Signifying Nothing

Pushead Top 100 Podcast Part Three

By admin on Feb. 6, 2012.

English Dogs-Ambassadors of Fear
Crucifix-Stop Torture
China White-Daddy’s Little Queen
Battalion of Saints-I’m Gonna Make You Scream
Negative FX-Protester
Anti System-Animal Welfare
Black Flag-White Minority
Social Distortion-Mainliner
Instigators-Blood Is On Your Hands
Neos-School Punks

Station ID

Misfits-Astrozombies
Shitlickers-Armed Revolution
Terveet Kadet-Outo Maa
Prong-Aggravated Condition
Outo-Death of Victims
The Fix-Signal
The Insane-Politics
DOA-The Prisoner
Bad Religion-The Voice of God is Government
Agnostic Front-Discriminate Me

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Winter 2012 Reviews

By admin on Jan. 20, 2012.

Nomos
Demo

Great 82 style hardcore from this New York band. There are a lot of modern influences on this band’s demo including Cold Sweat, The Snobs, and other, hey, early 00 bands. I would like to hear more.

Our Side
Demo

Really raw, late eighties, influenced hardcore in the vein of Release, Youth Of Today, and Four Walls Falling. With a better recording, I sense this band could be pretty good. I want to hear more.

Pigsticker
Demo

I really like this demo. Pigsticker reminds me a cross between Circle Jerks and Necros with sloppy, raw, production values that sounds pretty authentic to the early eighties aesthetic. I’d really like to hear more from this band.

Critical Point
Demo

Wow, this band really wants to sound like the “88 in 96″ era Crucial Response bands. I am reminded here of Mainstrike and especially Eyeball. Heavy, straight forward, Straight Edge hardcore. This is pretty good.

The Icemen
The Iceman 7″

The fucking Icemen! One of the best of the second tier, second wave of NYHC bands has been active online in recent years. Double Cross interviewed a member, and their one, and one time Underdog, vocalist Carl has been around as well. These early demos see their sound beginning to come into place. I think their eps are the best document of the sound they were trying for, but this is a good start. Perhaps a nice discography could put together all of the pieces. The Icemen have a ton of songs that were only played live.

Gasmask Terror
Like Daggers 7″
Flower of Carnage Records

Burly Discharge style hardcore from this French band. It’s really that simple; this is just really good. A candidate for record of the year. They also have a new CD discography of their previous work out, but this is a great introduction to the band.

Iron Age
Saga Demos 7″
Cyclopean Records

I’m glad Iron Age are done, because at this point they have totally lost me. This is soulless heavy metal with lots of cheesy melodic parts. A formerly excellent band that has really fallen off on their last few releases.

Low Profile Threat
Product #2 LP
Deep Six Records

After years of scattered rumors and two compilation tracks that barely reach 45 seconds in length between them, Low Profile Threat have put together an LP that is pretty disappointing. The pedigree is extremely strong here with members of Infest, No Comment, and Lack of Interest. The music isn’t super far off from these bands, but while Infest and No Comment thrived in the briefness of their discography, Low Profile Threat’s songs tend to drag on for too long. The 15-30 second early compilation songs were so strong because they got straight to the point. While most of the songs on this album are good, they tend to go on for a chorus or two too many. It’s not that it is bad, it’s that I would rather put on Hacked To Chunks or Judge Me instead.

Stick Together
No More Games 7″
Back To Back Records

Not surprisingly since they have some ripoff shirts of these bands, but the next generation of Wilkes-Barre Straight Edge bands sees Stick Together heavily influenced by late eighties bands like Release, Four Walls Falling, and Turning Point. This band said some questionable shit on stage when I saw them, but this record is pretty good. I am looking forward to hearing more. Members of this band are in some big pop punk band too. Whatever.

Double Negative
Raw Energy 7″
Sorry State Records

Three more excellent songs of early Corrosion of Conformity meets early Corrosion of Conformity filtered through some noisy, almost “indie,” filters. I’ve always been surprised they dsidn’ty take off with the post hardcores and Serious Adults. Great stuff.

Negative Approach
7″ Reissue
Touch & Go Records

Best record ever.

Hoax
Self Titled 7″
Deranged Records

This heavily hyped band reminds me a bit of a mix between Impact Unit and maybe Die Kreuzen. Cold Sweat might be the most modern comparison, but not quite as unhinged as that band. This is good, but not as incredible as others say. Worth checking out, but I’m still bummed they don’t sound like Beyond.

No Tolerance
No Remorse, No Tolerance 7″
Youngblood Records

The best Straight Edge release in years by far. Combine the best of Confront, SSD, and Brotherhood for some monstrous hardcore with hard mosh parts. This genre is absolutely horrible these days, filled with either corny “hawd” bands or cheeseball positive bands. No Tolerance is pissed off and play great hardcore. Members of this band are also in Mind Eraser, The Rival Mob, Waste Management, and others.

Bastard
Controlled In The Frame 7″ Reissue
540 Records

In time for their reunion show last year comes this reissue of the first Bastard ep. I first heard Bastard when Devoid of Faith covered a song on this record circa 1999ish. Conveniently, there was a CD bootleg of their releases (including the massively mandatory Wind of Pain LP). I like Wind of Pain more, but this ep is great. For newcomers, think, seriously this time, Age of Quarrel era Cro-Mags. Seriously. Raging, slightly metallic, hardcore with thick, loud, production.

Void
Sessions 1981-1983 LP
Dischord Records

There have been some pretty stupid reviews of this online, so let me be brief. Void is one of the most unhinged, ugly, hardcore bands ever. This CD collections their demo recordings (which I greatly prefer to the split recording) from the Condensed Flesh demo, the Flex Your Head compilation, and other misc recordings. There is also a few live tracks. This is an essential reissue. I can’t believe I even have to say this or justify it. 2012 sucks. I hope their first demo and the unreleased LP eventually get proper reissues as well.

Omegas
Psycho Dives On Slam Skank Anthems Tape
Powered Records

This Canadian band reminds me of early Die Kreuzen or Necros with some NYHC mosh parts. I was really late to hearing this one, but it is great.

Technocracy
Diary of a Terrorist 12″
Guerrilla Records

Raging hardcore from Japan in the “early COC meets early COC” vein. Only two songs here, but they are long ones with lots of different parts that remain interesting despite their length. Definitly making the top records of the year list.

Give
I Am Love 7″
Triple B Records

Seriously ILL hardcore from DC in the vein of Swiz. I really like this, but it is kind of a bummer how they are doing so many seven inches instead of just one full length. That’s a lot of $5 records that could be a $12 LP.

Outlaw Order
Dragging Down The Enforcer LP
Seasons of Mist Records

Members of the mighty Eyehategod doing a side project…that sounds exactly like Eyehategod. This is really good and holds up next to EHG’s work.

Omegas
Blasts of Lunacy LP
Parts Unknown Records

If Die Kreuzen were from New York City, they would sound like this Canadian band. Ugly, brooding, NYHC that reminds me of Krakdown at some points, but also with darker hinges of Die Kreuzen and Bl’ast! as well. Easily one of the best records of the year.

Give
Boots of Faith 7″
Deranged Records

On this seven inch, Give are reaching some middle point between Rites of Spring and Swiz. Both songs are melodic like the Revolution Summer era bands, but heavy and fast like later eighties bands like Swiz and Ignition. Great stuff.

Signifying Nothing Best of 2011 Podcast

By admin on Jan. 18, 2012.

Cro Mags-We Gotta Know (Age of Quarrel)

New Lows-Last of The Rats (Harvest Of The Carcass)
Citizens Arrest-Soaked In Others Blood (Soaked In Others Blood)
Waste Management-Too Much Unity (Power Abuse)

No Tolerance-Empty Words (No Remorse, No Tolerance)
Technocracy-Aggressor (Diary of a Terrorist)
NYC Mayhem-Want Authority (Crossover Days)

Bastard-Defective Chain (Controlled In The Frame)
Soul Swallower-Burning For The Ultimate (Devoured)
Give-I Am Love (I Am Love)

Void-Condensed Flesh (Sessions 81-83)
Scapegoat-Bleach (Self Titled)
Death Evocation-Relentless (Self Titled)

Vaccine-Drug War (Crimes In Blood)
Mauser-End Of The Line (End Of The Line)
Omegas-Excessive Force (Blasts Of Lunacy)

Faith-Untitled (Subject To Change Plus First Demo)
Gasmask Terror-Dead End (Like Daggers)
Negative Approach-Kiss Me Kill Me (Friends Of No One)

Cockney Rejects-New Song (Greatest Hits Volume One)

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Signifying Nothing Podcast January 7th 2012

By admin on Jan. 6, 2012.

United Youth-Fuck Your Standards (Demo)
Vaccine-Patriot (Crime In Blood)
Infest-Break The Chain (Slave)

Lethal Aggression-Newcaster Lies (Life Is Hard…But That’s No Excuse…)
Staring Problem-Scattered Pieces (Pissed Human Dick)
Give-Life Unknown (Self Titled)

Bl’ast!-Look Into Myself (The Power Of Expression)
Crow-Occupied Japan (Vertigo)
Cro Mags-Do Unto Others (Age Of Quarrel)

The Rival Mob-Raw Life (Raw Life)
Black Flag-I’ve Heard It Before (Blasting Concept Volume One)
Mauser-New Threat (End Of The Line)

No Hope For The Kids-Cold Touch of Death (Angels of Destruction)
Overkill-Hell’s Getting Hotter (Blasting Concept Volume One)
Hatred Surge-Brutal Supremacy (Brutal Supremacy)

Siege-Conform (Demo)
Siege-Walls (Cleanse The Bacteria)
Siege-Grim Reaper (Demo)

Christian Mistress-Mother of Mercy (Mother of Mercy)
Blasting Concept-Wake Of The Spudnik (Self Titled)
State Of Alert-Public Defender (Bootleg)

Free Spirit-Selfish (Free Yourself)
Mind Eraser-The Way Is Shut (Brutal Supremacy)
Soul Swallower-Absolute Power (Devoured)

No Tolerance-Sentenced (Demo)
Discharge-Two Monstrous Nuclear Stockpiles (Never Again)
Rest In Pieces-Toys R Us (My Rage)

The Mob-Common Criminal (The Way It Was)
Confuse-Hate War (Japan One)
Cause For Alarm-In Search Of (The Way It Was)
Gil-Find Your Real Self (Japan One)

Antidote-Real Deal (The Way It Was)
Kuro-Selfish Cow (Japan One)
The Abused-Nuclear Threat (The Way It Was)
LSD-Just Last (Japan One)

Bad Brains Live In Philadelphia PA 1982
Fearless Vampire Killers
The Big Takeover
Joshua’s Song
Right Brigade

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Best of 2011

By admin on Jan. 2, 2012.

2011 ends as a pretty strong year for new releases. Wading through the bullshit in hardcore seems to get harder and harder each year, but here is a list of the top records in various formats I enjoyed this year.

Demos/Tapes/CD
• Our Side
• Cervix
• Blessed Offal

Seven Inch or Less
• V/A-Brutal Supremacy Compilation
• School Jerks-Control
• Citizens Arrest-Soaked In Others Blood
• Death Evocation-Self Titled
• Waste Management-Power Abuse
• No Tolerance-No Remorse, No Tolerance
• Vaccine-Crimes In Blood
• Mauser-End Of The Line
• Give-I Am Love
• Gasmask Terror-Like Daggers

Longer Players
• New Lows-Harvest of the Carcass
• Soul Swallower-Devoured
• Scapegoat-Self Titled
• Technocracy-Diary of a Terrorist
• Omegas-Blasts of Lunacy

Reissues
• Cro Mags-Age of Quarrel
• Supertouch-WNYU
• Void-Sessions 81 to 83
• Faith-Subject To Change
• Bastard-Controlled In The Frame
• Adrenalin OD-Let’s BBQ
• NYC Mayhem-Crossover Days
• Negative Approach-Friends Of No One