FortBS were a Polish punk band who recorded and illegally released this material in 1986 in their country on tape. I think this may be the first time these songs are on vinyl. Something that’s interesting about this record is how each side of the record has a different style. The A side is more along the lines of dark wave, but definitely not typical of the style. The songs have a dreary and morose tone which takes over the room. The saxophone is haunting—it comes in and out—making the sound colder and darker. The instrumental “Monuments” is fantastic. Despite the warm tone from the bass, the sax and guitar keep everything cold and gray, even with the constantly building tempo. Great song, from the way it starts to the way it ends. The B side is solidly planted in punk rock. These songs sound heavily influenced by the UK Subs—and similar English bands from that era—but FortBS keep the sound raw and minimal, creating their own sound. It’s mainly mid-tempo, tuneful, and all around good. “Trojka” is epic! It’s as though King Crimson went punk on this song! The accordion, or maybe organ, generates the main riff, while everything else comes in and creates this galloping tempo with dynamic breaks. Definitely one of my favorite records I’ve reviewed for this issue.