MRR #262
As I've written in the past, sometimes it seems like DIY hardcore has become the victim of it’s own success. A lot of people I talk to think there are just TOO MANY records coming out and just too much lackluster, generic and boring bands. However, if you take the time to listen to a lot of records and go see a lot of bands you will see that there is some really outstanding music being made today. One frequent criticism I hear is that none of todays bands will stand the test of time. I don’t think that’s true at all. Sure many bands will be forgotten, but great art is…great art. Twenty years from now it won’t much matter if a record came out in 2004 or 1994 if it’s good true fans will seek it out and get into it. That said, the tidal wave of new releases coming out right now, and the tendency of labels to do smaller and smaller pressings, means that a lot of records show up on the radar for such a short time that a lot of people miss them. I understand bands and labels being conservative about pressing large numbers of records due to financial constraints. However, only pressing 300-500 records pretty much dooms you to obscurity in the big picture. For what it’s worth here are a bunch of 7”s I’ve been amped on lately. I tried to focus on small labels/less known bands although some of these bands get a lot of recognition I think they are all ragers.

Bullet Treatment/Shell Shock split 7” Puke N Vomit Records-this one totally took me by surprise. Two unknown (to me at least) So Cal hardcore punk bands and both totally shred. Shell Shock have a really gritty hardcore punk sound maybe a bit like Abrasive Wheels mixed with Poison Idea. Both their songs are catchy and powerful. Bullet Treatment play catchy punk/hc which reminds me a lot of bands like CH3 who mixed UK punk with So Cal hardcore in the early 80’s.

Incontrollados-Hvem vil det gavne? 7” Kick N Punch Records- I am super stoked on this Danish band. Raw HC/Punk like Amdi Petersen’s Arme or DS 13. Has that lo fi early Dischord sound. Simple catchy songs full of energy and enthusiasm. It’s a little sloppy at times, but still great.

Cold Shoulder-Business As Usual-Bloodyknuckles Records-This is some sick tough hardcore. In your face and heavy, I guess there are a lot of bands playing this style right now, but I never see anyone jocking this 7”. I saw these guys live this summer and they were pretty intense.

Career Suicide-Signals ep-Slasher Records-This is on a new label and I don’t know what kind of distribution it’s getting. CS are one of my very favorite bands right now. If you aren’t already 100% amped on this band, it’s time to get into it. If you are already a fan, seek this one out. Great fast snotty HC like the Freeze or F.U.s. Every song is super catchy, the vocals are amazing it’s like 1982 all over again, destined for a future volume of Killed By Hardcore in 2024.

Gonna Fall Hard-Slap by Gandhi-Head On Records-One of the great mysteries of the hardcore scene is how Italy went from having one of the very best scenes of the 80’s, to one of the worst by the 90’s. Although there are still great people involved in the Italian scene there have only been a handful of truly awesome records from this nation in the last 10 or more years. However, here is an Italian band to get the juices pumping. Gonna Fall Hard play tough fast aggressive hardcore that mixes thrash styles of bands like DS 13 and Life’s Halt with a more of an early Revelation hardcore sound like Chain of Strength or No For An Answer and there is for sure some early Agnostic Front in there as well. This is one is on a new label and sure to be a sleeper, but worth seeking out.

Determination-Push it as hard as you can-Broken Heart Records-I’m surprised more people aren’t amped on this Austrian band. I saw them open for Nine Shocks Terror in Graz at a show attended by maybe 10 people. These guys play a great mix of early Dischord style 82 hardcore and late 80’s Youth Crew. The guitars have a really fuzzed out sound and the riffs really recall early DC and Boston bands. The vocals are shouts of angst with strong Youth Crew type backing vocals.

Martyr Dod/Sunday Morning Einsteins split 7”-Instigate Records-Two of the best Swedish bands team up for a total head eruption aural onslaught. Martyr Dod play Black Metal tinged Swedish HC with haunting guitar melodies over hammering Kang attacks. Sunday Morning Einsteins turn in what I think are their best tracks yet, totally raging hardcore with just a tinge of metallic crust.

Aftermath-Goodbye to Washington-Grave Mistake Records-Aftermath play really tough angry hardcore without delving into metal or mosh styles. The vocals are reminiscent of early Sheer Terror but the music has less of the Celtic Frost metal edge that Sheer Terror had. Really pummeling aggressive, in your face, manly hardcore. But as I said, unlike a lot of the tough hardcore bands these days, there isn’t any metal/mosh going on, just tough HC. There’s no double bass or super down tuned guitars. Would be great for weight lifting, playing at the dojo, boxing gym or tattoo shop. These guys are all big dudes you wouldn’t want to stab in the back either.

86 Mentality-s/t-Grave Mistake Records-Another tough HarDCore band. These guys have a total gritty 1982 hardcore sound like Negative FX, early Agnostic Front or Negative Approach. Burly riffs and growled vocals. We played a house show with these guys in DC and it was like playing the graduation ceremony at a gladiator school. So aggro and pissed off! This would be great to listen to while you plot your revenge against your enemies and vanquish your foes. They did a tour with Dead Stop who also RAGE. DCHC 4 LIFE.

Direct Control-S/T-Kangaroo Records-Richmond ragers bang out six tracks of totally raw 1982 style hardcore. If you blindfolded me and played this for me I would think it was some Boston or Midwest band from 1982. I’m really looking forward to their upcoming LP on My War.

Tarpit-Wake Up-Collapse Records-Sick heavy HC like Think I Care or Infest. Punishing and heavy with tooth pulling breakdowns and jack hammer riffs. This is sick like an outbreak of a deadly epidemic in an overcrowded slum. I can’t listen to it without the muscles in my neck tensing up and my teeth clenching. If I had to dispense some dancefloor justice on some backstabbing poser I would for sure do it during the breakdown in the last song on Side A.

Against Empire/Holokaust-split-Threat to Existence Records-Unholy raw crust core from these two Southern California bands. America is awash in generic crust at the moment, but these two bands stand out. Against Empire play some heavy Scandinavian style crust core with a tinge of metal. Holokaust are great dirty D beat raw punk. Has the desperate production of an early 80’s ripper like Shitlickers or MG15.

After the Massacre-The End-Wasted Dream Records-Someone told me they thought this 7” was too generic. But I’d rather listen to generic raw hardcore punk like this all day than some art student band that is “pushing the envelope” After the Massacre play really lo fi raw D beat. The ep sounds like it was recorded in one of those cement mixing trucks you see slowly rotating down the highway. Such a sound would crucify most bands, but for this style it’s perfect: raw, scratchy 82 Scandinavian style. I really like the basslines on this one, the raspy vocals and the anti-cimex/shitlickers style “chicken scratch” guitar solos.

Black SS-s/t-Third Party Records-I saw these guys a few times this summer and their demo was great. Totally raw pissed off early 80’s style hardcore. These guys could easily fit in on Boston Not LA. Most numbers are upbeat fast rippers but they slow it down to a super catchy mid tempo pace on a few numbers. Has a lot of hooks and meaty riffs, one of my favorite new American bands. It’s just catchy enough not to be balls out thrash, but just intense enough to still be high energy hardcore.

Fourteen or Fight/Repos-split-Gloom Records-This Chicago HC/Punk slab is like one of those issues of Marvel Team Up where your two favorite super heroes get into a fight with each other, then unite to defeat some super villain. Great garagey hardcore by the Repos almost has the same sound that some of the Japanese bands that mix Boston Hardcore and Garage punk get. Fourteen or Fight turn in some sweet posthumous tracks on the flip. Each song is pissed off and aggressive yet has some great hooks that will have you humming the songs long after the record leaves the turntable. There is also some subliminal Motorhead influence on the last track.

Silent But Violent-S/T-Parts Unknown-Ok everyone compares these guys to Uniform Choice. And you know what, they do sound almost just like Uniform Choice! But, this band is far from generic or shoddy in their dedication to this sound. Great amped up late 80’s style hardcore in between bands like Uniform Choice and Chain of Strength and maybe stuff like Negazione or Indigesti. And if you liked Pat Dubar’s vocals, you will love SBV’s vocals. These guys did a split 7” previous to this release that’s also worth tracking down.

DFA/Under Pressure-split-Flowerviolence Records-Under Pressure also have a great 7” on Sound Pollution and a split with Blood I Bleed out right now. Under Pressure plays an intoxicating mix of Japanese hardcore, burly 70’s rock, and thrash. Pained vocals, totally thick riffs and rocked out drumming make every song a hammer blow to the cranium. DFA are fellow Canadian thrashers who lay down the challenge on their side. DFA plays some great high speed crossover hardcore. This shit would give you high blood pressure if you listened to it too much.

Righteous Jams-Boston Straight Edge-Anger Management Records-This band gets a lot of press, but I don’t think most people know this 7”, which I believe is the demo put to wax. Really sick late 80’s influenced HC like Warzone, Underdog, or Outburst. This band has a lot of imitators, but I think they stand out from the rest in this style. Tough hardcore with funky beats and basslines as well as a dub reggae number. I have a theory that this sort of groove appeals to young hardcore kids who grew up listening to hip hop instead of people my age who grew up listening to rock. I’ve seen these guys live a few times and they are pretty bomb. I’d love to see a band in this style go one further and add a horn section or DJs.

To wrap this up, here’s an amusing story from my youth.

In 1987 I was sadly NOT EDGE. I lost the edge in 86 and started doing lots of drugs and drinking. I didn't wise up again until like 94, so that will give this tale some perspective.

In the summer of 87 I was 18. I hitch hiked from DC to SF and hung out on the streets of SF all summer. I got a ride back through Boulder Colorado where this big anti nuclear protest was going on. While I was there Youth of Today played. They played in the unfinished foundation of this house that was under construction. There's a bunch of photos of this show in that All Ages book Rev put out.

At the time I was pretty much a crusty gutter punk kid. Like a lot of people who lose the edge I sort of forgot that the movement was still going strong elsewhere, I just figured if it was over for me and the DC hardcore scene it must be over everywhere. So it never even dawned on me that YOT would be an SE band. Remember, this was before SE made a come back, in those days there were only a few SE bands. It was this YOT tour that really jump started that whole new school SE movement.

Anyway, I was helping fund my cross country trip by selling this really good acid I bought a sheet of in SF. It was "green triceratops" and I'd been selling it at parties, shows, to kids on the mall in Boulder etc. It was some really excellent acid and I thought these Youth of Today dudes might want to score a few hits off me. After they got done playing I ambled over to them and told them how much I liked their set etc. Then I was like "hey man, I just got here from SF and I've got some really good acid, Green Triceratops, you guys want some?" Man they looked at me like I was the devil incarnate. The one dude got in my face and almost acted like he wanted to fight me, I think this was Porcell. The other guys calmed him down and were like "no way man, we're a Straight Edge band" I was like "no way, dude" Then they started arguing with me about how I was destroying the minds of the youth and such. I retorted that Reagan was doing more to destroy the youth than all the drugs in the world and we really had to take a stand against government, nuclear war, and multi national corporations. They didn't really see my point and I went back to drinking malt liquor in my ignorance. This story is pretty embarrassing now since I am an edgeman in good standing, but good for a laugh regardless.

Publication Date:
January 1, 2005

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