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Various: Hell Comes to Your House LP (originally Bemisbrain Records, 1981; this edition Riot State Records, 1982)
Since I’ve been reading Welly Artcore’s new book Nefarious Artists, I’ve been spending a lot of time with compilations. As I noted in my write-up on the book, I’ve added a ton of compilations to my want list, and I’ve also been revisiting my favorite compilations in my collection. And, as happens when I spend time in one part of my collection, I’ve noticed gaps and started filling them. Luckily comps don’t tend to be very expensive, and when I dropped by Radiation Records in Anaheim while I was in LA last weekend, there were plenty of comps I needed in their bins. I’m sure I’ll write about some others in the future, but today I’m focusing on Hell Comes to Your House, the 1981 compilation on Bemisbrain Records (though my copy is a 1982 UK repress on Riot State Records).
When I read Welly’s write-up on Hell Comes to Your House it made me want to listen to it, but when I went through my comp section, I couldn’t find it. It’s funny how that happens... there are so many records I could swear I have, but when I go to play them, they aren’t there. But after spending some time with it this week, it seems entirely possible that I never actually owned it, as I’m not that familiar with any of the material. I knew what was on it—exclusive tracks from the early SoCal punk scene, with several bands leaning toward the emerging death rock sound—but this album isn’t baked into my bones how American Youth Report or Party or Go Home or Welcome to 1984 are.
A couple of things really distinguish Hell Comes to Your House as far as early American punk/hardcore comps go. The first is that it’s quite early. Originally released in 1981, the comp featured very early material from Social Distortion, Red Cross (though my 2nd pressing copy sadly omits their track), Legal Weapon, 45 Grave, Christian Death, and Super Heroines. The first four bands released their earliest stand-alone records in 1981, and while I’m not sure if Hell Comes to Your House came earlier than those records, if it was later, it was only by months. Rhino 39 and Modern Warfare were the veteran bands on the compilation, having released their first singles in 1979 and 1980 respectively, though 100 Flowers also qualify as scene elders, having only recently changed their name from the Urinals. While there are some sprightly tempos on the record, Hell Comes to Your House captures a moment just as hardcore was coalescing as a style, with all the bands having one foot still firmly in punk. Social Distortion and Legal Weapon tilt toward the more melodic, song-oriented side of that equation while Modern Warfare, Outer Circle, and 100 Flowers lean more experimental / post-punk.
The other important thing to know about Hell Comes to Your House is that nearly all the material here is exclusive. Social Distortion’s “Lude Boy” wasn’t even comped on their collection of early material Mainliner: Wreckage from the Past, though “Telling Them” got re-recorded for Mommy’s Little Monster. I think Legal Weapon’s song is a different take than the version on Death of Innocence, and the 45 Grave tracks are also exclusive, earlier (and superior, I think) versions of “Evil” and “45 Grave” from their first LP, with “Concerned Citizen” exclusive to this record. Christian Death re-recorded “Dogs” way down the road on their 1984 LP Deathwish, but this is the version you want. And Super Heroines sound like a completely different band to their first LP, much more aggressive and basically hardcore on their two tracks. If you’re a big fan of those bands, you’ll want Hell Comes to Your House for the exclusive tracks, but the sound here is similar enough from band to band that if you like one band, you’ll probably like almost all of them.
Indeed, Hell Comes to Your House is a solid listen all the way through. A lot of times with comps—particularly ones like this with exclusive material—the quality and style can vary from track to track. Often established bands bring their b-material, and sometimes the lesser-known bands blow their wad on their one shot at the big leagues. The playing field for Hell Comes to Your House, though, is pretty level. A year or two later, getting exclusive tracks from Social Distortion, Christian Death, and 45 Grave would have been a coup, but this comp catches them so early in their careers that their fame hasn’t leaped ahead of the lesser known groups. The consistent recording quality (cheap but competent, like so many of my favorite early SoCal records) also helps tie things together and ensure a consistent listening experience.
After doing some research, I might need to get a Bemisbrain copy in my collection besides this UK pressing because, while most of the track listing is the same, there are some differences. As I mentioned, Red Cross doesn’t appear on my pressing, and Modern Warfare’s two songs on the Bemisbrain pressing are swapped out here for a completely different third track. A totally new band, Outer Circle, is added to the UK track listing, and I like their song “Blind Venetians” a lot, an artier synth-punk track that reminds me of Nervous Gender. A quick look tells me this track comes from their 1982 12" EP on Bemisbrain, so I’ll have to check that out and see if the whole EP is as good as this song.
So there you go. I think anyone deeply into early SoCal punk and hardcore should enjoy this LP. Like a lot of compilations, the original pressing isn’t nearly as expensive as these bands’ contemporaneous stand-alone releases, but it might be tough to find as, barring a hard to find 1997 repress on Time Bomb Records, it hasn’t been in print since 1985. If you come across Hell Comes to Your House, though, it’s well worth a grip.