N.O.T.A. – N.O.T.A. [LP] (1985, Rabid Cat Records)

 

N.O.T.A., which stands for None Of The Above, dropped their self-titled album in 1985 on Rabid Cat Records. They were a hardcore punk band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and this LP is one of those rare gems from the mid-’80s US punk scene. The record came out on vinyl and packed a punch with 19 fast, thrashy tracks that mix raw hardcore energy with some surprisingly catchy riffs. 

The band themselves were around from roughly 1979 to 1987, tearing it up with high-energy shows and a bunch of EPs before splitting up (they did have a brief reunion in the ’90s). Their style is classic hardcore -fast, aggressive, politically tinged- but the album also throws in some slower, more melodic bits here and there, which makes it stand out from other hardcore acts of that era. People who heard it back then, like reviewers in Maximum Rocknroll, called it “rockin’, thrashin’, imaginative, and catchy.” 

Original pressings of the album on Rabid Cat are pretty rare today, making it a collectible for hardcore punk vinyl hunters. Before and after this LP, N.O.T.A. also put out a few EPs like 'Moscow' (1984) on Unclean Records and 'Toy Soldiers' (1984) on Rabid Cat. They also recorded demos and released other stuff later, mostly on smaller labels. 

All in all, if you’re into hardcore punk from the ’80s, this album is a solid piece of underground history -fast, raw, and a little sneaky with its catchy hooks.

 

 

Label: Rabid Cat Records – RAB-NOTA-006 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: US 

Released: 1985 

Style: Hardcore Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Ultra Violent 1:37 

A2 Den Of Thieves 1:03 

A3 I Should Kill You 1:30 

A4 Reckless 1:26 

A5 Takin' Away Your Rights 1:21 

A6 On The Pavement 2:50 

A7 Keeping You Out 1:14 

A8 Sick Society 1:45 

A9 Frustration 2:43 

A10 Self Destruct 1:50 

B1 Police Front 1:35 

B2 War On Wankers 2:17 

B3 Nightstick Justice 2:10 

B4 Propaganda Control 1:45 

B5 Redneck Mentality 0:42 

B6 Identity Crisis 3:11 

B7 Drugs And Sex 1:38 

B8 Cut The Shit 1:52 

B9 Summer Of 82 2:27 

 

Notes: 

Track A9 written in 1979. 

Track B3 written in 1980. 

Tracks A4, A6, A8, A10 & B4 written in 1982. 

Tracks A2, A7, B5 & B7 written in 1983. 

Tracks A5, B2 & B6 written in 1984. Tracks A1, A3, B1, B8 & B9 written in 1985. 

 

Other Versions: 

'None Of The Above' (LP, Album) Bonecrusher Records [Bone 002] Germany, 1985 

'N.O.T.A.' (Cassette, Album) Rabid Cat Records [RAB-NOT-006] US, 1985 

'None Of The Above' (LP, Album, Limited Edition, White) Bonecrusher Records [Bone 002] Germany, 1985 

 

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