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"

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

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

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

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

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