Friday, December 31, 2010

Andromeda - Exalting The Spirits MCD

A quick post, and my final one for 2010. Another request, this time for Andromeda's 'Exalting The Spirits' MCD. Check my first post on Andromeda here if you don't know this band already. This MCD was released on Genet Records out of Belgium in 1998, almost simultaneously with a split 7" with Pray Silent from Switzerland. It features 3 new songs and the 3 songs from the 7". In the insert the recording data for the 7" songs is the same as those mentioned in the insert for the 7" itself, however there are some noticeable differences, especially in 'Burn The Shroud'. I'm not sure the songs have been remastered/remixed, but I suppose so. Either way, the songs, as well as the 3 new songs still rock. So enjoy, and again Best Wishes for 2010!

Andromeda - Exalting The Spirits MCD

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Tension* - ...And At The Hour Of Our Death CD

As requested after posting Tension*'s 'Struggle Within' 7" here, here's another Tension* record. It's their 1st full-length, the '...And At The Hour Of Our Death' CD which was released on None Of The Above Records in 1997. Continuing in the same vein as the 7", it's great NYHC with the distinctive vocals and delivery of singer Mike (who now fronts Pitfight). While I prefer the 7", this CD is still damn good. As mentioned in my previous post on Tension*, their 'Struggle Within' 7" is added to the CD as a bonus, so I kept it with this download as well. There's also an untitled track on this CD which features a cover of The Go-Go's 'We Got The Beat', with heavily altered lyrics! If Poison Idea can cover it, so can Tension* I guess, heh... Either way, enjoy and Best Wishes for 2011!!!

Tension* - ...And At The Hour Of Our Death CD
Tension* myspace

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Review: Unveil - Hypnopaedia MCD

Unveil from Switzerland is a political vegan sXe hardcore band made up of youngsters who love their '90s hardcore. Along with bands such as Anchor from Sweden, this band is part of the current wave of European vegan sXe bands. After a 2009 demo, the 'Destruction Wherever I Go' 7" and a split MCD with Deadverse (with the same songs as the 7"), they released their new 7" entitled 'Hypnopaedia' a couple of months ago on Take It Back Records and Start A Fire Records. They recently sent me the CD version to review. The CD version doesn't offer any additional songs compared to the 7", making it a short, but sweet, listen at under 10 minutes.

If you've heard any of the previous Unveil records, you will know what this CD sounds like. But if not: mid-tempo metallic hardcore with lots of chugga chugga, crunchy guitars, harsh throaty vocals and a couple of sweet up-tempo parts (the transition to the up-tempo part in 'Pressure' is especially great). I love this style of hardcore and Unveil do it really well. Unveil has also progressed from their older stuff tho, the songs are more varied while still being cohesive and they have a bit more of a 'punch', which is also due to the dry and clear but powerful production. Lyrically, they're not breaking new grounds and there's definitely room for improvement here, but they're decent and to-the-point, and deal with subjects such as national pride, the selfishness of mankind and sticking to your beliefs.

All in all, this is a sweet MCD. Unveil is still a very young band and I hope they keep progressing. I also hope to see them perform again, I saw them once and they were great, and the singer turned out to be a nice guy as well, what more could you ask for? Support this band.

Unveil webstore
Take It Back Records webstore
Start A Fire Records webstore

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Andromeda - s/t 7"

Andromeda was a band from Tampa, Florida, and was formed in the mid '90s out of the ashes of Order Of Importance. They played sweet metalcore with some sludgy influences, grated vocals and some really cool guitar-work. They recorded a self-titled 7" in early 1997 which was released later that year on Toybox Records. These 3 songs would later be re-released together with 3 new songs as the 'Exalting The Spirits' MCD on Genet Records out of Belgium in 1998. Genet Records also released an Andromeda/Pray Silent split 7". Those are the only releases by Andromeda I'm aware of, and I know very little else about this band unfortunately. I still ripped these songs from the 7" tho, as the versions on the MCD are slightly different. Either way, I love the guitar-sound on this 7", and it's a solid 7" throughout. I don't think this band got as much attention or credit as they deserved. Great stuff. So check it out and enjoy.

Andromeda - s/t 7"

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Tension* - Struggle Within 7"

There are too many hardcore bands with the same name. There are for instance 2 (great) Unrestrained's out there in the States at the moment, I have records by at least 4 different Foundation's, and in the '90s there was Tension from Florida and Tension* from Long Island. While Tension from Florida was definitely great, I always preferred the Long Island Tension* (sorry Chip!). The main reason is Tension*'s first release, the 'Struggle Within' 7", which is still awesome, and which made a lasting impression on me from the moment I got it. Released in early 1996 on R.P.P. Records out of Belgium, it's a killer 7" from start to finish. Great NYHC with an absolutely awesome singer. The great music is enough to like this band, but their singer Mike is really what makes this band stand out for me. He has a very raw & gruff voice with an amazing vocal delivery, check 'Made To Suffer' and 'Torn Apart' for prime examples. And the lyrics are cool too, and are reminiscent of Neglect's lyrics.

Anyways, I ripped these songs from CD, as the 7" was added onto their '...And At The Hour Of Our Death' CD which was released on None Of The Above Records in 1997. I did scan in the sleeve and insert from the 7" tho. They did a few more releases since the 7" and the CD, some I have, some I don't, if there are any requests I might post some more Tension*. Awesome band, check it out.

Tension* - Struggle Within 7"
Tension* myspace

Monday, November 15, 2010

Tomorrows Gone - No Way To Make Time Stand Still 1993-1997 CD

As requested by thuglifebaldwin of the awesome Mind Intrusion blog after I posted the Tomorrows Gone 7", here's their discography CD, called 'No Way To Make Time Stand Still 1993-1997'. It appears to be sold out and is apparently even sold for ludicrous prices on eBay, so here it is in digital format. Anyways, this discography CD was released in 2001 on World On Fire Records, a label based in Las Vegas, just as Tomorrows Gone. It includes the aforementioned 7", the 1994 & 1995 demo's and compilation tracks by this melodic hardcore band. Great stuff and definitely an underrated band. One of those bands playing a style I'm usually not too crazy about, but that somehow grabs me nonetheless. Check it out.

Tomorrows Gone - No Way To Make Time Stand Still 1993-1997 CD

Sunday, November 7, 2010

S.F.A. / D.M.B. - 'Live In Europe 91' 7"

Here's a lesser-known S.F.A. record, a live split 7" with German band D.M.B. It was recorded on October 6 1991 on their joint European tour at The Fabrik in Potsdam, Germany, and released on Lund Castle Core Records. It actually says 'East Germoney' on the 7" even though West- and East-Germany had reunited a year prior, but no doubt the differences between the 2 parts of Germany were still vast. Peter, the guy behind Lund Castle Core Records, was also the driver on this tour btw. S.F.A. was ofcourse an awesome hate-core band from NYC, whose first 2 albums are classics in my book, although their later output (the 'Solace' album) doesn't come close. I know very little about D.M.B., a hardcore band from Leipzig, East-Germany. They released a self-titled 7" in 1992 and appeared on a few compilations. Lund Castle Core Records did a few more records, including a Majority Of One/Intricate live split 7". As mentioned in one of the inserts, the label was planning a few more splits with bands including Yuppicide and Upfront but those never happened as far as I know.

Here's a part of the history of S.F.A. as written down by Brendan on their myspace, regarding the European tour and D.M.B.'s manager at the time:
Our first European tour was a lot of fun - booze, brawls, broads and barbiturates. We were drunk and happy every day and played every night like we were on fire. We had a support band from Leipzig called DMB on the road with us. Their manager Imad and his wife Rita came along for the whole tour. We found out several years later that Imad was a command-ranking officer in Stassi (the East German secret police.) He had been running agents who were reporting on and arresting subversives, many of whom had roots in the anti-government East German punk scene. Stassi was still active in Germany when we were on tour. Stassi didn't collapse until several years after the reunification and many of the agents weren't uncovered for years because of the billions (literally) pages of documents that had to be sifted through. That's how Imad was exposed. What I think is kind of cool is that somewhere in the tons of pages of Stassi documents is a report about S.F.A. Even if there were nothing bad about us, he would have had to mention us if just to explain where he was for so long. So you could find S.F.A. at Tower Records in some local fanzine and somewhere in a pile in the basement of Stassi headquarters. That rocks.
I unfortunately did not see (or even know) S.F.A. in 1991, I did see them however on their 1996 Euro tour with Cause For Alarm, good times, I still have an S.F.A. shirt from that tour. Anyways, I ripped the S.F.A. side of this split 7" as one track, because of the talking inbetween songs and 'I Want To Be Alone' and 'Purge' blending into each other. Enjoy!

S.F.A. / D.M.B. - 'Live In Europe 91' 7"
S.F.A. myspace

Sunday, October 17, 2010

At Any Cost (Rhode Island)

At one point, I bought Back Ta Basics 7"s pretty much without thinking about it. Most of the ones I had I was into, so I figured any new ones would be the same. So I scooped up Rhode Island's At Any Cost 'Power Of Mind' 7" from 1996 thinking just that... It turned out to be fairly decent NYHC with a heavy mid-tempo metallic edge. At the time I didn't get into it too much for whatever reason tho, and as a consequence, I probably gave it a listen maybe half a dozen times, if that. Listening to it now, it's much better than I remembered it to be, even if it's nothing too exceptional, it's still well done. Anyway, I kinda forgot about the band for a long time, thinking they'd called it quits some time after the 7"...

Fast forward to a few years ago. At the Independent Outlet in Amsterdam, a skate-store/record-shop, I saw an At Any Cost 'Seen Through Shattered Eyes' CD for next to nothing. Remembering the 7", I checked the booklet and it was indeed the same band so I figured what the hell, and I got it... and absolutely loved the CD. Awesome vocals, powerful songs with cool riffs and drum-parts and enough twists and turns that make it stand out for me. Anyways, recorded in 1998, the CD was released on Lost Disciple Records in 1999. I still play the CD from time to time and it still rules hard. Definitely more than just a step up from the 7".

Unfortunately I was never able to find any sort of info em them, so if anybody can shed some light on this band and/or other releases and such, please leave a comment!

At Any Cost - Power Of The Mind 7"
At Any Cost - Seen Through Shattered Eyes CD

Friday, October 15, 2010

Tomorrows Gone 7"

Tomorrows Gone was a melodic hardcore band from Las Vegas, NV with a slight raw emotional edge. I normally am not really into this style, but this band does it right. Pretty good stuff. Even though they were around for 4 years they went slightly under the radar and didn't do a lot of records. Apart from a couple of demo's and several contributions to compilations, they did only one release of their own, this self-titled 7", which was released on Element Records in 1997. It includes a Dag Nasty cover, 'One To Two', which doesn't sound out of place here, so that should give you an idea of this bands' general sound. Empathy comes to mind as well, also cuz of the vocals. The band would break up in 1997 after which some members started a new band called Faded Grey and do several releases under that name, including a 7" on Element Records in 1999.

I ripped the 7", even though I also have their discography CD, 'No Way to Make Time Stand Still 1993-1997', which was released on World On Fire Records in 2001. This discography CD is also out-of-print as far as I know but can still be bought from Faded Grey and CD Baby, so get it if you enjoy this 7", it's well worth it. Oh, and on both the 7" and the CD the band name is consistently spelled without an apostrophe, so I went along with it.
This song I sing is not for sale. These words I scream to you are real. No one can ever buy our lives. This music will survive.


Tomorrows Gone 7"

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

You, Who Are Innocent... compilation 7"

As requested in the comments section on my previous Tho Ko Losi post, here's the 'You, Who Are Innocent, What Have You Done Worthy Of Death?' compilation 7". Released in 1998 on Catchphraze Records, it's 'a benefit 7 inch for Vegan Outreach & Farm Sanctuary' as explained on the cover. There are 5 bands on here, Upset from Germany (metallic hardcore), Morning Again from Florida (metallic hardcore), Detestation from Oregon (crust/d-beat), the aforementioned Tho Ko Losi from Arizona (grindcore) and Capitali$t Casualties from California (power violence). An awesome benefit compilation with a thick & informative booklet. I coincidentally went vegan the same year this compilation was released in, and I still am. Go vegan!

You, Who Are Innocent, What Have You Done Worthy Of Death? compilation 7"

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Tho Ko Losi - Not At Total War... Yet 7"

I'm not sure what was in the water in Arizona in the mid to late '90s, but it affected the AZ hardcore scene for sure. Bands like Unruh, Wellington, Suicide Nation and Uruk-Hai (pre-Unruh) are all about as harsh & raw as it gets. Another band that falls in line with this group of bands was Tho Ko Losi. Most of the members of Tho Ko Losi would move on Suicide Nation actually. Anyways, Tho Ko Losi played sludgy grindcore that resembles Assück in places (at least to my ears, I'm far from a grindcore expert). In 1997 their only proper record was released, the 'Not At Total War... Yet' 7" on Ben Johnson Records. Five tracks in the aforementioned Assück vein, with lyrics all about their anti-Christian sentiments, from start to finish. I admit I prefer their output as Suicide Nation but this 7" holds up pretty nicely either way. A live-version of 'The Laughing Christ' of this 7" would end up on the 'You, Who Are Innocent, What Have You Done Worthy Of Death?' compilation 7" wich among other bands also featured Capitali$t Casualties & Morning Again. I wholeheartedly recommend this compilation as well, and might post it at some point if there's an interest for it. Till then, enjoy this 7".

Tho Ko Losi - Not At Total War... Yet 7"

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Structure Twentyfour - In Our Disposition tape

Structure Twentyfour was a short-lived straight edge hardcore band from Virginia in the first half of the '90s... Besides a demo from 1993 this is their only proper release, available only on tape. It was released in 1994 on $iege Records, also out of Virginia. It's actually a nice pro-printed tape, and the insert mentions that Structure Twentyfour was sponsored by Vans, haha. The band split up soon after this tape was released, according to their myspace they played exactly 1 show between the release of this tape and their demise. Auch... Anyways, this tape is pretty good stuff, even if it's fairly typical '90s mid-tempo metallic hardcore, with the intricate guitars making this band better than average, adding some Snapcase influences here and there. And songs like 'Underestimate' or 'Tear At The Mountain' are just plain awesome.

BTW, I know the demo and this tape can be downloaded from their Last.fm page. But I still felt like giving this band some attention so I ripped my tape and scanned in the insert regardless.

Structure Twentyfour - In Our Disposition tape
Structure Twentyfour myspace

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Colombian Necktie

As much as I love '90s hardcore, I also love checking out new bands. It's good to know there are still bands popping up that keep me pumped and excited about hardcore. I recently got contacted by a band called Colombian Necktie, a new band out of Los Angeles, about their demo. They're definitely a band that excites me. Rather than taking the now-popular Terror-like and/or breakdown-heavy approach they're opting for a different approach (not that either of those styles are necessarily bad, just really popular right now). They're playing a mixture of dirty, thick & heavy metallic hardcore like Trap Them or Black Ships mixed with some melodic hardcore influences, most clear when they add subtle leads to their songs in various places. Together with the raw vocals, it's an awesome mix. There are 3 songs on this demo which are well-written and have some great lyrics as well. Any band that starts a song ('In Your Absence') with the lyrics 'Fuck your scene, fuck your look, fuck your originality, fuck you' is a keeper in my book. There's also an awesome build-up in 'Black Ash' that is garantueed to be a crowd-pleaser at their live-shows.

All in all, this is a great demo by a cool new band. So give it a shot and support a new band. The band is currently trying to get together & release a DIY split 7" with another great new band called They As In Them. I'm looking forward to this split and whatever else both bands will do in the future.

Colombian Necktie demo
Colombian Necktie myspace

Thursday, September 16, 2010

As Darkness Falls - A Tremor So Subtle MCD

After I posted the As Darkness Falls self-titled 7" on here not too long ago, someone requested a post of their 'A Tremor So Subtle' MCD. And it got requested on xStuck In The Pastx as well (same dude?)... So here it is. It was released in 2000 as a split release on Sadistic Records & On The Rise Records. Not as 'evil' as their 7", this is still a pretty good release. Cool '90s metalcore, a bit 'slicker' than the 7", which might also be cuz it was produced by Steve Evetts (Poison The Well, All Out War, Earth Crisis and a ton more). Musically it reminds me of For The Love Of at times actually. Anyways, a good MCD, give it a try. Underrated band for sure.

As Darkness Falls - A Tremor So Subtle MCD

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Positive Youth / Persevere split 7"

After posting the first release on Facedown Records, here's Facedown Records #2, the Positive Youth / Persevere split 7" from 1998. Positive Youth from California plays youth crew hardcore, plain and simple. I've never really been much of a youth crew person, apart from a few bands, and Positive Youth isn't one of them. It's definitely not bad tho, just not something that stands out in any shape or form for me. Persevere from Maryland have more of a '90s approach with more metallic influences but also softer parts and mixing screamed vocals with soft-spoken vocals. Definitely a band with potential. However, just as with Positive Youth, I have never seen another release by this band. According to their myspace they had enough material for a full-length by the time they disbanded. If anybody has these recordings or their demo, please hit me up.

Positive Youth / Persevere - split 7"
Persevere myspace

Friday, September 10, 2010

No Innocent Victim / Phanatik split 7"

Here's the first release on Facedown Records, a Christian hardcore label, the No Innocent Victim/Phanatik split 7" which was released in 1998. While I'm not Christian myself, and don't believe in a god or whatever, there are some Christian bands that I can totally get into, even if lyrically I go 'meh' or even 'stfu'... No Innocent Victim is one of them, great & ferocious NYHC-styled hardcore. Hailing from Escondido/San Diego, they started out in 1992 and have had numerous releases on a variety of labels... On this split 7" they're featured with 2 live songs recorded at the legendary CBGB's club in NYC in 1997. Regular studio-versions of these songs appear on their 'No Compromise' album, also from 1997. They're teamed up here with Phanatik from New Jersey, a band I know nothing about, who also have 2 songs on here. Not to be confused with the Christian rapper of the same name btw. Good stuff from Phanatik as well, fairly straight-forward old school NJHC/NYHC. Their songs on this 7" also appear on a couple of compilations, I don't know of any other release they've done.

All in all, if you enjoy old school NYHC, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this 7" as well. Just beware: heavy duty Christian lyrics included.

No Innocent Victim / Phanatik split 7"
No Innocent Victim website

Sunday, August 29, 2010

As Darkness Falls - s/t 7"

I don't know too much about As Darkness Falls, a NJ death metal/hardcore band from NJ in the 2nd half of the '90s. I got this 7" randomly at a show years ago and loved it. Great death metal/hardcore hybrid with 'evil' growls and vocals. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of info online about this band, nor do I remember seeing any interviews. This 7" was released in 1998 on 9 Volt Records & Bush League Records. They also appeared on an awesome compilation that Bush League Records put out the previous year called 'Definitely Not The Majors'. In 2000, they did a follow-up release, the 'A Tremor So Subtle' MCD on On The Rise Records/Sadistic Records. Another good effort, tho not as awesome as this 7", which I might post in the future. In any case, an underrated band. So check it out.

Apparently there's also a NJHC documentary out there which has As Darkness Falls footage (as well as One4One, For The Love Of and more)... Only seen a trailer of it. If anybody has this docu or knows where to get it, please let me know! I need it.

As Darkness Falls 7"

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Faction Zero - 'Liberation' CD

After posting the Faction Zero 1995 demo a couple of days ago, BenB (who does an awesome blog called Thanks, It Came As A Set btw, do check it out!) asked about their 'Liberation' CD. So here it is. Released in 1997 on IJT Records, this CD rocks hard from start to finish. If you enjoyed the demo, you'll enjoy this, and vice versa. They re-recorded all tracks from the demo for this CD. Check the other post for more info on this band and their sound.

Faction Zero - 'Liberation' CD
Faction Zero myspace

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Faction Zero 1995 demo

Faction Zero was a hardcore band out of Clifton, New Jersey, and fairly underrated in my opinion (something most people I know who know this band agree with). Playing a heavy mix of NYHC/NJHC with metallic as well as groove-oriented elements, Faction Zero had a great and fairly unique sound even though they were unmistakeably NYHC/NJHC. I won't get into their history too much, their myspace has a lengthy biography written by band-member Chris D'Alessandro. As explained on their myspace this demo was later re-released as 2 separate 7"s and also on a self-titled CD in 2008 which can still be bought. This rip however is straight from my demo-tape. Great stuff, definitely also try to find a copy of their 'Liberation' CD if you haven't heard it yet, great CD, released on IJT Records, known for the 'New York's Hardest' compilations. All the demo-tracks would be re-recorded for that CD as well.

Faction Zero 1995 demo
Faction Zero myspace

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Smackdown - Harder Than Hate CD

A pretty random & obscure CD from my collection. I know very little about this band from Connecticut. Smackdown started in 1997 and released this 11-song CD in 1998 on SDP, which was their own label. Apart from this album, they appeared on a 7 Seconds cover compilation on Groovecore Records, that's all I know. Overall, this is pretty decent up-tempo straight-forward hardcore, nothing exceptional, but a nice listen nonetheless. It appears the band had Christian leanings ('Humanity') and were also pro-life ('Genocide'). If anybody has any more info on this band, or has a demo or some other recording, please leave a comment or hit me up.

Smackdown - Harder Than Hate CD

Friday, August 13, 2010

Profound Effect - 'Lashing Out' CD

Here's the full-length of this short-lived 'NYHC supergroup'. Apparently featuring members of S.F.A., Yuppicide, Warzone, Die 116 and Rejuvenate, this band is hard as nails. While not as good as some of their older bands, nor sounding like them really, Profound Effect's album is definitely too good to pass up. A very dark, heavy and raw metal/hardcore hybrid with tough, burly vocals and no melody whatsoever. Also, the usage of samples in some of the songs is killer, they really add to the grim & cold atmosphere of the music. One weird track tho is 'Represent', which is essentially a spoken thanks-list, no joke. The album was released in 1995 on their own D-10 Hard Recordings label in the US and on the infamous Lost & Found Records in Europe (whether it was a legit release or not, I have no idea).

I don't know if the band ever really got out and played or if it was merely a project? Doesn't matter, at least they left us with this album. Lost & Found also put one of the tracks from the CD, 'One In The Chamber', on a split 7" with Killing Time. The same track also appears on several compilations. I don't think Profound Effect did anything else tho? Either way, great CD.

I scanned the layouts of both versions of the CD and included them with the download. Notice how the L&F layout is almost identical to the D-10 layout, but with different fonts and other fairly minor changes.

Profound Effect - Lashing Out CD

Monday, August 9, 2010

Strength Through Diversity Compilation

Here's another '90s hardcore/metalcore compilation. 'Strength Through Diversity Compilation' was released on Upfront Records, in 1996 or 1997. Upfront Records was a label run by Darrell Tauro, frontman of Groundzero (currently in Wrench In The Works), who are also featured on this CD. It's got plenty of great '90s bands, some relatively well-known, some not so much. Here's the full list of bands: Drowning Room, Groundzero, Ghidrah, Life Drowning, Follow Through, Silent Mourning, Section 8, Beyond Reason, Tenfold, Inner Dam, Age Of Reason, Tyrant Trooper, Leela, Red Tide, Voice Of Reason, Eventide, Capharnaum, Chokepuppy, Coming Correct, Divided By Hate. Almost 3/4th of the bands were from Connecticut, and the rest from New York (state), New Jersey and Massachussetts. Plenty of greatness to be found here, as well as some mediocre tracks, but overall a good compilation. Check it out, there's bound to be at least 1 or 2 bands on here you've not heard before and will like.

Strength Through Diversity Compilation CD

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Crosscheck - Persist 7"

I imagine it's been close to 10 years since I last listened to this 7". One of those 7"s I got, played a couple of times and liked quite a bit, but that still ended up getting lost somewhere in the vinyl pile anyway. I gave it a spin again earlier tonight, and as I was listening to it I decided to post it on here. I totally forgot how good this 7" is. Unfortunately I know very little about this band tho. Crosscheck were from Iowa/Illinois, and singer Greg Thompson was also in a band called Butt Lynt, which I only know cuz he was mentioned on the amazing Double Cross Webzine. They released this 7" in 1995 on Ignition Records out of Vermont, its 1st (and only?) release. Good mid-tempo hardcore with pretty decent lyrics. Nothing outstanding, but good stuff nonetheless. I would love to hear more of this band if anybody has a demo or whatever.

Also, if anybody has info on this band, please leave a comment. It would be especially awesome if someone can say whether or not the Brian Peterson who plays bass on this 7" is the same one who wrote the 'Burning Fight' book. Seems he is!

Crosscheck - Persist 7"

Monday, July 26, 2010

Ultimatum self-titled MCD

Here's the self-released & self-titled MCD of Ultimatum, the first Australian vegan sXe metalcore band. They started out in 1995 and broke up in 2000. After one demo in 1995, they self-released this EP in 1997. Afterwards they also did a split with Australian band Not For You in 2000 before calling it quits. They also appeared on several compilations, 2 of which I ripped and blogged about before here and here. There's quite some info on their Wikipedia page, so I won't repeat it all. Damn good heavy mid-tempo vegan sXe metalcore that should appeal to plenty of readers of this blog. Just check it out.

Ultimatum - s/t MCD
Ultimatum myspace

Monday, July 12, 2010

Cutthroat - Hatebreedsrage CD

Cutthroat out of Clifton Park, NY. A tight, hard & heavy mix between hardcore and Pantera-like metal. I was lucky enough that this release's label, Ruffneck Records, sent me this CD and Section 8's first CD to review back in the day. Both bands are awesome, and their records are quite hard to come by unfortunately. This album, 'Hatebreedsrage', was released in 1995 and it's hard, really hard. The only other stuff I have by this band are the songs they contributed to the 'East Coast Assault II' compilation, which I ripped and uploaded here. They also appeared on a few more compilations. If tracks such as 'Hate Breeds Rage' or 'This World' don't make you want to punch a hole in the wall, I don't know what will. Apparently Cutthroat did 2 more albums after this one, but I've never seen either of them, and info on this band seems pretty hard to come by online. If anybody has any of their other records, hook me up! Thanxxx to Andrew & Fred for hooking me up!



Cutthroat - Hatebreedsrage CD
Cutthroat myspace

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Shutdown - Demo 1996

Shutdown started out in NYC in 1994 and lasted till the early 2000's. They played a sweet mix of heavy NYC and more posi youth crew inspired hardcore, especially cuz of the more high-pitched vocals of Mark Scondotto. He's Mike Scondotto's little brother btw, who's known from bands such as Confusion and Inhuman. They've done a bunch of records including a split 7" with Indecision and several albums on Victory Records. This demo was done in 1996, and I believe 4 of these 5 songs ended up on the 'XDecideX' 7". The sound-quality is pretty shitty, but hey, it's a demo, take it or leave it.

As a sidenote, Shutdown is back together and even writing a new album according to their myspace. Sweet!

Shutdown - Demo 1996
Shutdown myspace

New Tools For The Hunter compilation CD

'New Tools For The Hunter: An Australian Hardcore Compilation' is a hardcore compilation from 1997, featuring 10 Australian hardcore bands doing 2 tracks each. It was released on First Blood Records, a label formerly known as X Jedi Knight Productions X, and run by people from the band Shadowcast. Not sure if the label released anything else? Anyways, the quality of the bands is pretty mixed, and with styles ranging from NYHC to old school hardcore to metalcore to emocore to rocking hardcore with a saxophone. Yeah, a saxophone. Standout bands for me are Mindsnare (heavy hardcore), Ultimatum (vegan sXe metalcore) and the aforementioned Shadowcast (heavy metallic hardcore with enviro-/socio-political lyrics). Overall a good overview of the Australian hardcore scene from the late '90s.

From the insert:
Hardcore is a vehicle. Hardcore is an instrument. Hardcore is a weapon. It is a means of expression. An outlet for ideas. A conveyor of emotion. Hardcore is an instrument from which we create solutions. It is a weapon against the outside world. It is a vehicle to channel out our hurt, our pain, our fear, our anger and our defiance. Hardcore is our outlet. Hardcore is our instrument. It is our weapon. This is hardcore and these are our New Tools For The Hunter...
New Tools For The Hunter compilation CD

Monday, May 24, 2010

Eleventh Hour - Sifting Through The Ashes 7"

Eleventh Hour was a hardcore band from Texas, and was around from 1993 to 1997. Here's the 1994 vinyl re-release of their 1993 demo. Good straight-forward hardcore with some slower and more metallic parts and pissed off vocals. Lyrically it deals with issues such as vivisection and the destruction of the rain-forest, and besides the lyrics in the booklet there's also an explanation of the lyrics for each song, which is always a cool thing. Besides this demo/7" the band also appeared on a couple of compilations. Check out their myspace for more information.

Eleventh Hour - Sifting Through The Ashes 7"
Eleventh Hour myspace

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Third Age - s/t MCD

Third Age was a rocking, emotive & metallic hardcore band from Rhode Island in the first half of the '90s. After a demo they released 'The Furthest West' 7" in 1993, a self-titled 7" in 1994 and a full-length called 'Super Natural' which was recorded in 1995 but wasn't released until a couple of years later, around the time they split up, in 1997. I managed to get copies of the 7"s on one of my trips to Amherst, MA. I got em at the Mystery Train record store with a bunch of other records in the 2nd hand section. I also ended up spending way too much money at the Newbury Comics in Amherst on those trips... Oh well. Anyways... I enjoyed the EP's and got the CD version of the 2nd 7" soon thereafter, which compiles both 7"s. I got the CD here in the Netherlands oddly enough, tho I don't think too many people over here know this band really. I ripped the CD but also included scans of the 7"s with the download. I was never really into the instrumental track, 'The Time It Takes', but the other tracks are great emotive & rocking hardcore with a metallic edge and with good sung vocals (in that '90s vein, not the current shitty clean vocals that are so popular), especially 'Natural Law' is awesome. Bands like Standpoint and Cross-Section come to mind. Unfortunately I never managed to get my hands on the full-length, so if anybody has a copy they want to get rid of, lemme know.

Third Age - s/t MCD
Third Age myspace

Thursday, May 13, 2010

With One Intent

Back in the '90s when I was still active on the alt.music.hardcore newsgroup, one guy who would promote his band on there was Andy Cambria. He played guitar in With One Intent from Massachussetts, and eventually ended up sending me the 'Mass. Hardcore' demo of his band sometime in early 1997 cuz of being on the newsgroup. I enjoyed the demo quite a bit. Raw and tough hardcore, good stuff. With One Intent were around for about 3 years and did 2 demo's, a mini-CD and a split 7" with Reach The Sky (which was originally going to be a split 7" with Blood For Blood). I included all of these here. They also appeared on several compilations, including a compilation called 'Fear No Evil' (Last Word Records) that my old band Disdain was on as well, but since that track was also on their MCD I didn't include it. Anyways, check it out, With One Intent were a good band that didn't get the recognition they deserved in my opinion.

Here's a biography I found online:
WITH ONE INTENT formed in November of 1996. After only one month of rehearsals, the band went into the studio and recorded their first demo, entitled 'Mass. Hardcore'. This was quickly followed up with a new recording in the Summer of 1997, entitled 'Complete failure'. The 'Complete failure' demo earned the band the recognition they have come to enjoy to date. This demo showed the band as a force to be reckoned with on the hardcore scene and received praise from the US, Europe and Japan. The four songs on the demo showed a progression to a much heavier style. After the release of 'Complete failure', With One Intent began to play more shows in New England and the surrounding States including New York and Pennsylvania. In January of 1998, the band returned to the studio to record 'Leaving it all behind', their debut EP on RPP. This effort contains 6 new recordings and promises to catapult the band to the next level of notoriety in the hardcore community. The band is also featured on a split 7" on Back Ta Basics Records (run by Rick Ta Life) with Boston's REACH THE SKY and compilations on Last Word Records from Syracuse, NY with Faction Zero, Cipher, Neck and others and on Lost Disciple Record's upcoming Boston hardcore compilation.
LineUp (1998) : Seamus Foy : vocals - Andy Cambria : guitas - Rudy Dormitzer : bass - Mark Sarno : drums
With One Intent - Mass. Hardcore demo
With One Intent - Complete Failure demo
With One Intent - Leaving It All Behind MCD
With One Intent / Reach The Sky split 7"

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Atlas Shrugged - 1992 demo

After posting an Atlas Shrugged 7" on xStuck In The Pastx, I figured it was time to post their 1992 demo as well. So here it is, showcasing Atlas Shrugged in its earliest form. It's an awesome & raw sounding demo, and definitely already shows the genius this band would portray in their future music. The band would re-record all of these songs for their first proper release, the 'The Last Season' LP, which was released in 1993 on singer Chris Weinblad's own label, Trip Machine Laboratories. Hopefully there will be an Atlas Shrugged discography on Trip Machine Laboratories sooner rather than later.

Atlas Shrugged - 1992 demo
Atlas Shrugged myspace

Monday, May 3, 2010

Thoughts Of Ionesco - s/t 7"

Yesterday, I finally watched the 'For An End' documentary DVD that comes with the 'The Scar Is Our Watermark' CD by Detroit maniacs Thoughts Of Ionesco. Amazing documentary about an awesome band, intense & insane does not even begin to describe this band. Fucking art. I've been into this band since the late '90s when I first heard them on their '...And Then There Was Motion' LP. One of the most self-destructive, pained and intense bands of the '90s. I'm not gonna write much more about them or their music, but I'll just quote part of a biography of theirs that says it all:
The trio, whose collective mental stability was often called into question by even those close to them, was most often compared to My War-era Black Flag, mixing hatred and aggression with super-heavy riffs, free jazz exploration, a brutal live show, and hefty doses of nihilism, self-loathing, and pure masochistic rage to produce a sound wholly challenging and frequently misunderstood. Thoughts of Ionesco were in a class of their own; their performances were notoriously destructive -- instruments were smashed in minutes, walls were kicked in, blood was shed, bottles were thrown -- as the bandmembers showed absolutely no regard for themselves or the "fans" they couldn't be bothered to care about. For them, only the music mattered.
Here is their 1st 7", from 1996, released on Cascade Records.

Edit: The 7" is still available from Cascade Records. Get it here.

Thoughts Of Ionesco - s/t 7"
Thoughts Of Ionesco myspace

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Hermon Dekalb - 'To Repossess The Heart' MCD

Plenty of stuff has been written about Syracuse and its hardcore scene & bands, both old and new. One band that doesn't get mentioned as often as it should in my opinion, is Hermon Dekalb. Hermon Dekalb were around in the late '90s and unfortunately didn't release a whole lot. Apart from demo('s) and some compilations (such as the Syracuse Hardcore comp and the Hex comp 7"), I don't know of any proper HD release besides their 'To Repossess The Heart' MCD which was released on Temperance Records in 1999, which I ripped and uploaded here. They had a sound of their own, combining quieter parts with powerful metallic hardcore into an awesome blend (3rd track 'How I Spent My Summer Vacation' is the perfect example). I wish this band had done more, but at least they did this MCD. Enjoy.

Keith In Hell, of Hellfest fame, played bass in this band btw. Members went on to bands such as Found Dead Hanging, The Funeral, Prisoner, Darker Day Tomorrow and The August Prophecy.

Hermon Dekalb - 'To Repossess The Heart' MCD
Hermon Dekalb myspace

1.6 Band releases new 7"

After Beyond folded, singer Kevin Egan formed a new band, 1.6 Band. During their short existence, from 1991 to 1993, they released a couple of 7"s (including a split 7" with Rorschach), an LP and a discography CD which was released on Gern Blandsten in 1995. I'm not familiar with the LP nor the discography CD, but the 7"s are really good. Recently the band re-united for some shows and they even recorded a new 7", entitled 'The Checkered Pasts of All Kings Present'. The 7" is available from Metastasis Records, and can also be downloaded for free from the Metastasis website. 4 More great quirky & rocking hardcore tracks. So what's stopping you from checking it out?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Corrin - Earth Scorned Beauty demo

Corrin from Rhode Island were one of the many awesome metalcore bands from the New England area in the mid '90s, such as Overcast, Converge, Fortydaysrain, Cave-In, Barrit, etc... Despite being an amazing band with their own sound, they didn't do a lot of proper releases. There's the 'Despair Rides On Angel Wings' 7" from 1995 on Hydrahead Records and the split 7" with Arise from 1996 on Devils Head & Infidel Records and that's it. A couple of years after those releases, in 1998, and after Corrin had broken up, a discography CD called 'Plutonian Shores' was released, again on Infidel Records. It also includes this 'Earth Scorned Beauty' demo from 1995, which was recorded at the same time as the 7". Despite the demo also being on the CD, I decided to rip the original tape, so here are the tracks in their original form and not the remastered versions.

Singer Jesse Leach (spelled 'Leeche' on the demo and the 7") would move on to be the original singer for Killswitch Engage and also fronted Nothing Gold Can Stay (Corrin guitarist Joe Cantrell also played in this band), Seemless and currently The Empire Shall Fall & Times Of Grace. Other bands with former Corrin members include The Game, Breakthrough and The Radio Speaks.

Corrin - Earth Scorned Beauty demo
Corrin myspace

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Gandiva 7"

Here's the first release on Devils Head Recordings, the label done by Adam Dutkiewicz of Aftershock (RIP) and Killswitch Engage. This 7" by Gandiva was released in 1997. Gandiva was a pretty short-lived band from East Longmeadow, MA, from what I gathered they started sometime in 1996 and ended in late 1997, after doing only 2 demo's and this 7", besides compilations. I don't have either demo unfortunately, but apparently the 3 songs on this 7" are re-recorded songs off the 2nd demo. Either way, this is a really good & solid 7". Solid '90s metalcore like Aftershock, with the second song being borderline emo-metal like New Day Rising. They also have multiple members doing vocals, sometimes doing their own thing at the same time, which works really well for them.

Judging by the band-name and the thanks-list, the band or some of its members might have been krishna-conscious, but I'm not sure. I couldn't find too much info on this band or this 7" unfortunately. I also have a compilation 7", 'Vibratory Disturbance 2', that they're on with a song that's not on this 7", I might post it at some time in the future. Members went on to bands such as Year Of Our Lord, Barrit, Cave-In and Hallraker. And I'm sorry about the pop in 'Searcher', I couldn't get rid of it.

Update: I posted the 'Vibratory Disturbance 2' compilation 7" here.

Gandiva - s/t 7"

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Trial By Jury - 'Ignite' 7"

Here is, in my opinion, the best record done by Trial By Jury, a band from Hampton, Virginia, who were around in the 1st half of the '90s. This is their 2nd 7", 'Ignite', which was released on Last Stand Records out of Germany in 1992. Amazing music, great vocals, thoughtful and great lyrics, this 7" was way ahead of its time in my mind. A band like Worlds Collide comes to mind at times, but also Betrayed, whose 7" I posted a while back. The only flaw I can find on this record is that some of the songs seem to have no real ending, it's almost like they're unfinished. Still, I absolutely love this 7".

Here's a short biography taken from their myspace:
Trial By Jury formed around 1990, and shortly therafter recorded our demo featuring 6 songs in 1991. The following spring 4 of the tracks were released on 7" vinyl as "the demo 1991". Shortly after, German based label Last Stand Records, released the "Ignite" 7". In late 1992 Trial By Jury was picked up by Outback Records and over the next year released the "Alter" 7", as well as the first full length album, "Fortune Cookie". Shortly after "Fortune Cookie" was released the band called it quits. During the few years the band was together members came and went, resulting in a progression of styles throughout the duration of the band.
If anybody wants me to post some of their other records, just leave a comment or something. And if anybody has their demo (the actual demo, not the demo 7", which I do have, but contains only half of the tracks from the real demo), please get in touch. I have the demo now, awesome.

BTW, does anybody know if Craig Moore from Trial By Jury is the same guy as the one who played for As It Stands/Mayday? Same area, same period in time and all.

Trial By Jury - Ignite 7"
Trial By Jury myspace

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kobe City Hardcore comp 7"

This compilation 7" from 1996 became part of my collection for one reason and one reason only... John Holmez is on it. I don't mean John Holmes the porn actor or the UK hardcore band John Holmes, but the Japanese hardcore band from the mid '90s. Excellent heavy & semi-metallic hardcore, the band helped build a hardcore scene in Japan, enough so that in 2002 or so, a 'Tribute to John Holmez' compilation CD was released with bands such as T.J. Maxx, Strength and Sand covering a song of theirs. I might put some more John Holmez material on here at some point, good stuff for sure. The recording is not that great, and I prefer their later recordings for sure, but still... It's all good.

This 3-band compilation 7" features, as the title suggests, 3 bands from Kobe, Japan. The most well-known band on here tho, is Argue Damnation. Pretty sweet & raging crust-punk/hardcore, this band was a force to be reckoned with from 1994 to 2004. The third band on here, Big One Gum, well... They play pretty straight forward old school hardcore. The band was presumably named after a line of toys sold in Japan at the time, but other than that I know nothing about the band.

The label, MCR, did this 7" as part of a series of compilation 7"s focusing on the punk & hardcore scenes in various Japanese cities. You can see a full list here. I don't have any of the other ones btw, so don't bother asking. The sleeve is a 4-panel fold out poster, with nothing printed on the back side. Since the images on the 4 panels aren't connected, I kept the scans separate as well.

Kobe City Hardcore comp 7"

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Intent - s/t 7"

I got this 7" with a bunch of other random records a while ago. I didn't know anything about the band, and I pretty much still don't. Still, a great piece of vinyl. Up-tempo hardcore with some more rocking bits. It reminds me of Billingsgate a lot, and I love Billingsgate. This version was released on Punchline Records in 1990 on beautiful marbled blue vinyl, limited to 500 copies, mine's number 99. However, there's also another pressing, also from 1990, on Redemption Records, not sure what's up with that. I suppose I'll have to find a copy of it to find out. They also appeared on the 'Voice Of Thousands' compilation, and that's about as much as I know of this band. I don't know if they did anything else or what the members did before or after. There's no contact information listed, but this was recorded in Austin, TX so I can only assume this band was from Texas. So if you have any information about this band, leave a comment or something!

For those who are wondering, this is not the Intent from Albany, NY that Nate Wilson (Monster X, Devoid Of Faith, Das Oath, Gloom Records) was in. Same period in time, different bands.

Update: I also have the version on Redemption Records now as well as the 'Drift' 12". Love this band!

Intent - s/t 7"

Friday, March 5, 2010

Shinkasta MCD (New Zealand)

Shinkasta from New Zealand, not to be confused with the shitty Canadian altrock band Shikasta. This band actually ruled. If I remember correctly I received this MCD from one of the members of Shinkasta whom I met on IRC 'back in the day', even wrote a review of it for some webzine I contributed to back then. Haven't seen them mentioned a whole lot since and it's quite a shame, this is a pretty solid record that should appeal to quite some people who visit this blog. Released in 1996 on Barricade Records, also out of New Zealand, this MCD has 5 songs recorded in a studio on it plus 2 live-recordings added to the 5th track. The live-recordings don't really add too much here tho. Either way, good and relatively obscure band and record (esp outside of New Zealand). If yer into heavy mid-tempo & metallic hardcore like Strain, you'll enjoy this. So check it out.

Here's a short bio that my man Ca$hdog in New Zealand wrote up on Shinkasta:

Shinkasta formed in Hamilton, New Zealand in 1992/93 and although they only released this one singular release for those who saw them live they left quite a legacy. Since they stopped playing in 1996 the members have been in various other heavy bands. The singer Bennett went onto sing for Daredevil, the guitarist Stu played guitar for State of Grace, The bass player Mark played bass in Vargas, The Redshift and joined Evil Priest, the drummer Andrew played drums for Vargas.
Shinkasta MCD

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Cyclops - Cradle Of Man's Mistakes 7"

Even if yer not the biggest Man Is The Bastard fan (such as myself, I find MITB to be hit or miss), you gotta respect the unrelenting pace at which the band-members have pumped out records throughout the years, and their musical adventurism. Whether it's thru MITB or any of the many side-projects and other bands they did before, during and after MITB's life-span. Cyclops is one such a side-project/band. Cyclops was a short-lived band that Eric Wood and Joel Connell of MITB fame did right before they started MITB. They had both been in Pissed Happy Children and Pillsbury Hardcore before that and Cyclops happened around the same time as Neanderthal and right before Charred Remains/MITB. Cyclops was around from 1989 to 1991 and released only 2 7"s. Here is one of them.

This one-sided 7" from 1991, their 2nd and last, features 2 songs. You can really hear the more jazz/progrock oriented influences of MITB in Cyclops. Before Iceburn incorporated jazz & progrock into their sound, before MITB fused it with grindcore, Cyclops was doing it. The end-result is quite amazing, if I may say so. This is a 'hit' for me, basically. MITB would actually later re-record the 2nd track of this 7", 'Me & Hitler'. I'm still looking for the 1st 7" btw, if anybody has it, lemme know (I do have it on MP3, I want the actual 7").

Cyclops - Cradle Of Man's Mistakes 7"

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Slowsidedown - s/t 7"

Slowsidedown was a band from Portland, OR in the mid '90s. They released 2 7"s, and appeared on a couple of compilations. Here is their 1st, self-titled, 7" released in 1995 on Red Alert Works, also out of Portland, OR. Maybe it was the label of one of the band-members? Either way, this is excellent semi-spastic mid '90s hardcore/emo with a lot of tension and intensity in the songs. Think Angel Hair, New Day Rising, etc... But I suppose the manila envelope cover this 7" comes in already gives the style away. The really cool artwork of this 7" and the insert was done by a guy called Jason Swivel. Either he, the band or the label was nice enough to include a hand-made postcard as promotion for his graphical design work with this 7", which is a nice touch. Anyways, after this 7", they did a 7" on Excursion Records which I unfortunately do not own. The singer later sang for Jayhawker and Pistols At Dusk. Other members went on to The Transplants.

Slowsidedown - s/t 7"

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Bowel - Rotten Fecal Duct CD

This was a 'project'/joke-band from Cleveland, Ohio, made up of Integrity and One Life Crew members (Leon & Aaron Melnick and Tony Pines were involved if I remember correctly). Mean Steve did vocals (thanxxx to Andrew Aversionline for the info). Apart from a demo (which I don't have) this is the only release of theirs I know about, they also appear on the 'Dark Empire Strikes Back' compilation but with 'Barbicution' which is also featured on this CD. This CD was released on Dwid Integrity's Dark Empire label in 1994. Sick, but simplistic, grindcore with some absolutely punishing mid-tempo parts. I'm not much of a grindcore fan, so maybe this is pretty average as far as grindcore goes? Either way, who cares, just check it out. The intro 'Construction Boot Stomp' is about as crushing as an intro can get. You can also hear some Integrity influences in the guitar parts, such as the leads/solo in 'Hacked Humans'. All in all, I dig it.

This CD is actually a split CD, altho you wouldn't have guessed it if you saw the CD. The other band on here, The Guns, is only mentioned inside the booklet, and even then only with a tracklist. From what I gathered these tracks were added without permission from the bandmembers. I am not sure why these are added to the CD as The Guns were a hardcore punk band from the early/mid '80s and I'm pretty sure no member would eventually end up in Bowel. The only connection I know of is that The Guns were also from Cleveland. Pretty decent stuff tho, just a totally wrong band for a split with Bowel. 2 members of The Guns went on to a band called The Dark. Both of them have passed away unfortunately. RIP.

Here's a video of Bowel doing 'Rotten Fecal Duct':


Bowel - Rotten Fecal Duct CD
Bowel myspace

Monday, February 15, 2010

Direction comp 7"

I recently got my hands on this sweet little compilation 7" from 1997. I mainly got it for Disciple (when they were still called Disciple) and Stretch Arm Strong. But it's a cool compilation all around. It was released on Snacktime Records out of Seattle, WA.

Step Ahead kick things off with a hardcore track in the SOIA vein. Nothing more, nothing less, decent stuff you've heard a gazillion times before... If I'm not mistaken, one of the people in this band would eventually end up in Paint It Black? Actually I wouldn't mind hearing more by this band.
Disciple's track 'Eyewitness' would later be re-recorded for the 'Imitation Of Love' album, and this version would be included on the 'Doxology' album. Gotta love the rough edge that Disciple always had on their recordings. And those vocals, man... Good stuff. Not their best track, but basically you can't go wrong with this band.
I think Stretch Arm Strong's track 'Prevail' is exclusive to this 7", but I'm not sure. While I enjoy some of their stuff, they were never one of my fave bands, but this is a pretty good track. I dig it. If you like fast & posi hardcore (without being youth crew), you'll like this. Way better than the melodic stuff from their last few albums.
Rightstart starts off with a cool Snapcase 'Lookinglasself'-like guitar-riff but quickly shifts into youth crew hardcore mode with lyrics about 'bringing it back, the spirit of youth' and fingerpointing and their local C.H.U.B. crew. It's pretty decent, albeit fairly average stuff. Too bad their lyrics aren't included with this 7", deep stuff for sure.
Closing band 24th Solution, a sXe hardcore band, brings to the table a pretty cool hardcore track with some slight Downset. influences and pretty decent anti-corporate lyrics. Pretty good stuff, and closing off a relatively obscure, but solid compilation 7".

Various - Direction 7"
Sorry, couldn't find a page for Step Ahead anywhere
Disciple myspace
Stretch Arm Strong
Rightstart myspace
24th Solution myspace

Hang The Bastard / Abolition split 7"

Not exactly a record from the '90s, but whatever, plenty of '90s worshipping going on here... 2 Excellent bands from London, UK, and released by cool people, what's not to support/love?! I already knew Hang The Bastard from their 'Raw Sorcery' MCD and the 2 songs on here continue in the same vein. Incredibly metallic hardcore with sick vocals, there are plenty of Ringworm/Integrity/Kickback influences throughout but they also have more doom & straight up metal influences, tho these 2 tracks are less doom-y than the tracks on the MCD. If you're familiar with their MCD you'll want this for sure tho.

Abolition totally falls in the '90s hardcore category with their up-tempo hardcore that's similar to bands like Strife, Unashamed, Outspoken and Trial. Quality stuff. Anybody who knows me knows I live for this kinda hardcore, so these 2 tracks definitely give me an appetite for more Abolition. Really solid hardcore, I hope this band won't disband any time soon like so many who seem to come up, release a few kick-ass songs and then disappear again.

I don't have the artwork/full packaging for this as it's not released yet, so I can't comment on the lyrics or anything artwork related. But I have heard all the tracks on here and am loving it a lot, a sweet split 7" from start to finish. Pre-orders for this record are up on the Disposable Culture UK webstore now.

Hang The Bastard - Most Will Swim On A Lake Of Fire
Abolition - No Remorse
Disposable Culture UK webstore
Hang The Bastard myspace
Abolition myspace