From Terminal Boredom (http://terminal-boredom.com/blog/):
Staags! "Adult Brigade" EP Staags are some elderly Memphis gents kicking some real shit to show the fucking kids what the fuck is up. I really liked the tape they sent in earleir in the year, but I really don't remember it being this fucking fast. You know what this fucking sounds more than a little like? When the Beastie Boys recorded that hardcore record, 'Aglio y Olio', remember that? It was a great little record. This has that same semi-sloppy and blown-out hardcore-punk vibe, with real prominent kinda fuzzy basslines, I swear they even steal part of the breakdown from "Nervous Assistant", but I'm totally okay with it. The one-two opening salvo ("Forfeited My Youth" and "Get Off My Lawn") on this thing is impossible to follow, but the "solo" on "batshit Crazy" does a really great job of trying. Retardedly good! When you listen to this with other people for the first time they look at you like "Are they really doing that?". Ballsy and hilarious. The B-Side isn't quite as good, but maintains the humorous yet deadly attack. This thing starts off so blazing though, I love it...fucking punk as hell. I play the shit out of the A-Side, it'll have garagers and hardcores both nodding their heads in unity...Scum stats: 100 on red vinyl with a button, maybe 500 total, with a bunch of neat inserts.(RK)
(Don't Hit Record Records // myspace.com/dhrrecords)
From Dale over at Smashin' Transistors (http://smashintransistors.blogspot.com/):
Usually when some band claims to be hardcore and/or thrash these days I'm usually a little apprehensive when it comes to giving them a listen. The reason is because it's usually just drop D tuned mook rock without any guitar solos.
"See, it has no guitar solos!" It's then explained to me that that's what makes it hardcore and not metal. Pfft. It's the moments like that where I swear that actual old guys are right and the kids today don't know shit.
I know there's at least one guy in the Staags! that grew up in hardcore's golden era of the mid 80's and even though he looks like he belongs in a band that opens for Ekoostik Hookah it seems that his pent up rage he harbors in the straight world is a lot of the inspiration and one of the driving forces of this 6 songs done almost in as many minutes slab.
The cover sleeve features a massacre in the workplace motif and there's an insert explaining what a project manager does. I had a CD-R copy of this record for a few months before it was officially released and used to crank it loud when I sitting in my little workplace cubicle on the weekends (and I had to work every weekend because a) I was the low man on the totem pole and b) I was the only one not related to the boss) and no one would bother me. They wouldn't even poke their nose in because I think they were afraid I might snap and didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. Whether it was totally identifying with "Forfeited My Youth" and "Dissatisfied", knowing exactly what they are getting at with the sentiments of "Get Off My Lawn" or snickering at "Bat Shit Crazy" (cuz I know the person who was the inspiration behind it...and she asked me "Is it a nice song?") I would waste my mindless day babysitting telephones and fax machines while mapping out the ultimate skatepark, looking forward to the beer I had chilling in my fridge that was waiting for me when I could clock out and go home and thinking "Man, this is the kinda stuff Pig Champion would rock out when he still weighed under 300 lbs." You know, real hardcore....with fucked up guitar solos and everything!!!
From Steve at the ever delectable 7 Inch Slam (http://7inchslam.blogspot.com/):
As for the Staags, this record threw me for a loop. You might know their bassplayer by his internet psuedonym Jack Stands and his stellar live recordings for all your Memphis and Gonerfest darlings. I checked out a few songs live when Rot Shit played with these gents down in Memphis at Murphy's in January and was duly impressed, but this record separates them from the pack with its pure hardcore sentiment. Sometimes live hardcore can have an off-night, but a 7" record is ALWAYS its truest test. Regardless of whatever hip jams may get you laid these days, raging hardcore punk was never on that Top Ten list, but I couldn't care less. The Staags attack, charging headlong into pounding 80's template rhythms which will always work as long as young, white men are mad about something, however ridiculous. This record carries my highest personal recommendation if you want to turn your brain off, drink ten beers, fight your friends, and pretend you're Matt Coppens for about seven minutes, and that's just long enough for me.
Cool cover art and simple basic hardcore pounding make this a winner, and the songs on their Myspace also show off some great catchy rock n' roll chops, so they are firing on all cylinders... check out "Noise Ordinance Rock"! Hopefully we get another EP in the pipeline, and I'd say the Staags could call it a day and be remembered fondly on Killed By Death: The Termbo Years (which Aaron Lefkove needs to get on comping RIGHT NOW, got it pretty boy?). That being said, I'd roadie for these guys.
First negative review c/o Dusted:
(http://dustedmagazine.com/)
Hey, another punk record with screaming vocals. Six songs of everybody else's. Gets by purely on aggression, which is always notable, but when this guy's voice cuts out, there's not a lot to celebrate here.