Review #91: Deep Wound - Deep Wound (EP) (1983)

DEEP WOUND (EP)

Year: 1983

Genre: Punk Rock
Sub-Genres: Hardcore
Label: Radiobeat Records
Tracks: 9
Length: 9 Minutes (Short)
Style: Angry
My Rating: 6/8

I'd heard of these guys for awhile before actually listening to them -- being a big fan of Dinosaur Jr. already, I would hear the name tossed around here and there. Hell, in the music video for their cover of "Just Like Heaven" (best cover ever), there's a muppet wearing a Deep Wound shirt... pretty good taste! However, just because you like Dinosaur Jr. doesn't guarantee you'll love Deep Wound too... there are huge differences. Deep Wound is vicious, furious, and faster than fuck (that's pretty fast)!

The band was formed in 1982 by high school friends Charlie Nakijama (vocals), Scott Helland (bass guitar), and Lou Barlow (regular guitar). The band met J Mascis (later of Dinosaur Jr. fame!) when he responded to a notice the band had posted which apparently said something like "LOOKING FOR A DRUMMER TO PLAY REALLY FAST"... well, J didn't let down on that one. This little 7" wonder is one of the fastest hardcore records I've heard in my life. This is a band with balls, people! To be able to play songs this fast for even a minute... well, time to talk about ze music, nauw. But in the fashion of our deeply wounded heroes, I'm going to describe each song really fast and short, only talking about the parts that matter. Hell, I'm wasting time right now!

1. I Saw It
One of the "slow" songs on the 7" (would be considered fast on anything else). About fearmongering on the news.

2. Sisters
Really fast. Pretty much about what my sister will be like in a year or two.

3. In My Room
Also really fast. Slow part in the middle. Couldn't find lyrics.

4. Don't Need
FAST!! Critical of co-dependancy.

5. Lou's Anxiety Song
It's about the inability to distinguish right from wrong ideas in our society. Side 1 Ends.

6. Video Prick
The catchiest one. Also longest. It's about pedophiles.

7. Sick of Fun
It's about burnout and dissatisfaction. Really fucking fast. Best use of screaming in a song ever.

8. Deep Wound
It's about society leaving people with few real choices in life; trying to heal the "Deep Wound" that's permeated our culture.

9. Dead Babies
The slowest song. It's continuing upon the general theme of the underlying emptiness of American society. The vocals are more spoken than yelled/screamed here... the general melody is softer.

As made clear by most of the lyrics of these songs (they're actually very good and poetic despite the fact that you can barely understand them in the recordings), Deep Wound represents the disenchantment and angst of middle class American youth... during the '80s, or during today (probably moreso), these songs hold sentiments that we all share. Deep Wound broke up in 1984, but at least they left behind something great to be remembered by in the process! While Charlie Nakijama and Scott Helland remained very much unknown to many after this, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer J Mascis would go on to find much success in the future -- actually, they did attempt to form another band with Charlie in 1984, but he kept screaming "FUCK THE COPS" during their only performance much to the rest of the band's dismay, so they kicked him out and decided to form a band named "Dinosaur" (later to be called Dinosaur Jr.). In 2004, there was a one-off reunion of Deep Wound, featuring all of the members of the old lineup now as adults in their 40's, performing the song "Video Prick" when nobody expected them to! Give Deep Wound a listen (or five) if you love fast, erratic hardcore punk!












Top 3 Favorites:
1. Sick of Fun
2. Video Prick
3. Don't Need