Been a fan of these cats since the first time I saw them at a “Dollar Night” show at the Cathay de Grande in Hollywood—a gig that also served both as my first non-backyard punk gig and the first time I ever graced a stage as a musician with my first full, semi-functional band, Six Gun Justice—right around the time these demos were recorded. They stood out on a bill with a few memorable bands, with that California-meets-Britain sonic melding that they’ve honed into their signature sound over numerous decades and releases since. These recordings are of the band in their formative prime, with some early versions of songs—“Real Horror Show,” “I’m a Monster,” and “Sex & Violence,” “Calling Out,”—that would find homes on their first two records, as well as a number that didn’t make it past these demos, like the flat-out smokin’ “Tell the Truth,” which alone is worth the price of purchase here. As they’ve done so many times before, Hostage has pulled from the ether some primo tunes from a band much beloved, and sweetens the deal with colored vinyl, an insert with lyrics, and liner notes for each tune. –Jimmy Alvarado (Hostage)