Blatant Dissent - Hold the Fat lp (198?, Glitterhouse Records)

Though DeKalb, IL's Blatant Dissent had a firm footing in classic US hardcore, it was the fabled “Chicago Sound” of the mid-to-late ‘80s that went a much longer in way in defining the band, at least on wax. BD took their cues in no small part from the most notorious purveyors of the Chi-town sound, Naked Raygun, but not without tossing in a plentiful dollop of sarcasm and irony. The result was admirable, but not the stuff of greatness.

Hold the Fat contains the brunt of Blatant Dissent’s meager output, with the rest of their discography consisting of just a couple of singles. In some circles, BD is mentioned in trivial context, as lead singer John Mohr went on to much greater success fronting Chicago powerhouse, Tar. Exponentially brusque, not to mention sonically concussive in comparison to BD, Tar went onto record several releases for Amphetamine Reptile and Touch and Go Records between the late-80s and ‘90s, and toured internationally.

I was unable to ascertain the exact year of release for Hold the Fat, but 1988 or 1989 is a safe bet, given the brief liner notes on the back of the LP mentioning it was recorded in 1986, and that BD called it a day by the spring ’88. None of their releases ever saw the light of day on CD.

01. Contemporary Hip
02. The Man in Black
03. Painted Women
04. How Can I Lose?
05. Status Quo
06. Eleven Days
07. The Beast
08. The Party
09. Overreaction
10. Is There a Fear?
11. Bandit
12. Undermine
13. My Hands Are Tied

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