Review #187: Last Rights - Chunks 7" (1984)

CHUNKS (Single)

Year: 1984

Genre: Hardcore Punk
Label: Taang! Records
Tracks: 2
Length: 4 Minutes
Style: Angry/Fun
My Rating: 6/8

Last Rights was a band from Boston, Massachusetts that lasted for about one show. Actually, they were a brief re-naming of the late Negative FX, whose songs of which I have only heard one, but I found out about this band because Dinosaur Jr. covered the song "Chunks" for one of their EPs they released in the late 1980s (which can also be found on the compilation album called 'Fossils'). The band's lyrics describe straight edge, unity, brotherhood, fighting to unite and all of that stuff. So now, let's take a brief peek into what was released by LAST RIGHTS in '84... until about two decades later when they released an album that had even more songs on it!

1. Chunks
The song starts out with some feedback, droning, and floaty lead guitar noises. Pretty soon, the song begins. It has a really crunchy, simple yet awesome guitar riff and a pounding drum beat like a punch in the face. The chorus riff is real awesome too, man! The lyrics describe a feeling of brotherhood amongst the hardcore community, as evidenced here: "we'll be together until we die!", and the singing is really tough/brutal-sounding here as well. And the lead singer had a moustache, I think. Now listen to that song again and think about his little moustache going up and down while singing.

2. So Ends Our Night
Unlike the previous song, this one's main riff has about eight chords, which is actually real cool! It's a tad bit faster than Chunks. It's about playing hard music at a show at night, being straight-edge, not drinking booze, and bein' wild... without the help of alcohol or drugs. SO ENDS OUR NIGHT! Apparently they like Coca-Cola a lot, also... so do I! YES! And guess what else? I like BOOZE, also! Actually, one time I mixed Coca-Cola with some bourbon whiskey, I think... it was about two years ago, though. After each chorus, the band hoots n' hollers and screams like a bunch o' wild aminals, man! It fuckin' rules.

Both songs here are pretty exciting to listen to, but it sucks they didn't last longer. I guess "So Ends Our Night" was specifically referring to that ONE concert that Last Rights played. Also, check out Dinosaur Jr.'s cover of "Chunks", it's really good, even if you don't like Dinosaur Jr., I think you might still enjoy this cover... Lou Barlow sings it. You won't be blowing "Chunks" all over your record player/keyboard. It's short, fun, rockin', got great riffs, fast, angry, but with just enough positivity, it's hardcore, man! So play these songs for all your friends, kiddiez. I'll try to review the full-length album by the band later.