This Wilkes-Barre band plays 88 style hardcore that reminds me a lot of Four Walls Falling and Release. Good stuff.

Mindless
Human Conditioning Tape

Despite their name, Mindless are not so kind of Infest worship band (although I call dibs on Human Conditioning as a band name…I dig it). Mindless remind me a bit of His Hero Is Gone, but with some 1990′s power violence influence (Charles Bronson I think?). This is a pretty interesting sound and I would like to hear more from them.

Fashionable Activism #2

I really liked the firsti ssue of this fanzine and the second one is cool too. Interviews with The Men, Shaved Women, and Death Domain. I totally agree that Arctic Flowers is a cool band, but their sound isn’t really that revolutionary. Also, there is an “Oi” fad right now? You’ll never be as good as Blitz.

Kevin McCaughey
2140 W. Crystal St. 3R
Chiago IL 60622

Dear Jesus Fanzine Anthology

Dear Jesus Fanzine was done by Sam from Born Against/Vermiform Records. This collection puts together their issues plus some one pagers. Tons of bands are featured here like No For An Answer, Swiz, Supertouch and many others. Overall, I think Dear Jesus is a solid fanzine that, despite what Sam thinks in his introduction, has held up rather well. I find myself in agreement with most of Sam’s political thoughts and assessments of various bands, records, and scene issues. I love the progression and his venim toward Fugazi as issues go by. I was so right as a beb about that band and people would mock me for it. They fucking suck. At $25, this is a little pricey, but I think the value inside this collection is worth your money and time.

State Poison
Self Titled 12″
Flower of Carnage Records

This is a pecular record that I am really enjoying. There is a big d-beat influence from bands like Anti Cimex, but I also hear a bit of Gauze and other early Japanese bands too. This is really good.

United Youth
Something 2 Prove 7″
Back To Back Records

Energetic hardcore from Wilkes-Barre that reminds me of turn of the century bands like Mental and Dump Truck. The vocalist reminds me a lot of Ray Cappo.

Getting Even
Self Titled 7″
Pass Judgement Records

Noisey hardcore that sounds like it is influenced a bit by bands like Drive Like Jehu. I think this band reminds me of Black Cross a lot. Not really my thing.

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Station ID

Stains-Political Scandal
Stalag 13-Black and Gray
LSD-Karen Nash
Inferno-Ronald Reagan
Ultra Violent-Dead Generation
Mau Maus-Religious Right
The Accused-Slow Death
Subvert-Stand Up
Dead Kennedys-We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now
Leeway-Unexpected

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I missed a few of the openers, including Born Annoying (members of Get Real) and a new band from Andy Scarpulla (Tear It Up). After spending some time catching up with a number of friends, Too Many Voices, the new band from Kill Your Idols singer Andy West, which also has members of Texas Is The Reason, Ressurection, and 25 Ta Life. Too Many Voices sound a lot like Dag Nasty, complete with Brian Bakeresque riffs. Andy trying to “sing” worked better on some songs than others, but on a recording it is probably a lot better. This band isn’t really my thing, but I can see them getting very popular as their sound crosses over a lot of scenes (an example of this would be a band like Kid Dynamite).

(Hey, look, it’s me in the Bl’ast! shirt…)

Supertouch were obviously why I was there, and I packed it up in the front getting ready for them along with some friends. After a long period of tuning, they suddenly busted into their intro. So far, so good, but the intro was a little sloppy, which had me worried for the rest of their set. Suddenly, Mark Ryan came out from the “backstage” area and they busted into Climbing Aboard. Yes!!! People started going off, there was a crazy pile on, and I got the mic shoved in my face about four times. Supertouch would go on to play a bunch of songs from their LP, a new song, and the song from the Anti-Matter Fanzine compilation before ending with, of course, Searching For The Light. I got off a couple of dives onto the pile and the night ended on a high note.

Brett also reviewed this over at the new In Effect Fanzine website.

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The Comes-Panic (No Side)
Christian Club-Christian Club Will Die (Self Titled)
Knife Fight-Who Are You? (Out Of Print 2002-2004)
No Rock Stars-I Hate School (No Core)
False Liberty-Unity (Silence Is Consent)
Fratricide-Going Under (Pusmort Sampler)
Dead Nation-Jerk Off (First Four Days Demo)
Wretched-Se Ne Fregano (Split With Indegesti)
False Justice-Hold Your Head High (Demo)
Dinosaur JR-Raisans (You’re Living All Over Me)

Black Flag-Rat’s Eyes (Slip It In)
Anthrax-Violence Is Violence (Capitalism Is Cannibalism)
1.6 Band-Plastic Bags (Discography)
The Ruts-Babylon’s Burning (Peel Session)
Vanishing Leper-The Vanquished (Self Titled)

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Abrasive Wheels-Voice Of Youth
Deep Wound-In My Room
Sore Throat-War System
Ignition-Rebuilding
Mass Appeal-More You Hate
Sons of Ishmael-Governors Of Death
Rattus-Vaara Tapa
Huvudtvatt-Manglad
Corrosion of Conformity-Poison Planet
Final Conflict-Constant Fear

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No Tolerance (Full Set) from hate5six on Vimeo.

Bad Noids
Demo

Fast, distorted, hardcore that reminds me a lot of H-100s. This would have fit in really well with that crop of late nineties bands in this vein. I want to hear more.

Iron Age
The Sleeping Eye LP
Tee Pee Records

This is Iron Age at their finest. A great combination of their earlier NYHC influenced material with the more recent, more “metal” influences. The songs are fast and heavy without a lot of stupid metal bullshit besides one instrumental interlude style track. Two earlier tracks from their eps are rerecorded as well. This is very good.

Various Artists
Youngblood Records Sampler
Youngblood Records

I go way, way, back with Sean Youngblood, so I was very enthusiastic about checking out what his label has been up to lately. Of course, there is No Tolerance starting off this sampler with a track from their new seven inch on the label. Face Reality do not totally remind me of Hard Stance, but the influence of heavier late eighties bands is definitely there. Give are, well, Give. I’m not that into the other bands (Mob Mentality, Police & Thieves, Sacred Love) but check them out on this free sampler and judge for yourself.

Direct Control
Bucktown Hardcore LP
Tankcrimes Records

An essential anthology of this band’s demos plus their session for the Public Safety compilation. Direct Control rose up around the time I was really beginning to pay attention to the hardcore scene again and they have been one of my favorites of the past decade. Direct Control play excellent 82 style hardcore that sounds rather authentic, and yet has some modern sensibilities that make them more than just some rehash.

Bloodkrow Butcher
Self Titled 7″
Total Fucker Records

Pretty gnarly sounding DBeat hardcore with a nice raw recording ala Anti Cimex or Agent Orange. I hear a bit of The Fix in this one too. Highly recommended.

Vanishing Leper
Self Titled LP
Cold Vomit Records

Members of Dry Rot and Mind Eraser get together to play an odd mix of sixties and seventies psych influenced stuff mixed with the strangeness of various SST bands. Frankly, this would have fit well on SST circa 1985. This record is sold out, but there is a cheap digital download available.

Slang/Mind Eraser
Split 7″
540 Records

Long standing D-Beat legends Slang team up with America’s Mind Eraser for a split record on the eve of their tour together a few years back. This is only three songs, but serves as a good introduction to both band’s material. Worth checking out if you’ve never heard them before.

The Faith
Subject To Change Plus First Demo CD
Dischord Records

As Dischord continues to reissue their back catalog, they have gotten to one of my favorites releases. Subject To Change has been repackaged to include their first demo, which I have had a very muddy copy of for a number of years. Subject To Change is more melodic than their songs on the split, but still remains pretty hardcore in execution. I wish DC had progressed towards and not towards Embrace and Fugazi. Their demo is really raw and not as polished as the split. I always thought Mouthpiece was pretty influenced by this record.

Critical Point
Trial & Error 7″
Commitment Records

More Crucial Response circa 1998 worship from this European band. Fast Straight Edge hardcore in the vein of Eyeball, Tiebreak, and Mainstrike. I really like this record.

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Warning-Blind Leads Blind (War)
Team Dresch-#1 Chance Pirate TV (Personal Best)
Infest-Judge Me (Mankind)

Napalm Death-Lucid Fairytale (From Enslavement To Obliteration)
Knife Fight-Isolated (Isolated)
Antidote-Zero Mentality (2010 Reissue)

Fury-Shotgun (Resurrection)
Heroin-Blindly (Paper Bag EP)
Born Against-This Trash Should’ve Been Free (Battle Hymns Of The Race War)

Discharge-Never Again (Never Again)
Krakdown-Ignorance (New York City Hardcore: The Way It Is)
Sacrilege-Shadow From Mordor (Behind The Realms Of Madness)

The Boston Strangler-First Offense (Promo Tape)
Life Cycle-Face To The Ground (Myth & Ritual)
Deadguy-Running With Scissors (Work Ethic)

Bold live at The Anthrax July 1989
You’re The Friend I Don’t Need
Change Within
Search
Talk Is Cheap
Wise Up

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Innumerable Forms-Life Beyond Life (Self Titled)
Absolution-Dead & Gone (Murders Among Us)
Bl’ast!-Look Into Myself (It’s In My Blood)

Integrity-Darkness (Those Who Fear Tomorrow)
Crossed Out-He Man (Self Titled)
Ripping Corpse-Anti God (Dreaming With The Dead)

Youth Brigade-It’s About Time We Had A Change (Possible)
Crass-Systematic Death (Penis Envy)
Partisans-Police Story (Police Story)

The Birthday Party-Jennifer’s Veil (Mutiny & The Bad Seed)
Laughing Hyenas-Walk (Crawl)
One Last Wish-Three Unkind Silences (1986)

Mind Eraser-Brought Back To Life (Generations)
Carcass Limb From Limb (Demo)
Sick Fucking O-Gut Feeling (Demo)

Miles Davis live in Switzerland 10-22-71
Directions
What I Say

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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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