The "S.S." Must Stand for Super-Shred!

Yeah, it's another left-wing band that punctuates its name with that super ironic "SS." It was probably the unoriginality of the band's name that led me to dismiss them as just a cut-rate, aborted branch-off of .NEMA and Ottawa, and thus ignored their EP for years. BIG mistake in hindsight, as I now find that it's an AWESOME EP (in every sense of that word), and may surpass everything .NEMA or Ottawa put out in both power and quality! Dearborn SS did indeed feature Matt Weeks (of Current, Ottawa, .NEMA, Calvary, Council Records notoriety), and a cast of Michigan-based musicians that may have appeared in some of those bands as well. The sound on these seven tracks is hypothetically akin to what you'd get if you spliced the crisp, hard, fast drumming of Disrupt with the slight dissonance of more "modern" bands like Devoid of Faith. Each track is a whirlwind of energy, and before any of them gets too repetitive, the songwriting provides some turn or other to keep the jam from losing its intense momentum. To round this great little disc out, the male/female trade-off vocals are more compelling than many bands of this ilk (for me, at least), mainly because Kim's vocals are so reminiscent of Pink Turds in Space's and/or Detestation's (always a plus!). This EP is a raging piece of modern quasi-Scandi-thrash that could lead to a wide array of hardcore freaks slamming against walls or running naked in the streets (no guarantees, but I'm fairly confident).

Ultra-Nerdy Info:
The DSS EP was released in a single pressing of 1500 by Council Records and Lengua Armada Discos in 2000. 60 of those pieces were released in a "German only" edition, under the title THE DEARBORNSS, with all references to "S.S." removed (or at least "subtly" integrated). Based on the insert, it seems the band name was inspired by the band's disgust over Henry Ford's collusion with Nazi Germany before and during The War.

DSS EP (mediafire)

DSS EP (4 Shared)

.NEMA/Warfare State Split 7"

Another somewhat forgotten split, the NEMA/Warfare State ep was released in 1996 jointly by Schwarma and Hardcore Noisies Records (quantity is unknown). Many out there probably know NEMA because of their LP "Bring Our Curses Home," and from their members' previous involvement in Hobbit-grinding outfit, Ottawa (as well as Current). The band offers two great, albeit noisy, thrash/grind conniptions, and one slower, chunky track that completely rules! I kind of wish the production was better, but in a way that would perhaps ruin the overall effect. NEMA were accused of posturing and other counts of pretentiousness, but those tidbits of gossip may have been a result of scene politics or the band being misunderstood. I don't care too much, as their music definitely delivers. NEMA shares the spotlight here with Canadian crust-thrashers, Warfare State, who may not have released anything else prior to break-up. The lack of production really hurts the impact of the band's three tracks, which are an otherwise caustic blend of crossover thrash, d-beat crust, and black metal vocals. Members of Warfare State would go on to form Born Dead Icons and Countdown to Oblivion.

The Split