Anti-Cimex Archive

Here is a flyer for what must have been one of the greatest gigs of 1986, at Birkagården, with Anti-Cimex, Mob 47, Agoni, and Disarm. Just pause and savor that line-up for a moment. Mob 47 were blazingly fast then; recordings from around this time appear on their 2xCD, reviewed elsewhere on this site. Disarm may have been somewhat less great than earlier in their career but probably still awesome. The short-lived Agoni were likely at their peak, before shifting directions and becoming a metal band. And Anti-Cimex in 1986 were brutal, drunk, and in the process of inventing metallic käng, which would become a dominant style of Swedish hardcore in the ensuing years. 

Yet another test pressing post... As much as test pressings bore me, as I've mentioned, there is something to be said for collecting test pressings from the era when they were strictly utilitarian, before they were collectibles unto themselves. So: here's a photo of the test pressing of "Anarkist Attack," sent to me by a reader, Robin Wiberg. The story is that only 5 of these were made way back in 1982. I distinctly remember one of them auctioned on eBay quite a few years ago (I'd guess around 2001), which was won by a collector in California who specializes in test pressings.

Yet another Anti-Cimex test pressing from the vaults of Mats B. was auctioned on eBay. For punks of a certain generation (ie, mine), the Distortion Records reissue of the 2nd and 3rd Anti-Cimex EPs on a single 12", around the same time as the 12" version of the Shitlickers EP/unreleased EP, was more-or-less life-altering. I may be exaggerating somewhat, but for many of us, these releases were the first opportunity to absorb these legendary records. Although I do specifically remember the first time I heard Discharge (and, admittedly, I recall thinking "What's the big deal?"), I can't say I remember the first time I heard Anti-Cimex. But the odd, red-brick-colored vinyl of this release nevertheless became a prized possession, and even though it wasn't long until I had begun my pathological search for all pressing variations of the two original EPs, this particular reissue holds a special place in my heart. But not special enough for me to shell out $72 for a test pressing of it—the winning bid on this auction.

I previously posted about a gig in Naantali, Finland, where Anti-Cimex played with Vaurio (October 6, 1984). I had reported that this gig was the only one the band played in Finland in the early years. But I seem to have forgotten that this other poster was in my files. It lists two other gigs: one on the 5th in Turku and one on the 7th in Saari (I think), near the aptly named Punkaharju. Does anyone remember these gigs? Totally killer line-up here: Crude SS, Varaus, and Bedrövlerz, among others. The depressive brutality of these bands' take on hardcore combined with gallons of Finnish homebrew makes me think the punks must've experienced legendary hangovers when, or if, they ever sobered up. Hey, while we're at it: is it true Bedrövlerz recorded a cassette after their split with Asocial?

Collecting test pressings is boring. Collecting test pressings of great bands' later records (even if still great) is soporific. But someone whose portfolio hasn't been affected by the economic crisis shelled out $133.50 to be the proud owner of one of the five test pressings of the "Absolut" LP by Anti-Cimex. No metal, no funk, no death, just a lot of cash. The main selling points were that the previous owner was one Mats B. and it includes some weird insert/t-shirt order form. Watching what Mats has been unloading on eBay over the past couple months has been quite interesting, but I have yet to be blown away. Here's hoping he trots out something beyond giga-bonzer status soon (ahem...Shitlickers rehearsal tape...ahem).

In opposition to the top-down, hierarchical model of infotainment peddled to the masses by Shit-Fi, here are some crowd-sourced scans of interviews with Anti-Cimex. Turns out this interview in Sub #7 was later published in Sika Äpärä #2. I had intended to post these myself, as the Leader (etc), but now there's no need. Thanks to Tony for not insulting my laziness in his post. Thanks also to whoever sold that issue of Sub to me way back when. If only I instead had bought a time machine on eBay, I would've known that eventually it would turn up on teh internetz courtesy of a real punx. Other uses for time machine: sniffing glue at an Anti-Cimex gig in 1982, convincing Anti-Cimex to break up in 1984 after "VOAB", stealing master tape of Shitlickers 7" and pressing it as a 4xLP. The idioty. The idioty.

Tomas Jonsson, singer of Anti-Cimex, penned a brief autobiography of the band in the Raped Ass fanzine, which accompanied the first volume of the cassette compilation of the same name, which he and a member of Tatuerade Snutkukar released. Interestingly, Anti-Cimex did not appear on this cassette (or on the second volume). You can view the fanzine here. The Cimex piece is on the second, third, and fourth pages. Note the great photos of the band.

Here's a small ad for "Victims of a Bombraid" that appeared in Fight Back zine from England, put out by a member of No Brain Cells and Deformed (and later Cress). Killer artwork. It's alongside reviews of Raw Power's demo, Electric Deads "Mind Bomb" EP, a story about RIP from Spain, etc. The golden age of European hc, indeed.

Courtesy of: Clint Chapman.

Here is one of several ads for Anti-Cimex Records, run by Mats Bodenmalm, that appeared in fanzines circa 1984. This one was printed in the April/May 1984 issue of Maximum Rocknroll, the "Does Punk Suck?" issue. (You can read more about this label/distribution here and here, in previous posts.) The ad predates the planned release of the third Cimex EP, in March 1984, even though it was printed in the issue dated April/May. Most interestingly, the planned title of the third EP was "Set Me Free," as you can see below. "Victims of a Bombraid," the first track on the second side, rather than the second ("Set Me Free") is a much more memorable title for the EP. I believe one explanation of the enduring legacy of this band is the vicious and bleak aura of the titles of their three 80s EPs (Anarkist Attack, Raped Ass, and Victims of a Bombraid). They have become iconic, and in the pre-internet era, I know many of my punk friends knew these titles long before we heard the actual records. Along with Shitlickers' "Cracked Cop Skulls," these records certainly lived up to the promise of their titles.

Here's a tour poster from the 1986 Anti-Cimex / Agoni tour of the UK. It's in the classic style of tour posters sent to promoters for them to fill in the local details. Funny (meaning "not so funny") that this simple device is probably going the way of the dodo due to the Internet. Perhaps unsurprisingly it seems Anti-Cimex were fans of horror films.