Circle the Wagons- "Forbidden to Eat Worms"
(Black Banana Records)

Everyone knows of the Metallica Overstays Their Welcome complex. It's like the last guy to leave the party who doesn't realize he's simply not wanted there anymore. In fact, everyone else has gone to bed and he's sitting there on an extended soliloquy with a wah-pedal.

Circle the Wagons, from the hippie commune town of Nelson, British Columbia (that's Canada, you geographically deficient twit!), are the antithesis of that sort of band. This trio of Internationally Renowned Sex Symbols (With Musical Instruments) has been tearing up clubs and leaving bits of destruction wherever they go, all accomplished in perfectly short periods of time. These guys will crash your party, bust up your GI Joe collection, drink your booze, fondle your hot sister and key the Land Rover in your driveway, all before you can finish your first beer. You simply have to respect that sort of brevity and focus.

Now I have heard rumors that music reviews should actually discuss the music rather than conjure up elaborate analogies that tend to show off one's university level English courses. Circle the Wagons takes on the dirtiness of Motorhead, the speed rush of the Dwarves, the heaviness of Queensryche (just kidding on that one) and condenses it down to face-punching intensity. Their music always sounds like it's on the edge of coming completely unhinged, yet manages to retain the thread. Forbidden to Eat Worms perfectly captures this band's sound in a very short onslaught.

You have been warned. Circle the Wagons is coming to your town and they're going to tussle your hair. Oh, and plunder. Can't forget the plundering.

- John Chedsey (Satan Stole My Teddybear) www.ssmt-reviews.com

Circle the Wagons- "Forbidden to Eat Worms"
(Black Banana Records)

Seventeen-and-a-half minutes of guitar thrashing glory. Circle the Wagons, with their fast chord shellacking and overall lack of vocal coherency, offer all the nostalgia of the hard-core punk of yesteryear. The band claims a heavy Black Sabbath influence while paying homage to the characteristic sounds of early '80s metal and punk, the last track on the album being a live cover of early '80s punk band Personality Crisis "Twighlights last Gleaming". Rippin' tracks like "The Honkey Problem" and the album's tital track offer up some wicked guitar solos, accomanied by double drum kicks and abrupt tempo changes. The album also includes a minute long track of nothing but licked guitars and powerhouse drumming. Slap a Black Flag sticker on your Cadillac, kids: according to Circle the Wagons "Chopper May be Dead" but punk sure as hell ain't.
- Amanda Williams (BeatRoute Magazine, Calgary Ab)

Circle the Wagons- "Forbidden to Eat Worms"
(Black Banana Records)

Nelson thrash stars Circle the Wagons are finally back with their first full length album. Keeping things concise (9 songs in under 18 minutes) this CD has more killer riffs and guitar-god solos than most albums two or three times as long. It kicks off with "Cowards Drop Bombs", a blistering metallic punk song that is probably the band's finest moment, with break-neck riffs and precise drumming. "The Honky Problem" goes a bit more rock'n'roll, showcasing their southern rock influences and features several solos that will undoubtedly have you reaching for the nearest tennis racket pretending you can play guitar like Mike. "Circle the Wagons Cut Off My Toe and Sent It to My Parents" and "Chopper May Be Dead" are two other standout tracks. Rumour has it the band remixed and remastered the songs, giving the album near perfect production, then decided to stick with this rawer, grittier mix. That's just how they should sound, though, and is an accurate depiction of how the band sounds live. Paddy's bass has such a distorted tone it almost sounds like a second guitar. Mikey Maggot has achieved the perfect guitar sound. While most other bands of this genre opt for squealy high end bullshit, Mike's midrange thrash tone dissolves the skull and heads straight for the Amygdala, severely inhibiting your ability to control social and sexual functions, forcing you to succumb to the rock and the roll. Chrislite Deluxe's skilled skin-bashing is uber-speedy but always in control. If you don't buy this album you are dead to me.

- Jordan Dunsmuir (Universal Choking Sign)

Circle the Wagons- "Forbidden to Eat Worms"
(Black Banana Records)

X-mas came early this year, in the form of circle the wagon c.d's, which absolutely rip!!!!!!! this is the best hardcore i've heard in 10+ years no shit!!!!! Wagons should headline main stage at shambles!!!! that shit is ferocious!!

- Vinyl Ritchie

Married to Music- "Miracles" EP (Black Banana Records)
Vancouver's Married to Music (or M2M as I like to call them- everybody start referring to them as M2M until it catches on and the band gets pissed off at such a horrible abbreviation) are back this year with two new releases- their new full length on Rake Records and this 7 inch platter of hyper, speed rock greatness. M2M's sound is kinda hard to pigeonhole (another term everyone should use). They're close to being a punk band but they ain't quite there. The music is basic and catchy as hell though, no matter how you'd categorize them. These four songs are taken from four different sessions, between 2001 and 2004. There are two versions of the title track (one studio and one live version recorded on radio). "Glory Days" is standard M2M fare, and "The Mayor" is an awesome fast paced instrumental. Don't be misled by their terrible name- M2M are one of the more exciting bands in the Canadian underground and their first vinyl release confirms this, even if their sound is hard to pigeonhole.

- Jordan Dunsmuir (Universal Choking Sign)

The title alone is a good way to describe this disc from Nelson, B.C.'s CTW. Featuring Mike Maggot (guitar & vox) from BC/DC and Paddy Duddy (bass & lead vox) formerly of Maple Ridge's Rusty Nails, plus a couple of people I don't recognize, We're Not Old School... is a kickass 5 song EP of in-your-face hardcore punk with touches of crossover thrash and small traces of country and blues riffs. Distorted bass, awesome double kick drumming with vox that remind me of a less death metalish version of the singer from Repulsion (an OLD grind/death band from the mid to late eighties), CTW are as the say, "not old school.... just old" One track, "Beaten To Death In Prison" is a wicked song which CTW wrote the music for but the lyrics were written by Section 46, an OLD hardcore band from Victoria. This CD is well produced and has a slick glossy black and white cover, as well as an extra track of a live Joy Division cover I can't remember the name of the cover, it's not listed on the disc, and in my old age, I have a bit of trouble remembering song titles.

Stefan Nevatie - The Nerve Magazine

Check out some online reviews of the
Circle the Wagons live show...

The Lethbridge Insider
Satan Stole My Teddybear
Spot Magazine (Not a very nice one, good thing you can't read Dutch)