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November 2011 Reviews

By admin on Nov. 25, 2011.

Sick Fucking O
Demo

Members of Voorhees are back with a new band that sounds like…Voorhees. Obviously, not as classic as Spilling Blood Without Reason, but good angry 82 era hardcore that will be enjoyed by fans of Voorhees for sure. Cool Devo cover at the end.

Defile
Demo 2010

Fast, angry, hardcore somewhere between midwestern style and power violence. I bet live you can hear a bit of Rorschach in their sound too. I’d like to hear more.

Slowburn
Demo

Members of a variety of NJHC bands including Spirit, Vision, and Floorpunch playing melodic, Turning Point, style hardcore. This isn’t too bad, but it’s not something I would listen to that often. The members of this band have done much better before.

Beware
Demo

Members of Stick Together and a few other PA bands doing pretty bland Chain of Strength style hardcore that has all of the flaws most 1980′s “melodic,” nearing emo, hardcore bands have. The generic 88 styling of Stick Together are way better. I’m shocked by how many people are so into this.

Bloody Hammer
Demo 2010

Moderately generic Oi! trying to sound like all of the classics. This isn’t a bad effort at sounding like Four Skins, one of my favorites, but isn’t something I will listen to much. I don’t dabble too deeply in this genre during modern times, but check this one out if you love this stuff.

Good Times
Demo

This was handed to me on the way out of a show. I’m not sure if this is supposed to be serious, but the music moves between 88 style hardcore to chugga chugga idiot metal. Add in some pretty misogynistic lyrics and this is pretty shitty.


Hatred Surge
Deconstruct LP
Rescued From Life Records

Taking cues from bands like His Hero Is Gone, Neurosis, and Mind Eraser come this LP by Hatred Surge. Brutal hardcore with alternating male/female vocals. This is one of my favorites of the past few years.


Rorschach
Remain Sedate Reissue LP
Gern Blandsten Records

While I like Protestant a lot more than this one, the first Rorschach LP is an essential part of the evolution of post youth crew hardcore in the nineties. The influence of late eighties bands like Breakdown can still be heard from their very early sound, but so can the incoming influence of bands like Bl’ast!, Voi-void, and Die Kreuzen as well. As with Protestant, the resisue is greatly aided by remastered sound.


Miles Davis
Bitches Brew Live CD

I highly doubt this is a legit release, but worth checking out. The liner notes are hilarious though: the writer acts like NO ONE has ever heard live material of Davis from this era. Tape traders have avidly passed around shows from his electronic years from a damn long time. Ignoring that is comical. There are better shows out there.


Young Republicans
Sabatoge Your Cookout 7″
More Than A Witness Records

One of the great holy grails of the tape trading circuit when I was a teenager was the Young Republicans demo. As you probably know, members of, and songs, from this tape moved to New York City and did a slightly more well known band called Youth Of Today. This demo is pretty generic early eighties hardcore that isn’t bad, but doesn’t really stand out. Worth noting is the songs that did move over to Youth of Today and eventually Project X as well, which is an interesting historical note. Just for that, I strongly suggest picking this up.


Waste Management
Get Your Mind Right 7″
Painkiller Records

Wow!!!! Serious SSD worship from this Massachusetts band. The music is more in the vein of early NYHC bands like The Abused or Agnostic Front, but the pleading, sick, Springa style vocals are unbelievable. I hear a little bit of Crucifix too (SSD meets Crucifix? Fuck.). This would have fit in nicely alongside records on XClaim! or Rat Cage. Nice cover of “Fight,” out of nowhere, in the middle of the record too.


New Lows
Self Titled 7″
Lockin Out Records

Somewhere amongst Word As Law era Neurosis and Humanity Is The Devil era Integrity comes The New Lows’ debut single on Lockin Out. this is a style can be fall apart quick because of too much chugga chugga or experimental bullshit, but The New Lows keep it together. My only complaint is a few too many kickbox style mosh parts. That shit is so corny; however, the band can’t be punished for the idiotic way a crowd way react to them.


DropDead/Converge
Split 7″

DropDead did a split with…Converge? Okay. The DropDead side of this split is pretty good, up to their usual good standards. Converge are just not a band who have ever interested me. Post hardcores love that shit.


Wasted Time
Futility 12″
Grave Mistake Records

Wasted Time come back with an excellent followup to their debut 7″, this time heavily soaked in Kings of Punk era Poison Idea and Oi! bands like Blitz and 4-Skins. Wasted Time is able to tread between an authentic old style and more modern production and stylistic values. This is one of the best records of the decade.


Innumerable Forms
Dark Worship 7″
Hell Massacre Records

Justin Detore’s death metal project is exactly as awesome as it sounds. Serious old school death metal which really stands out in a genre I don’t dive too deeply into outside of most of the classics. A lot of the newer Mind Eraser (Justin’s day job) material in somewhat in this vein, or at least heavily influenced by it. Excellent and worth tracking down.


Gasmask Terror
Black Sun Fake Gold LP
Solar Funeral Records

Gasmask Terror are an interesting band whose sound falls somewhere between UK82 and D-Beat styles. I think this LP drags a little bit, but I think I have a general distaste for longer records in this style from most bands outside of the heavyweights like Discharge. This is definitely worth checking out.


Waste Management
Power Abuse 7″
Painkiller Records

Yes!!! Brutal SSD style hardcore from members of Mind Eraser. This record takes the best of early Boston and New York with some seriously raging lyrics (especially “Too Much Unity”). A definite contender for record of the year.

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Signifying Nothing Episode 04×03

By admin on Aug. 5, 2011.

Talk Is Poison-Right To Die (Self Titled)
Youth Brigade-Snow Job (Demo)
Voorhees-A Cure For The New Disease (Spilling Blood Without Reason)

Necros-Youth Camp (IQ32)
Mind Eraser-Manhood (Glacial Reign)
Sacrilege-A Violation of Something Sacred (Beyond The Realm of Madness)

Rorschach-Hemlock (Protestant)
Corrosion of Conformity-Holier (Animosity)
Blessed Offal-Bottomless Grave (Demo)

Misery-Class Warfare (Who’s The Fool)
Neurosis-The Choice (The Word As Law)
Slang-World of Lunacy (Life Made Me Hardcore)

Indian Dream-Silent Screams (Orca)
Mauser-New Threat (End of the Line)
Black Flag-Best One Yet (Loose Nut)

Whirl-Blue (Distressor)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Reviews For The Week Of July 25th

By admin on Jul. 25, 2011.

Mind Eraser at some Scion sponsored gig. I giggled at how DFJ bums out the bouncers.

Blessed Offal
Self Titled Tape

Death metal coming highly recommended by friends who dig this stuff. While a few songs go on forever, Blessed Offal keeps them interesting with enough changes of pace to not lose me. This is pretty good.

United Youth
Demo

Decent 88 style hardcore that goes by in the blink of an eye. I see a lot of potential for an ep. Keep going.


Vaccine
Crimes In Blood 5″
Painkiller Records

I am glad this is a 5″ because there is about three minutes of music here. I don’t think a single song goes over 30 seconds. Vaccine fit somewhere in between Infest and No Comment, playing blazing fast hardcore with some changes within those brief songs. This is excellent.

Black Flag
Live At The On Broadway CD

Huh, this is totally weird. I’ve had pieces of both of these sets (the debut of the “My War Demos” lineup) for about 13 years, but only parts put together to make one set. Even weirder: It was labeled “Los Angeles 1983,” not even the right city/year. This obvious bootleg (hello, poser alert, on the wrong song titles) puts out very nice soundboards of two Flag shows from 1982 at the On Broadway in San Francisco. My Rules and I’ve Got To Run are brand new songs, and some of the My War songs are played as well. Obviously, this is essential material from Black Flag, but I’m not sure if you want to support the bootleggers.

Bl’asting Concept
Self Titled LP
It’s Alive Records

Our old friend Fred Hammer put this one out on his long dormant It’s Alive label. Not surprisingly, because of their name, this band must be big fans of Bl’ast!, Fu Manchu, and Annihilation Time. Heading more towards the rockier sound of the latter two bands, I lost a bit of interest when listening to this one. I think there is a big audience for a band like this right now, so I’m sure you will check it out for yourself.

War Hungry
Self Titled LP
Six Feet Under Records

Somewhere between Iron Age and…Life Of Agony (? Seriously? People like that crap?) comes the new record from PA’s War Hungry. This is pretty metal and would have fit in with all the Roadrunner Records bands the kids in my high school who were into “hawd” bands dug. I’m glad I stuck to Floorpunch and Voorhees. This is definitely not for me.

Mauser
End Of The Line 7″
Vinyl Rites Records

Burly Discharge/Anti Cimex inspired hardcore from the cess pool of Florida. This is a genre filled with lots of garbage, but this stands out as an essential modern piece of d-beat hardcore.

Whirl
Distressor Tape
Bridgetown Records

As if D-Beat and youth crew hardcore being genres filled with garbage was annoying enough, shoegazer is another genre where the good is heavily outweighed by the bad and vastly overrated. A friend told me Whirl were very much in the vein of Slowdive, so I checked this out. “Sounds like Slowdive” indeed! This is beautiful, dream like, shoegazer ala Slowdive. After a soundbite from Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, Whirl slam into some fantastic music. Seven songs is a perfect length for this, leaving the tape at its ending before any hint of boredom, a big problem with this genre, ensues.

The Rival Mob
Raw Life 12″
Lockin’ Out Records

The Rival Mob are one of the best bands out there today. Somewhere between Madball, youth crew hardcore, and Ringworm, they sound fresh and interesting without anything silly or outside the realm of hardcore. Great stuff.

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Top 100 1990′s

By admin on Apr. 12, 2010.
  1. 1.6 Band, Self Titled LP, USA, 1992
  2. Acme, Self Titled 7″, Belgium, 1994
  3. All Chrome, Flounders Flyers College & Canada LP, USA, 1999
  4. Arms Reach, Self Titled 7″, Australia, 1998
  5. Assuck, State To State 7″, USA, 1993
  6. Aus-Rotten, Fuck Nazi Sympathy, USA, 1994
  7. Bastard, Wind Of Pain LP, Japan, 1990
  8. Bikini Kill, The Anti-Pleasure Dissertation 7″, USA, 1995
  9. Born Against, Industrial Relations Department 7″, USA, 1990
  10. Breakdown, Blacklisted LP, USA, 1997
  11. Burn, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1990
  12. By The Grace Of God, For The Love Of Indie Rock 7″, USA, 1996
  13. Charles Bronson, Youth Attack LP, USA, 1997
  14. Citizens Arrest, A Light In The Darkness 7″, USA, 1990
  15. Chopping Block, Grizzly Fetish 7″, USA, 1991
  16. Cop Out, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1993
  17. Crossed Out, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1991
  18. Crown Of Thornz, Train Yard Blues 12″, USA, 1995
  19. Dead Nation, Face The Nation 7″, USA, 1998
  20. Deadguy, Work Ethic 7″, USA, 1994
  21. Death Side, Bet On The Possibility LP, Japan, 1991
  22. Devoid Of Faith, Purpose: Lost 10″, USA, 1999
  23. Disclose-Tragedy LP, Japan, 1994
  24. Down But Not Out, Demo, USA, 1998
  25. DropDead, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1992
  26. Electric Wizard, Come My Fanatics LP, England, 1996
  27. Eyeball, Talkin’ Straight 7″, Germany, 1998
  28. Eyehategod, In The Name Of Suffering LP, USA, 1992
  29. Face Value, Coming Of Age 7″, USA, 1990
  30. Fastbreak, Where It Lies 7″, USA, 1997
  31. Fit For Abuse, Mindless Violence 7″, USA, 1995
  32. Floor, Dove LP, USA, 1994
  33. Floorpunch, Goal Line Stand Demo, USA, 1995
  34. Four One One, This Isn’t Me LP, USA, 1991
  35. Fu Manchu, The Action Is Go LP, USA, 1997
  36. Full Speed Ahead, Demo, USA, 1998
  37. Gauze, Kao O Aratte Denaoshite Koi LP, Japan, 1997
  38. Get High, Demo, USA, 1996
  39. Gordon Solie Mother Fuckers, Chairshot Politics 7″, USA, 1998
  40. H-100’s, Distort Cleveland 7″, USA, 1995
  41. Hatchetface, Volume Two LP, USA, 1995
  42. Haywire, Private Hell LP, USA, 1990
  43. Heroin, Paper Bag 7″, USA, 1992
  44. His Hero Is Gone, Fifteen Counts Of Arson LP, USA, 1997
  45. Huggy Bear, Don’t Die 7″, England, 1993
  46. Human Remains, Using Sickness As A Hero CD, USA, 1996
  47. The Icemen, Rest In Peace 7″, USA, 1991
  48. In My Eyes, Demo, USA, 1997
  49. Infest, Mankind 7″, USA, 1991
  50. Inmates, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1995
  51. Integrity, Humanity Is The Devil 10″, USA, 1996
  52. Into Another, Ignaurus LP, USA, 1994
  53. Jello Biafra With DOA, Last Screams Of The Missing Neighbors LP, USA/Canada, 1990
  54. Judge, The Storm 7″, USA, 1991
  55. Kiss It Goodbye, She Loves Me…She Loves Me Not LP, USA, 1997
  56. Laughing Hyenas, Crawl 7″, USA, 1992
  57. Leeway, Desperate Measures LP, USA, 1991
  58. Los Crudos/Spitboy, Split LP, USA, 1994
  59. Madball, Dropping Many Suckers 7″, USA, 1992
  60. Mainstrike, Times Still Here 7″, Netherlands, 1995
  61. Man Is The Bastard, Sum Of The Men 12″, USA, 1992
  62. Man Lifting Banner, Ten Inches That Shock The World LP, Netherlands, 1992
  63. Mouthpiece, What Was Said LP, USA, 1994
  64. Mukilteo Fairies, Closet Check 7″, USA, 1993
  65. Neanderthal, Fighting Music 7″, USA, 1990
  66. Neurosis, The Word As Law LP, USA, 1990
  67. No Comment, Downsided 7″, USA, 1992
  68. No Escape, Demo, USA, 1990
  69. Out Cold, Self Titled LP, USA, 1994
  70. Paintbox, Screaming Shouting Crying LP, Japan, 1999
  71. Poison Idea, Feel The Darkness LP, USA, 1990
  72. Puncture Wound, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1999
  73. Quicksand, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1990
  74. Ringworm, Demo, USA, 1991
  75. Ripping Corpse, Dreaming With The Dead LP, USA, 1991
  76. Rollins Band, The End Of Silence LP, USA, 1992
  77. Rorschach, Protestant LP, USA, 1992
  78. Rupture, Righteous Fuck 7″, Australia, 1991
  79. S.D.S., Scum System Kill 7″, Japan, 1996
  80. S.O.D., Speak Swedish Or Die 7″, Sweden, 1990
  81. Saint Vitus, Die Healing LP, USA, 1995
  82. Selfish, System Kills 7″, Finland, 1993
  83. Septic Death, Theme From Ozobozo LP, USA, 1992
  84. Skewbald/Grand Union, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1991
  85. Sleater Kinney, Dig Me Out LP, USA, 1997
  86. Sleep, Sleep’s Holy Mountain LP, USA, 1993
  87. Spazz/Black Army Jacket, Split 7″, USA, 1997
  88. Speak 714, The Scum Also Rises 7″, USA, 1999
  89. Sportswear, It Runs Deep 7″, Norway, 1998
  90. Supertouch, The Earth Is Flat LP, USA, 1990
  91. Talk Is Poison, Straight To Hell 7″, USA, 1998
  92. Team Dresch, Personal Best LP, USA, 1995
  93. True Blue, Demo, Germany, 1998
  94. Turning Point, It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn LP, USA, 1991
  95. Verbal Assault, On 12″, USA, 1990
  96. Voorhees, Spilling Blood Without Reason LP, England, 1994
  97. Warhead, Cry Of Truth LP, Japan, 1991
  98. Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh! – The Record, Compilation 7″, International, 1991
  99. Forever, Compilation 7″, USA, 1991
  100. Rebuilding, Compilation 7″, USA, 1991

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Signifying Nothing Top 100 Of The Nineties

By admin on Jul. 27, 2009.

Four years late, here is the final list.  One thing I’ve noticed as I put this together is that there is a great lack of compilations on this list.  A lot of the decent compilations in the nineties have great songs, but also terrible ones.  I still feel like I am missing something obvious…

  1. 1.6 Band, Self Titled LP, USA, 1992
  2. Acme, Self Titled 7″, Belgium, 1994
  3. All Chrome, Flounders Flyers College & Canada LP, USA, 1999
  4. Arms Reach, Self Titled 7″, Australia, 1998
  5. Assuck, State To State 7″, USA, 1993
  6. Aus-Rotten, Fuck Nazi Sympathy, USA, 1994
  7. Bastard, Wind Of Pain LP, Japan, 1990
  8. Bikini Kill, The Anti-Pleasure Dissertation 7″, USA, 1995
  9. Born Against, Industrial Relations Department 7″, USA, 1990
  10. Breakdown, Blacklisted LP, USA, 1997
  11. Burn, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1990
  12. By The Grace Of God, For The Love Of Indie Rock 7″, USA, 1996
  13. Charles Bronson, Youth Attack LP, USA, 1997
  14. Citizens Arrest, A Light In The Darkness 7″, USA, 1990
  15. Chopping Block, Grizzly Fetish 7″, USA, 1991
  16. Cop Out, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1993
  17. Crossed Out, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1991
  18. Crown Of Thornz, Train Yard Blues 12″, USA, 1995
  19. Dead Nation, Face The Nation 7″, USA, 1998
  20. Deadguy, Work Ethic 7″, USA, 1994
  21. Death Side, Bet On The Possibility LP, Japan, 1991
  22. Devoid Of Faith, Purpose: Lost 10″, USA, 1999
  23. Disclose-Tragedy LP, Japan, 1994
  24. Down But Not Out, Demo, USA, 1998
  25. DropDead, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1992
  26. Electric Wizard, Come My Fanatics LP, England, 1996
  27. Endpoint, In A Time Of Hate LP, USA, 1990
  28. Eyeball, More Days To Come LP, Germany, 1998
  29. Eyehategod, In The Name Of Suffering LP, USA, 1992
  30. Face Value, Coming Of Age 7″, USA, 1990
  31. Fastbreak, Where It Lies 7″, USA, 1997
  32. Fit For Abuse, Mindless Violence 7″, USA, 1995
  33. Floor, Dove LP, USA, 1994
  34. Floorpunch, Goal Line Stand Demo, USA, 1995
  35. Four One One, This Isn’t Me LP, USA, 1991
  36. Fu Manchu, The Action Is Go LP, USA, 1997
  37. Full Speed Ahead, Demo, USA, 1998
  38. Gauze, Kao O Aratte Denaoshite Koi LP, Japan, 1997
  39. Get High, Demo, USA, 1996
  40. Gordon Solie Mother Fuckers, Chairshot Politics 7″, USA, 1998
  41. H-100′s, Distort Cleveland 7″, USA, 1995
  42. Hatchetface, Volume Two LP, USA, 1995
  43. Haywire, Private Hell LP, USA, 1990
  44. Heroin, Paper Bag 7″, USA, 1992
  45. His Hero Is Gone, Fifteen Counts Of Arson LP, USA, 1997
  46. Huggy Bear, Don’t Die 7″, England, 1993
  47. Human Remains, Using Sickness As A Hero CD, USA, 1996
  48. The Icemen, Rest In Peace 7″, USA, 1991
  49. In My Eyes, Demo, USA, 1997
  50. Infest, Mankind 7″, USA, 1991
  51. Inmates, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1995
  52. Integrity, Humanity Is The Devil 10″, USA, 1996
  53. Into Another, Ignaurus LP, USA, 1994
  54. Jello Biafra With DOA, Last Screams Of The Missing Neighbors LP, USA/Canada, 1990
  55. Judge, The Storm 7″, USA, 1991
  56. Kiss It Goodbye, She Loves Me…She Loves Me Not LP, USA, 1997
  57. Laughing Hyenas, Crawl 7″, USA, 1992
  58. Leeway, Desperate Measures LP, USA, 1991
  59. Los Crudos/Spitboy, Split LP, USA, 1994
  60. Madball, Dropping Many Suckers 7″, USA, 1992
  61. Mainstrike, Times Still Here 7″, Netherlands, 1995
  62. Man Is The Bastard, Sum Of The Men 12″, USA, 1992
  63. Man Lifting Banner, Ten Inches That Shock The World LP, Netherlands, 1992
  64. Mouthpiece, What Was Said LP, USA, 1994
  65. Mukilteo Fairies, Closet Check 7″, USA, 1993
  66. Neanderthal, Fighting Music 7″, USA, 1990
  67. Neurosis, The Word As Law LP, USA, 1990
  68. No Comment, Downsided 7″, USA, 1992
  69. No Escape, Demo, USA, 1990
  70. Out Cold, Self Titled LP, USA, 1994
  71. Paintbox, Screaming Shouting Crying LP, Japan, 1999
  72. Poison Idea, Feel The Darkness LP, USA, 1990
  73. Puncture Wound, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1999
  74. Quicksand, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1990
  75. Ringworm, Demo, USA, 1991
  76. Ripping Corpse, Dreaming With The Dead LP, USA, 1991
  77. Rollins Band, The End Of Silence LP, USA, 1992
  78. Rorschach, Protestant LP, USA, 1992
  79. Rupture, Righteous Fuck 7″, Australia, 1991
  80. S.D.S., Scum System Kill 7″, Japan, 1996
  81. S.O.D., Speak Swedish Or Die 7″, Sweden, 1990
  82. Saint Vitus, Die Healing LP, USA, 1995
  83. Septic Death, Theme From Ozobozo LP, USA, 1992
  84. Skewbald/Grand Union, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1991
  85. Sleater Kinney, Dig Me Out LP, USA, 1997
  86. Sleep, Sleep’s Holy Mountain LP, USA, 1993
  87. Spazz/Black Army Jacket, Split 7″, USA, 1997
  88. Speak 714, The Scum Also Rises 7″, USA, 1999
  89. Sportswear, It Runs Deep 7″, Norway, 1998
  90. Supertouch, The Earth Is Flat LP, USA, 1990
  91. Talk Is Poison, Straight To Hell 7″, USA, 1998
  92. Team Dresch, Personal Best LP, USA, 1995
  93. True Blue, Demo, Germany, 1998
  94. Turning Point, It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn LP, USA, 1991
  95. Verbal Assault, On 12″, USA, 1990
  96. Voorhees, Spilling Blood Without Reason LP, England, 1994
  97. Warhead, Cry Of Truth LP, Japan, 1991
  98. Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh! – The Record, Compilation 7″, International, 1991
  99. Forever, Compilation 7″, USA, 1991
  100. Rebuilding, Compilation 7″, USA, 1991

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