squaw proffer unique power-punk humour (also making an incognito faux-reggae appearance as Rasta Boys). This edition revives the ori- ginal Swedish version released on Uproar Records in l985, giving us the full monty of this must-have anthology.