New Audio Reviews	New Video Reviews	Paniscus Revue #11

Welcome once more to the new(er) and continuously improving PANISCUS REVUE Updates site - still sharper, cleaner, in alphabetical order, and, in short, simply better than the crammed table format of before. (Keep in mind that this effort is completely independently funded, keeping Paniscus Revue ad-free and meaning that it is not supported by grants or any other form of handout. Which kind of sucks; hey, send me some money!) The following pages (linked at top of page) contain New Print Reviews, while the New Audio Reviews and New Video Reviews pages nearby (linked above and below) are also being updated as regularly as possible. (New Pork Rind Reviews can be found below.) For other not-too-distant reviews from the previous issue of Paniscus Reuve, hit the Paniscus Revue #11 link. That site will serve as 'the archives' for now, what with the death of www.paniscusrevue.com. But perhaps best of all,  you can still watch the mystical Golden Shower Monkey ("Watch Me Now!" just below; highly recommended). Thanks much for your patience and support, and now please enjoy. Cheers! Watch Me Now!

	SITE LAST UPDATED :       June 3, 2007 – New Reviews: Audio: 404 Not Found, Decomposed, Fish Karma, Hammerlock, The Heads, Humanasaur, Iron Bitchface, MZ.412, Northern Liberties, Rome, The Socially Retarded, Syzslak Video: Doomed Nation #2 Print: Betty Paginated #30, Brain Food #13, Cinema Sewer # 15-19, INSIDE Artzine #11, No Hope #4, Sleazy Slice #1 Pork Rinds: Carmen’s Original, Carmen’s Hot & Spicy (this page) May 13, 2007 – New Reviews (More to come – stay tuned.): Audio: Abiku, Country Teasers, Drew Weaver & the Alvarados, los Alvarados featuring Drew Weaver, Returner, Sioux City Pete and the Beggars, Twentyagon Video: Un Chant d’Amour, Suburban Secrets Print: The Hungover Gourmet #10, The John Project, NDHL January 14, 2007 – New Reviews (And about fucking time too; between overtime on the job and my half-assed ISP I thought I was going to have to shut this puppy down. Oh yeah, I deleted a bunch of shit too.): Audio: Atrium Carceri, Beyond Sensory Experience, The Boils, Brighter Death Now, Decadence, Desiderii Marginus, Dick Panthers, Fckn’ Bstrds, I Object, The Itch, Jello Biafra & the Melvins, Jukebox Zeros, The Knights of the New Crusade, The Protagonist, Raison D’etre, Rancid Vat, Sephiroth, Skin Area, Stormfagel, Tommy & the Terrors Video: American Bar, Bizarre Lust of a Sexual Deviant, Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf, Cinderella 2000, Death In Hollywood/When the Applause Died, Jean Rollin (Sucks Retarded Turtledick), Mail Order Bride, Satan’s Blood, Stag Film Roundup Two and Three, Vintage Erotica – Anno 1920, Virgins From Hell Print: Americanjism #3, BP #29, Goregasm #2, Horror Heads #1, Manifesto, Sickfun, Solid Gould #1, Tura and Eva in... Pork Rinds: Dad’s Traditional Tender Cracklins, Nether Chicharrones (both on this page) June 17, 2006 – New Reviews: Audio: Brandon Adamson, All Tomorrow’s Party, The Bloody Hollies, The Dreadful Yawns, The Gentlemen Callers, Johnny Casino’s Easy Action, V.A.: Old Skars & Upstarts 505, Winston Smith Video: Fuckenstein, Sex is Zero, Stag Film Roundup #1, Stillwater April 16, 2006 – New Reviews: Audio: The Bad Vibes, Battlelore, Belphegor, The Black Halos, Col. Knowledge and the Lickity-Splits, The Diplomats of Solid Sound, Federation X, FM Bats, Gas Huffer, The Golden Boys, The Hatepinks, Howling Diablos, Killer’s Kiss, Thee Minks, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio/Spiritual Front, Player’s Club, The Rebel, Stoneage Hearts, Thor, VA: Estrus Kamikaze Ass Chomp n’ Stomp CD Sampler Vol. 4, VA: Light the Fuse, The Yellow Belts, Y.O.C. Video: Dangerous Curves, Intercessor: Another Rock ‘n Roll Nightmare, Tokyo Psycho Print: You Idiot #4 Pork Rinds: Island Pacific Pork Chicharon Strips (below) February 19, 2006 – New Reviews (and some removals): Audio: Aarni, All My Faith Lost, American Gypsy Music, BBQ, Beyond Sensory Experience, Black Witchery, The Bloody Tears, Buzzov*en, Demon City Wreckers, Forest of Shadows, Hognose, The Hollowpoints, The Koffin Kats, Mesmer Machine, Olen’k, The Rocketz, Rwake, Tension Wire, Total Devastation, V.A.: Dear Johnny Video: Chasey Lain Smokin’, Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay, Hot & Nasty Newcummers, Mondo Hollywood, The Pinky Violence Collection (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody & Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess) Pork Rinds: Baken-Ets Chile-Limon, Guerrero Pork Cracklins (below) (Many prior reviews also still available inside.)
	To have your material reviewed here, just send a sample or promotional copy to Tom Crites at PANISCUS REVUE, P.O. Box 21448, Long Beach, CA, 90801, U.S.A. Thank you.
	Last but not least, these new pages have the benefit of containing direct links to the addresses of contributors, where available. Also, in each review you can now click on an image to see a (slightly) larger version of the cover shot. Please note as well that due to the image-rich nature of the pages, some may take a moment or two longer to load and display.

	BAKEN-ETS - Chile Limon Hot & Tangy Flavored Fried Pork Skins We all know how well chili goes with pork rinds, but “limon?” Well, it actually goes pretty good, a sharp citrus taste accentuating the chili and sugar and making sure your hand keeps coming back to the sack. What is a little off here is the texture; Frito-Lay is a massive food concern indeed, but their quality control department is a little lax when it comes to consistency. The rinds in this sample bag failed to be uniformly light and crunchy, instead often proving themselves more dense than crisp and delivering a decidedly artificial quality. I’d probably try another bag if it was put in front of me, but I wouldn’t go looking for one. * * Manufactured for Frito-Lay, Inc., Plano, TX – www.fritolay.com Ingredients: Fried pork skins, chili pepper, maltodextrin, salt, tapioca maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, sugar, corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, hydrolyzed corn gluten, onion powder, spices, lime juice solids, sodium diacetate, artificial color (Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake), natural flavor, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.

	BRIM'S SNACK FOODS Buffalo Wing Flavored Soft Style Pork Cracklin’s Shee-doggies that’s a long list of additives down below for a packet of cracklin’s with a bible quote on it (never seen that before!). “Life Is So Delicious” shouts the bag; well, as delicious as tocopherol and disodium guanylate can make it, anyway. All that being said, these really ain’t too bad; heavy curls of “fried out pork with attached skins,” these are rolled in a sweet and spicy BBQ & hot sauce flavoring that has a pleasant approach and a warm lingering departure. The fatty undercarriage of the harder skin shells (only a couple of which were too hard to crunch down, even in a sample that was a bit past its sell-by date – kudos) gives these cracklin’s a hearty stick-to-your ribs quality that makes for a solid snacking experience. And just look at that lasso-wielding pig riding the flying buffalo on the label – I think I’ve found my next tattoo. Or at least my next baseball cap… (Thanks to Kobb Labs) * * * Manufactured by Brimhall Foods Company, Inc., Bartlett, TN – www.brimsnacks.com Ingredients: Pork cracklin’s, dehydrated hot sauce (aged cayenne peppers, salt, vinegar, canola oil, natural tocopherol, garlic powder), spices and spice extractives including paprika, sodium diacetate, salt, cornstarch, wheat flour, natural and artificial flavor, malic acid, citric acid, nonfat dry milk, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, sucralose, neotame and less than 1% calcium silicate to prevent caking.

	BUENOCITOS PICOSITOS CHICHARRONES Take it from the happy little sombrero-wearin’ mascot “Senor Todd” – these rinds are Buenocitos! (And that label would make a bitchin’ t-shirt.) Rapidly rising to favorite status here at Paniscus HQ, these are thick, solidly crispy rinds literally slathered with chili powder, making for a snack that eats like a meal. With a deep satisfying crunch that’s rarely downright hard or chewy, Buenocitos finds that fine line between fried pork skin and pork cracklin’ and rides it for all it’s worth. And with their warm chili flavor and secret rendering process Buenocitos has that all-too-rare authentic Mexican food flavor that leaves a pleasant aftertaste of pepper, cumin and pig oil. I was so pleased with these rinds that I bought up a half-dozen sacks to pass around, and while reactions to these strongly-flavored snack treats were mixed the overall reaction was that they grew on you and left you wanting more. There’s only one spot I’ve found that carries these, Kay’s Market on Ocean Boulevard, but I make it a point to drop by there at least once a week and carry out two or more sacks of Buenocitos. * * * * * Todd’s Incorporated – www.buenocitos.com – Vernon, CA Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, paprika and other spices, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein (6.9%), monosodium glutamate, dextrose, modified food starch, garlic powder, spice extractives including oleoresin paprika, citric acid, disodium inosinate and guanylate, with no more than 2% dioxide as anti-caking agent.

	BUENOCITOS CHICHARRONES These are not quite the gustatory reward that the above Buenocitos Picositos are. The plain variety does have a nice salt level, but very little innate flavor of their own and these crispy gnarls of fried pork skin conceal far too many overly hard chunks of fossilized rind. What they do have is a 10g packet of Dona Cuca Salsa Picante (Ingredients: water, chili pepper, iodio salt, alcohol vinegar, condiments (?), spices, xanthan gum and 0.1% sodium benzoate as preservative. “Hecho en Mexico.”) This makes some difference, as in the tradition of the finer Mexican hot sauces Dona Cuca is a spicy, tangy, creamy blend which makes any rind finer. But it just ain’t enough to soften the really rocky ones. A shame, that, because the lighter crispier skins are close to perfect. Unfortunately they’re just too few and too far between. * * Todd’s Incorporated – www.buenocitos.com – Vernon, CA Ingredients: Fried pork rinds and salt.

	CARMEN'S - Hot & Spicy Pork Rinds I was so happy to see a new brand on the shelf, as I always am, that I ignored the cardinal rule and bought a bag of rinds past its sell-by date (the only ones in stock). It was only a couple of days, but I don’t recommend such a practice; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a stale pork rind is nobody’s friend. There is a marked difference in both taste and texture when a rind is past its time, and it just don’t make for the best eating experience. Thankfully Carmen’s passes that acid test, staying crispy and flavorful beyond their expected shelf life. The majority of these hot peppery rinds are puffy enough to melt in your mouth, much like their Original Brand brothers ,and while there is a little variety in texture it’s all predominantly good. As is the flavor, although this does rely heavily on the salt and chili. All said and done this is a more than fair rind, but I can’t dodge the impression that this is more of a supermarket rind than a selective brand. The packaging backs me up here, telling me it’s a Snak King brand; and Snak King has a lot of brands. Take that as you will, but you can bet I’ll be buying these again. * * * Snak King Corp., Los Angeles, CA Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt, spices, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, dextrose, garlic powder, sugar, caramel color, citric acid, extractives of paprika, FD&C Red 40 Lake, soybean oil, natural flavor.

	CARMEN'S - Original Pork Rinds I’ve come to appreciate the plain variety of chicharrone more and more recently, and Carmen’s Original style pork rinds are particularly worthy of appreciation. These light and airy puffed skins literally melt in your mouth, with a truly creamy texture that has to be experienced to be understood – it’s like all the best parts of the pig have been distilled into a special essence just for you. It’s a subtle flavor, true, and the sodium level feels like its on the low side, but adding a little extra salt to the sack both brings out the fried pork flavor and increases the quality of the skins as a drinking man’s snack. Me, I like to add a little Castillo Salsa Habanera as well, not that Carmen’s really needs it. If you live in greater Los Angeles county, check out your neighborhood ninety-nine cent stores and pick up a grocery bag full of Carmen. * * * * Snak King Corp., Los Angeles, CA Ingredients: Pork rinds and salt

	DAD'S - Traditional Tender Cracklins Don’t think I’ve had “tender cracklins” before; that has something of an odd ring to it, but damned if these soft curls of rind and their buttery undercoating of fat ain’t too bad after all. They truly are tender, a welcome change from the rocky offerings some brand names purvey. With their easy-eating texture and pure porcine flavor these are some most edible pig snacks indeed; my only complaint is that they’re not salty enough for a beer drinker’s palate, and so light and greaseless that they didn’t really take the extra salt I poured into the sack. Can’t really fault ‘em for that however, so catch these if you can, and pick up any other flavors and styles Dad might be offering. * * * Manufactured for CFB, Inc., Richland, MS Ingredients: Pork skins with fat attached, salt.

	EL SABROSO CHICHARRONES - Fried Pork Rinds Yes dear reader, I have enjoyed a variety of El Sabroso pork rind products in the past, but the cockles of my heart were so warmed upon finding these glorious chicharrones in a fat new 10 oz. bag that I could not resist posting the good words on their latest incarnation. Just look at the size of that sack! (Well, at least picture it, if you will.) It’s practically pillow-sized! It’s fuckin’ HUGE! Over half a pound of fried salted pork rind, ready to eat at only thirty-two cents an ounce. That’s less than a postage stamp, people! And oh-so-much more satisfying. The fine people at Snak King teach us two important lessons here about the fried pork rind – number one, look at the ingredients: “Pork rinds, salt.” That’s an elegant piece of culinary poetry right there, my friend, and a testament to the purity of the product itself. Read it again: “Pork Rinds, salt.” Let that be your personal mantra for the day: “Pork rinds, salt.” Nice. And the added ring of truth beyond those two simple ingredients, “Fried in rendered pork fat,” tells you that El Sabroso is an honest rind with nothing to hide. (For a comparison, take a look at the lengthy list of additives in one of the major food conglomerate’s popular nationwaide pork rinds. You know they’re doing more to their fresh and tender virgin pigskin than just frying it in rendered pork fat.) The second thing El Sabroso has to teach us about the quality of excellent rinds such as these is that they provide the perfect specimen against which to apply “The Whiff Test.” Hold the bag underneath your nose, pull it open, and inhale deeply of the rich fragrance of fat-fried pigskin that escapes. An important principle rises here, and that is that often the worse a chicharrone smells, the better it will taste. Artificial preservatives and coloring agents, and even spices, can retard the pure porcine essence of the pork rind, and in addition to the listed ingredients the aroma can tell you immediately how ‘natural’ or ‘manufactured’ your snack is. (And therefore how satisfying it will be.) What you smell in El Sabroso is the pure undiluted essence of swine, “Fried in rendered pork fat,” and it’s strong enough to revolt hippie vegetarians in a one-block radius. (Good; more rinds for you.) Mmm-mm. But by far the most important quality the chicharrone possesses is of course its taste, and El Sabroso does not shrink from this final test. These are rich, salty, and yea, as I have said before, buttery rinds of fatty golden goodness, with each fine rind tasting better than the last. Simple perfection on their own, but drop a little of Louisiana’s Pure Crystal Hot Sauce on there and you’ll be creaming in your overalls. The only oddity to be found regarding El Sabroso is that these rinds are so rich that they actually stick to your ribs – and your teeth, and your gums . . . No complaints on this end, mind you, that there is a richness that lasts, just a reminder that this is a serious snack food. None of that artificially non-fat crap here. These ain’t Pringles Lite, darlin’. (Although pork rinds are a “no carbs” food, so you Atkins suckers can go hog-wild. Get it? HAR!) One other quality of El Sabroso that probably ought to be mentioned here is that after consuming one or more 1 oz. serving sizes you yourself begin to render fried pork fat, and the gas you pass will most definitely reflect this. Again, no complaints on this score, and in fact, some may consider this a bonus. I know I do – it keeps those hippie vegetarians at bay. * * * * * Snak King – www.snakking.com – Los Angeles, CA Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt. (Fried in rendered pork fat.)

	EL SABROSO - Chorizo Flavored Pork Rinds While some might argue that a sausage-flavored pigskin is about as essential as a french fry-flavored potato chip, I could not resist these red little nuggets. (Nor that smiling swine on the label.) With a tangy aroma and a flavor that’s complex and intriguing, melding the salty with the sweet and blending flavors both natural and artificial, the taste here is actually not too far away from a spicy pork-apple sausage (at least as close as one could hope to come with a chip). The red pepper, slight fruitiness, and hint of clove oil all come together on a base of nicely crisp pigskin that carries a sharp sugary bite that’ll have you reaching for another in an attempt to nail down the elusive flavor. (Or perhaps just to satisfy that growing desire for salt, sugar and MSG that comes with sampling these crimson bits.) Rich and well-rounded, these may be a little too fancy (or “fruity”) for your everyday rind-eater, but are still a welcome variation on the classic treatment. * * * Snak King “King of Snacks” – www.snakking.com – Los Angeles, CA. Ingredients: Fried pork skins, maltodextrin, salt, chili powder, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (corn gluten, soy protein, wheat gluten), yeast extract, sodium diacetate, onion, garlic, soybeanoil, silicon dioxide, paprika, sugar, natural flavor, spices, FD&C Red 40.)

	GUERRERO PORK CRACKLINS These are by far the most toothsome cracklin’s I’ve ever had. I generally avoid these harder little cousins of the pork rind, as the nuggets of fried-out pork fat with attached skin can be deceptively tough – sometimes almost tooth-chippingly so. On top of that the pork fat (which is the real reason for the cracklin’ to live, the pigskin being there only to hold it in place) often resembles something scraped out of a rendering plant’s sludge pot. But Guerrero does the tradition right, serving up popcorn-sized curls of golden skin and fat with that all-important pig flavor baked right into a tender, almost delicate, little nubbin of goodness. And even a saltoholic such as myself will find little need to toss any more table salt into the sack. Perfect with a bowl of Valentina salsa picante for dippin’. !Viva Guerrero! * * * * Distributed by Gruma Corp., Irvine, TX – www.guerrerofoods.com Ingredients: Pork fat with attached skin, salt.