Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Surf Nazis on Ecstasy are a thrash-punk trio who, despite their name, are neither beach bums nor fascists. And they definitely don't do raves. By their own word: "We're not artsy. We're not Nazis. We only play all-ages shows." It's an operational ethic that regularly brings them to crusty punk squats, suburban basements, and burned-out warehouses. This Saturday, the crew lands at Miami's d.i.y., all-ages venue Goo for an on-the-books show, with backup from local punks Eztorbo and Hellmass.
Already through the first half of an East Coast run hyping the imminent release of its new self-released EP, the Surf Nazis have mastered a sound that's the musical equivalent of madness, death, and disaster. Yet even so, these three dudes remain immune to the sort of stylistic limitations that knee-jerk critics often pin on thrash acts. Thanks to recently added strains of Sabbath, the Melvins, and Sunn O))), the trademark Surf Nazi style has become an uncanny and forever-mutating thing. It shifts on a razor's edge from no wave to sludge rock to hardcore, without ever sacrificing an ounce of aggression.
Sat., May 30, 8 p.m., 2009