Odds and Ends

Personnel: Kory Clarke (vocals, drums); John Ricco, X-Factor (guitar); Mark Evans (drums).
Photographers: Elisa Casas; Warrior Soul.
Upon reading the liner notes that accompany this collection of Warrior Soul's unused demos and outtakes, one is struck by the severe bitterness of their author, bandleader Kory Clarke. An unrelenting political activist, Clarke was a true punk at heart whose gravest mistake was positioning his band within the reigning heavy metal fashion trends of the early '90s, rather than pursuing the destructive post-punk ethos closer to his heart. A prolific songwriter (as proven by this extensive collection), Clarke was equally capable of gripping social commentary ("Last Decade, Dead Century," "American") and pointless utopian ramblings ("5 Ways to the Gutter" and the two hidden tracks at album's end). Some of which may have seemed revolutionary when written but now sound like Bart Simpson waxing philosophical. The quality of the material contained herein varies wildly, but for every two or three throwaway tracks, Warrior Soul still offers a semi-compelling nugget like "NYC Girl" or "Turn On." These are outtakes after all. For fanatics only. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia