Destructors “The Sublime, The Perverse, and the Rediculoid”, The Destructors/Dogtown Rebels “Terrorismo”

(Rowdy Farrago) There is no need to say that the Destructors two new releases return them to the Oi!-ish glory and fury of their old days/heyday, as the dozens of albums they’ve released over the last decade have maintained a pretty steady IV drip of intensity. That said, their new full-length, celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the original incarnation breaking up, recreates an album they would have released back then, re-recording (or recording for the first time) songs from that era, which needless to say, are pretty timely now, as atrocity, absurdity, and war are always in vogue. There are also some covers, and you know -- no one needs, nor objects to, more versions of “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “Louie Louie,” or “Wild Thing.” Their new split EP with Dogtown Rebels sees the D’s stick it to so-called revolutionaries, The Strokes, and reports of punk’s death that have been greatly exaggerated. Dogtown Rebels match the nastiness of the elder statesmen on this release, but don’t ape them, peppering their pub rock with other influences (check out the Devo-esque vocals on “Someday”) making this one of the best split Destructors records. The "New York" EP is gloriously stupid - I think I am much happier to hear a salute to New York pre-punk and punk in the 70s done in the D's pummeling, ploddish, pub punk style rather than hear them try to mimic the Velvet Underground or Television or Ramones. There isn't a lot of nuance and poetry involved as the band either literally just names all the bands they can think of (especially on "NYC 1975," which lists the pre-KISS and pre-Blondie Wicked Lester and Stilletos, but leaves out the Fast...haven't they been reading Roctober?) or artlessly invoking all the juiciest  nastier moments of Gotham infamy (dead Nancy at the Chelsea, Valerie Solanas manifesto-ing, heroin jags with Burroughs). But you know what else wasn't nuanced? The CBGB's bathroom! And Jayne County's makeup! There's also a great Dictators cover ("New York New York"), but they really shoulda stretched a couple years and done "New York's Alright (If You Like Saxophones)."