''Fuck World Trade'' is the second album by American
punk band Leftöver Crack
Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to Tankcrimes for CD releases, and Alternative Tentacles for vinyl releases. Leftöver Crack spans several di ...
, released in 2004 on the
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...
label
A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
.
The album continues the band's self-defined status as anti-racist, anti-
sexist
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primaril ...
,
anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and Political movement, movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. In this sense, anti-capitalists are those who wish to replace capitalism with another type of economi ...
, and
anarcho-communist
Anarcho-communism, also known as anarchist communism, (or, colloquially, ''ancom'' or ''ancomm'') is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private property but retains resp ...
. It also contains references to the fact that their first album was released the day of the
September 11th attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
. ''Fuck World Trade'', released through
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...
, displays a freer approach, both lyrically and musically, than the previous work of the band, featuring longer songs and guest appearances by
Anti-Flag
Anti-Flag is an American punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band is known for its left-wing political activism. Their current members include Justin Sane (vocals, guitar), Chris Head (guitar), Pat Thetic (drums), and Chris Ba ...
on "Via Sin Dios" as well as "circus-punks"
The World/Inferno Friendship Society
The World/Inferno Friendship Society (also referred to as World Inferno, or Inferno) was an American band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merged punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership featured horns, piano and guitar ...
on "Soon We'll Be Dead." Despite this, it maintains the distinctive "
squat-core" style members of
Leftöver Crack
Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to Tankcrimes for CD releases, and Alternative Tentacles for vinyl releases. Leftöver Crack spans several di ...
coined to describe their previous band
Choking Victim
Choking Victim was an American Punk rock, punk band formed in New York City, which lasted from 1992 to 1998. They played a mix of hardcore punk and ska (sometimes known as ska-core). Following the breakup of the band, which occurred the same day ...
: high-speed
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
mixed with
thrash
Thrash may refer to:
*Thrashing (computer science), where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work
*Thrash (surname)
*Thrash, mascot of the Atlanta Thrashers
*''Thrash Rally'', a top-down perspective rally racing video game ...
y
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and filled with rawly-screamed laments on and indictments of
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
, the
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
,
homelessness
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
,
drug addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...
, and
American culture
The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western, and European origin, yet its influences includes the cultures of Asian American, African American, Latin American, and Native American peoples and their cultures. The U ...
. The last track Operation M.O.V.E. is a
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
influenced track about a
1985 incident in Philadelphia where police dropped a bomb on the radical African American
MOVE organization, killing eleven MOVE members including five children. It also features a secret instrumental that brings the track length to over 10 minutes. The album was reissued by
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990.
The label has released mater ...
in 2015 with four previously unreleased tracks.
Critical reception
''Fuck World Trade'' has had mixed critical reviews. Punknews.org gave the album a highly positive review, saying that "''Fuck World Trade'' is here, and is incredible." Johnny Loftus, of
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying that while
Stza
Scott Sturgeon, also known as Stza Crack or simply Stza ( ; born March 4, 1976), is an American musician and artist who has fronted several ska-punk bands in the New York City area, the best known being Choking Victim and Leftöver Crack. The st ...
is "limited" as a vocalist, the album is still "provoking and nonconforming in double and triple amounts" and "real revolution rock."
Controversy
With the title of the album and its artwork, along with the lyrical content being highly offensive to some, the release of the album caused some controversy. The album was reportedly banned by
Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
,
Circuit City
Circuit City is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After m ...
,
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
, and
Music Land
''Music Land'' is a ''Silly Symphonies'' animated Disney short released in 1935.
Plot
The short begins by showing a map of Music Land, before zooming in to show the Land of Symphony, a massive classical-themed kingdom where the princess (an anth ...
, among other retailers well before its release date. However, the title of the album predates the World Trade Center attacks. The phrase "Fuck World Trade" was used in a song from the pre-Leftover Crack band
Choking Victim
Choking Victim was an American Punk rock, punk band formed in New York City, which lasted from 1992 to 1998. They played a mix of hardcore punk and ska (sometimes known as ska-core). Following the breakup of the band, which occurred the same day ...
's album ''
No Gods, No Managers
''No Gods / No Managers'' is the only studio album and final release by American hardcore punk band Choking Victim. The album was released in 1999 through Hellcat/Epitaph Records and re-released on LP format by Epitaph in 2004. Being the sole f ...
'' (released in 1999).
Track listing
References
{{Authority control
2004 albums
Leftöver Crack albums
Alternative Tentacles albums
Albums produced by Steve Albini