Shitripper

"Shitripper could not have adapted a more appropriate title, as their high octane thrash inspired hardcore tore through the HiFi's collective orifice. Blasting out about thirty songs in their twenty minute set, the dual-vocaled group expertly unleashed pure anger without giving themselves, or the audience, a second to breathe. It was classic hardcore punk, where every song sounded exactly the same, and every strum, every beat and every scream riled up the monster inside. The two front men dripped with raw, vain-throbbing passion, while the rest of the band focused on maintaining control over the precision required when controlling a near unbridled beast. Shitripper’s mix was quieter than Exekute's, but still managed to come off as much more aggressive, and although a circle didn't open up during their set, the better part of the room enjoyed the tight-knit wall of ear bleeding sound" - loudmag.com.au

"SHITRIPPER keep things fast and ferocious, offering up a hefty slab of super tight, violent hardcore. The New Zealanders make the most of a dual-vocalist setup, with at least one singer in, on or all over the crowd at all times. A few dudes at the front know all the lyrics, and the crowd seem to handle a decent chunk of the vocals. It’s pretty excellent." - sfmedia.com.au

There's nothing wrong with some in your face, fuck off hardcore every now and then (or everyday if you're really in to it) in the vein of Minor Threat, Suicidal TRTendencies, Inside Out and the like. Shitripper is thrashy, loud, abrasive, loose and rugged - just as it should be. The attitude and playing is legit, not tracked to death separately like damn near all music is these days. I reckon the vocals could have been mixed a bit louder (because they're wicked) but all in all this is a killer album. - Rip It Up

With a name like Shitripper you know exactly what you’re going to get – unrelenting pissed-off punk rock. Channelling the likes of Discharge, Circle Jerks, Cursed and any number of power violence outfits the Auckland natives hit hard causing the first heavy-duty pits of the evening. No fuss, no egos and no bullshit – this is how punk rock is meant to be played. Do yourself a favour and get thee to Shitripper’s bandcamp and consume. - The muisc.com.au

With a name like Shitripper you know exactly what you’re going to get – unrelenting pissed-off punk rock. Channelling the likes of Discharge, Circle Jerks, Cursed and any number of power violence outfits the Auckland natives hit hard causing the first heavy-duty pits of the evening. No fuss, no egos and no bullshit – this is how punk rock is meant to be played. Do yourself a favour and get thee to Shitripper’s bandcamp and consume. - The muisc.com.au

There's something very traditionally punk about Shitripper’s latest release Brain Defect. The Auckland based six-piece band isn’t your average three-chord punk outfit though, with a hardcore edge and snappy raucous songs sure to keep you on your toes.

Bursting your eardrums in all the right places, Shitripper’s second album kicks off with Noise Solution and its straightforward message; turn the volume up! The short but sweet On/Off also pulls no punches and is worth cranking. With fantastic chord structures, the title track Brain Defect is a tight angst ridden beast of a song. There are so many great choices on this album that it’s hard to say if it’s the pick of the bunch. Clocking in at just 32 seconds is the self-explanatory Short Song’s A Good Song and playing to the bands strengths, Parasite with its effective timing changes also does the businesses nicely.

Then it’s time for a Che Guevara Energy Drink, which is all about rebranding revolution to make it more palatable for the masses. Traitor runs along similar lines of selling out to the establishment. Not to be outdone is Count Me Out, which sums up the mood of disaffected youth perfectly. Locking it down is Four Walls with expert bass flourishes and even a small guitar solo to set the scene.

If you weren’t already a fan, We’ve Come For Your Children is bound to convert you to the hardcore movement. Then, Spit Or Swallow effectively showcases the dual vocal talents of Justin and Simon. Take It Back starts off slower but soon picks it up to end in some expertly timed stabs and last but not least is Peter Pan Night Light, a perfect hardcore ending to a fantastic punk rock album.

Anti-establishment themes and a blistering pace throughout the thirteen-tracks cover all the thrashcore bases while musical depth and fantastic production will keep you coming back for more. However the music isn’t all you get with this release, it’s accompanied by an awesome twenty-page booklet of lyrics and artwork well worth checking out.

If you like your punk music fast and without compromise, Shitripper's latest release Brain Defect is the CD for you. - NZ Music.net

Shitripper, as their name suggests, are a hardcore punk band from Auckland that don’t mix words. ‘Brain Defect’ is a 13-track LP of sorts that comes in at a total of 13.4 minutes – so you can be sure you’re in it for a good time but not a long time. During that trip expect to hop aboard a roller coaster ride of anger, screaming, fast drums, fast guitars, angst, swearing, screaming and other concepts synonymous with passionately aggressive hardcore punk. Dual vocalists Justin Lee and Simon Oswald are tasked with conveying the particulars of the message. The different timbres of the screaming/yelling add depth to the sound and feel at times almost conversational, albeit at first listen you won’t always know what they’re talking about. Meanwhile, the rest of the band pummel out a lurching, beastly foundation of tight and uncompromising hardcore. The grooves change from super fast to in-the-pocket punk rock regularly, while the riffs are always, and without question, full of acid and feel like the aural equivalent of a knife fight. The title track stands out as this reviewer’s favourite for its groove and riffing, although it’s one of the longer tunes at 1.23. Ultimately, this is a quality offering for the genre and if you have even a passing interest in hardcore punk, Shitripper’s ‘Brain Defect’ is worth a look in. - NZ Musician

First of all, I'm not actually sure if this is Shitripper's fifth EP or their first album. The fact it has 13 tracks indicates the latter, but the total running time of under 14 minutes suggests the former. Whatever, the point that really matters is that this is as good as anything the band has done before, if not better.

The Aucklanders set their stall out immediately with the terrific lead track, "Noise Solution" that is tight, whirlwind-fast and enough shifts to keep from being one-dimensional. Not all of the songs on board manage this, but there are still plenty to like.

The track "Parasite" is another standout, with plenty of dynamic variations as it alternates sudden stops with tempo changes without ever sacrificing the pure accusatory viciousness of the song. Similarly, "Count Me Out" is a powerhouse of a track, punchy and aggressive.

Shitripper are quickly maturing from a fun, trashy act to one of the tightest, most ferocious bands in the country. Brain Defect is the clearest indication yet of that. A bristling, powerful release - regardless of whether it is actually an EP or album - Punkas.com

If the moshers that adorn the cover of their latest EP don't give it away, first song Raison D'etre will: Shitripper like things fast, loud and heavy.

The Auckland-based punk act only know one way forward - full throttle, and that's exactly what they deliver on this blistering nine-track EP, which clocks in at a barely believable 10 minutes.

That's thanks to short-and-sweet hardcore guitar assaults like We Will Be the Death of You and Rat Fight, led by the dual boy-girl vocals of the six-piece band's singers.

Their old-school attitude and lack of mainstream suitability might not appeal to everyone, but songs like For Ages 12+ sure sound exhilarating in a heckle-raising, fist-pumping kind of way, and achieve the band's ambition of honouring their underground heroes Circle Jerks and Minor Threat.

It's a shame Shitripper don't explore some of the ideas here more thoroughly, like the riff that runs through the mere 17 seconds of Head First, or the quickfire rants and slow-motion chug of Plastic Shit (which comes complete with a scathing environmental message).

But if you're not nodding your head by the end of last song New Way, you must be in a neck brace.

Stars: 3/5
Verdict: Short but sweet EP from aggressive local punk act - NZ Herald

Honest-to-bollocks hardcore occupies small spaces but howls big messages. Auckland six-piece Shitripper hurtle through 13 bursts of anger and dissent in their followup to last year's eponymous full-lengther - and if you'd think the total run time of a gnat's hiccup over 13 minutes means the lads haven't broken sweat, think again... the call-and-response double-headed vocals, machine-gun drum licks, chainsaw guitars and neck-snap basslines ensure an exhausting ride.

This is not dumb-f**k angst punk, rather anarchic politics for the attention deficient - tracks like Short Song's a Good Song set the soapbox agenda while Che Guevara Energy Drink and Count Me Out show the lads' contempt for mainstream, talkback radio types.

Traitor also spends its violent few seconds of thrash exploring the case of police informer Rob Gilchrist who infiltrated and spied on protest groups. Shitripper may have few friends - but they sure know who their enemies are. - stuff.co.nz