KRIMINELLA GITARRER – “SILVIAS UNGE / HITLERS BARN”

I think it’s high time for anyone who’s yet to hear the early 45s from Swedish late 70s punk heroes KRIMINELLA GITARRER to get their heads expanded. I’m going to do my part by posting a couple of them, starting with their second single from 1978 – “Silvias Unge / Hitlers Barn”. I think Sweden produced some incredible, raw and experimental punk from this era, none better than this particular band. Here are a few words I wrote about them in 2006 in the course of reviewing a compilation LP….

“…First got a load of the wild, raw/fuzzed early Swedish punk band KRIMINELLA GITARRER when I mailed off the first MONOSHOCK 45, which I was fortunate enough to have been allowed to release in 1994, to Tom Lax of Siltbreeze Records. I can't remember whom he paired the x with in "Monoshock sound like a cross between x & y", maybe it was Chrome or Hawkwind or the Lemon Pipers, but I do know the y was Kriminella Gitarrer. I said "tell me more, o wise one". He told. Right around that time the band's 1977-78 tracks began showing up on collector scum punk comps, most notably those excellent "Bloodstains Across Sweden" records, and I quickly added them to my internal pantheon of the most fire-breathing, raw, devour-you-alive punk bands of all time. I resolved to tell others the news. I played KG for the Monoshock guys and they couldn't see the resemblance, but what are you gonna do, right?

Kriminella Gitarrer released three 45s that are so over-the-moon killer & slashing, you'd have to be a Mountain Goats fan to stay away -- of course I'm talking about the records with the immortal "Silvias Unge" (whoa!), "Vardad Kladsel (wow!), and my favorite, an easy candidate for Top 40 punk songs of all time, "36 Patroner". Two, the guitar on these is like a rubber band rocketing off its hinges directly to your exposed eye -- totally wobbly & weird, but run through acres of distortion pedals so the cumulative effect is muy dense, and still incredibly fast & propulsive……”

Play Kriminella Gitarrer, “Silvias Unge”

Download KRIMINELLA GITARRER – “Silvias Unge” (A-side)
Download KRIMINELLA GITARRER – “Hitlers Barn” (B-side)