The Sonics – Here Are The Sonics!!!

The Sonics’ debut album, Here Are The Sonics!!!, released in 1965, is a raw, explosive statement that helped lay the groundwork for garage rock and punk. Coming out of Tacoma, Washington, the band’s sound was aggressive, unpolished, and full of swagger. With wild vocals from Gerry Roslie, fuzz-drenched guitar from Larry Parypa, and blasting saxophone from Rob Lind, the album tears through originals like “The Witch,” “Psycho,” and “Strychnine,” as well as hyper-charged covers of early rock and R&B tracks. Recorded with a deliberately primitive feel, the energy and intensity of the performances leap out of the speakers.

The album’s no-frills production and rebellious tone made it an outlier in the more polished pop landscape of the mid-1960s, but its influence would grow steadily over the decades. Here Are The Sonics!!! is often credited as a blueprint for punk, inspiring future generations with its brutal directness and relentless energy. It remains a cult favorite and a cornerstone of garage rock history.

Reviews

"Here Are The Sonics!!! is just about as important a debut album as anybody could expect there to be."

"The Sonics' frenetic pace and enthusiastic delivery set the tone for the garage rock movement that would follow."

"The Sonics managed to put their musical paws on them, creating an absolute punk reference to be held obligatorily in their discography."

"It's one of the few that can hold its own against later V/A comps like Nuggets."

"The Sonics rip through some of the standards of the early rock canon here... like Spinal Tap, their amps are eternally cranked to 11."