IFLTS: 'Gas Chamber,' Angry Samoans

Posted on May 8th 2007 2:00PM by Taylor Brigode
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'Gas Chamber,' Angry Samoans
From 1982's 'Back From Samoa'

Listening to the Angry Samoans' first record -- 1980's 'Inside My Brain' EP -- can only be described as 20 minutes of your life you will never regain. Despite oozing with middle finger goodness, it's their next effort, 1982's 'Back From Samoa,' that I find myself itching for most frequently. It's got faster tempos, more obscene lyrics than you can shake a stick at and as fast a fuzzfest of guitars as you could ask for. Their signature double-time-and-then-some sound was devised to keep the suburban punk chitlin-circuit crowds occupied during gigs, beating each other senseless instead of the band.

The standout track for me, perhaps in the entire A.S. repertoire, has to be 'Gas Chamber' -- one minute of wailing guitars, thrashing drums, full-tilt boogie, rock 'n' roll at its rockin-est. Mike lays it all out, pleading his case over the song's epic 60 seconds: "Gas chamber/not tonight/stay at home/just don't feel right." What teenage jerk couldn't sink their troubled teeth into that one? Take a listen if you haven't heard this fine piece of noise and if it's been a while, perhaps it's time to break out the old skateboard and go f**k up the neighbor's pool.

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