Watchmen - s/t 7"

Buffalo, NY has had its fair share of great hardcore bands. Zero Tolerance, Snapcase, Despair, Against All Hope, This World Rejected, etc... Here is a lesser known band from the late 80s/early 90s Buffalo scene called Watchmen. If that name sounds familiar, Watchmen member Doug White also ran, and to this day still does, a recording studio called Watchmen Studios, where many hardcore bands have recorded. Here's the Watchmen's self-titled 7" (also referred to as 'Disease Of Isolation' 7"), which was released on Rorschach Records in 1990. It was ofcourse recorded at Watchmen Studios. I don't know if Rorschach Records was their own label or a friends or something (as it was located in Lockport, NY), but the comic book reference seems too much of a coincidence, Rorschach being one of the Watchmen and all. Anyways, 4 tracks which bridge hardcore and hard rock/metal, with pretty rough vocals. Pretty hard stuff, especially for the time, altho Zero Tolerance had an even harder sound when it comes to Buffalo hardcore from that era. Good stuff tho, I can definitely appreciate this band. It kinda reminds of bands such as Brickhouse. Enjoy! Their drummer would also do time in Snapcase, no idea what the other members did before or after.

Watchmen - s/t 7"

Bipolar

Here are the only releases, apart from demo's, that I know of by Bipolar from Ohio. These 2 7"s were both released on Rubbercity Records in 1996. In fact, they were both recorded during the same recording session and they're the first 2 releases on Rubbercity Records. Bipolar played great 90s mid-tempo metallic hardcore with a mix of spoken and shouted vocals and lyrics dealing with subjects such as rape, human rights and animal rights as well as more personal topics... Seriously good stuff, which is right up my alley. I don't even mind the muffled and bass-heavy production, it reminds me of bands such as Chokehold and such. So if you like bands such as Chokehold or Groundwork, definitely check out this band. It's not as amazing as them, but Bipolar was still an obscure and underrated band by any means. The band was at least partially sXe and vegetarian/vegan, but I don't think they were a full-on veggie sXe band.

Both Bipolar 7"s have a weird ending on side A, which I've left as-is. It's actually part of the 7", and not the needle of my record player going all weird, heh, tho I'm not sure how intentional it was or what the idea behind it was. Anyways, one of the members would eventually make a name for himself in the trance/industrial scene under the name HeldByWill. I don't know much else about Bipolar, and searching around online for them doesn't return much either. But don't let that stop you, as I said above, this is really good stuff. Give it a chance! Also, Rubbercity Records was a record label done by Clint from Don Austin, and which focused mostly on releasing records by bands from Ohio. Splinter and Don Austin were other bands who did a 7" on Rubbercity.

Bipolar - Blankets Of Deceit 7"
Bipolar - Awry 7"

Sheer Terror - Ugly And Proud 7"

Here's a weird little gem. I picked this up at the first Sheer Terror show I ever went to, at the original Bat Cave (RIP) in Tilburg, the Netherlands in 1993 with, if I remember correctly, Belgian Asociality supporting. I can't remember if I picked it up from the Sheer Terror people or from somebody who was selling them at that show. Either way, there's hardly any information on the 7", not even a tracklisting, the 7" itself has white labels, and there's not even a mention of a label anywhere except the catalog number, TS001. But it's not hard to figure out the tracks, they're 'Sin Of Pride' and 'A. No. 1', both from the 'Ugly and Proud' album. There were issues with Maze Records not having enough funds to release the 'Ugly And Proud' album at the time, so maybe that had something to do with the existence of this 7"? Those same issues also led to the 'Thanks Fer Nuthin' album which had re-recordings of a bunch of songs from 'Ugly And Proud', so who knows... But anyways, there's nothing new here, but it's a cool 7" nonetheless, also cuz of the possible history behind it (which is pure conjecture, maybe somebody who reads this knows the real story behind this 7"? If so, please leave a comment).

Sheer Terror - Ugly And Proud 7"

Denile - We Have Not Begun! demo

Thanxxx to a reader of this blog, I was able to acquire this Denile demo in late 2009. To say I was stoked when I received it, is an understatement. I love this band, and this demo only strengthened it. Denile from PA were around for quite some time (1993-2001) but didn't manage to put out a lot of records, which is a damn shame. The first time I heard them was when I got their great split 7" with Dysphoria from 1997. Both Dysphoria and Denile are amazing on it. I posted that split 7" here. This is their 1996 demo tho, which was their 3rd release, called 'We Have Not Begun!'. At this point the band still had only 1 guitarist and at times you can hear the band play more traditional hardcore (most apparent in 'Alone'). But it's a solid, great demo with plenty of heavy, metallic riffs and singer Mark's recognizable vocals. I cannot recommend this underrated band enough, so please check out this band if you haven't yet. Here is an old website which was done by Denile's drummer Tony Fucci that has various Denile mp3's including some tracks from their unreleased full-length from 2000. Edit: The Denile site is now offline for whatever reason. Damn shame! So that also means the mp3's are unavailable, including those from the unreleased album. I have a zip of that unreleased album tho, which was called 'Where Heaven And Hell Meet', altho I can't remember how I got it. But I have uploaded it again now and added it to this post, also cuz of What76's comment. It does not have track-titles unfortunately, and I don't know them either. But enjoy!

Denile - We Have Not Begun! demo
Denile - Where Heaven And Hell Meet unreleased CD
Denile myspace

Powered By Pride - Jersey Style demo

Here's another demo I picked up at Alain Out For Blood's R.P.P. distro at a show back in the day. His demo-box would always be filled with new demo's to check out and buy, haha. This is the 'Jersey Style' demo by Powered By Pride, a hardcore band from New Jersey (obviously). Recorded in early 1998, this is fairly typical tough NJHC/NYHC. Good stuff tho, if you enjoy this style. The thanks list mentions bands such as Burnside, Da Real Deal and Forsaken Existence, that should give you a clue as to what this band sounds like. I don't think this band did anything else recording-wise, tho I'd love to be proven wrong, so if anybody has some more PBP recordings, do leave a comment! Drummer Jared would also do time in Ego Cage and Shortfall, no idea what the other band members did besides PBP.

Powered By Pride - Jersey Style demo

Said & Done - s/t 7"

Said & Done (not to be mistaken with the current, and great, hardcore band from the Netherlands of the same name) was a melodic hardcore band from Boston in the late 80s, early 90s. Apart from a few appearances on compilations, they did only one 7". This self-titled 7" was released on Suburban Voice in 1991. Suburban Voice ofcourse being the well-known zine done by Al Quint from 1982 until 2003 (in print format). But it was also a label on which he also released a bunch of records, many of which came as freebies with the zine, others were 'regular' releases, such as this 7", but also 7"s by bands such as Kingpin and Daltonic. Al still does Suburban Voice, now as a blog, so by all means check it out here. As mentioned, Said & Done also appears on a few comps, including the 'Boston Hardcore' comp but other than that I know nothing about this band. If somebody does, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Here's a cool live video:


Said & Done - s/t 7"

1992 Hardcore: Round 2 In An Endless Fight compilation 7"

As mentioned in the Groundwork (CT) post, they also appeared on a compilation 7" put out by the same label who released their self-titled 7". So here it is. Put out on Round Two Records in 1992 as their first release, this compilation features 5 bands. Higher Force was a band with Pete Morcey on vocals (also one of the people behind Round Two Records), who would later on do vocals for Forced Reality and 100 Demons (replacing Bruce LePage). His vocal style is a bit too much here tho for me. Another Wall would get a great posthumous 7" release on Doghouse Records, and their track here is easily the best contribution to this compilation, love this song. Groundwork I already covered in my previous post, this is a great track, just as good as their self-titled 7". Livestock I know nothing about, but would love to hear more of them, great stuff, there's even some chugga chugga in their sound. If anybody knows more about this, please leave a comment! Evolve does a decent, albeit slightly weird track on here. They also appeared on a split 7" with Mindwar, also released on Round Two Records. Overall it's a fairly solid compilation. The front and cover of the sleeve are printed in a slightly different form on the inside of the sleeve, so that's why they appear twice with the scans. The insert is rather large, so I've broken it up into separate scans. Enjoy!

Oddly enough Hearsay Records, who also released (legit or not) the Converge/Overcast and Vision Of Disorder/Loyal To None split 7"s, would release a compilation 7" with the Groundwork, Livestock and Evolve tracks from this compilation on side A and the Evolve tracks from their aforementioned split 7" with Mindwar on side B. Sounds sketchy to me, hahaha...

1992 Hardcore: Round 2 In An Endless Fight compilation 7"

Groundwork (CT) 7"

Here's the only 7" of Groundwork from Connecticut, which was released on Round Two Records in 1992. So not the (awesome, and more well-known) Groundwork from Arizona, but another one, that was around at the same time, the early '90s. This Groundwork had a more melodic and rocking sound than the AZ Groundwork and was not nearly as political. This 7" is still a great listen, even if I prefer the AZ Groundwork. Unfortunately there are only 2 songs on this 7" tho which is a bit short. Their full discography includes several demo's, a CT hardcore compilation 7" (also on Round Two Records) and a CD with a couple of their recordings. I have the compilation 7" which I posted here will post at some point, I do not have any of the other recordings unfortunately. I would love to get my hands on them, so if anybody can help, please hook me up! For now, enjoy this 7".

Groundwork (CT) 7"

The Point compilation 2x7"

Here's another cool, but lesser known, hardcore compilation from the 90s, featuring 8 bands on 2 7"s. The bands on here are Strength 691, Backlash, Shatter, Kurbjaw, Garris, Greening, Phallacy and Caiaphas. Of these bands I didn't know Garris, Greening and Caiaphas before owning this comp, and in the case of Garris I have no desire to hear more of their stuff, their track does nothing for me. Caiaphas on the other hand, I'd love to hear about them and their music, so if anybody can give me more info on this band, please leave a comment! Their mid-tempo metallic hardcore track is simply awesome.

Anyways, this compilation was released on Strength 691's own Re-Action Records label back in 1994. Not all bands are equally strong, but it's a solid compilation nonetheless.The styles on here range from faster more melodic hardcore to slower more metallic hardcore, something for everybody. To me the best bands on here are Backlash, Strength 691 and Caiaphas. All in all a nice compilation. Enjoy!

The Point compilation 2x7"

Tearwater 7"

Tearwater was a band made up of teenagers from Monte Sereno, California, who released only a demo and this 7" as far as I know, and I even believe the 2 songs from the 7" were either taken from the demo or re-recorded demo-songs. Either way, I quite like this 7", with it's emo-ish metallic hardcore sound. Nothing too special, but it's good and pretty solid overall. It was released on Chapter Records in 1995. Chapter Records didn't release a lot during its existence, about 8 releases that I'm aware of, but they did release some awesome records such as the Canon 7" and the XEverlastX 7". This 7" doesn't come close to either one of those, but that's no surprise, is it? There is a mention in the insert of this 7" being released on CD as well, which never happened as far as I know, same as with the elusive MCD version of the Canon 7". Apparently Tearwater did record a full-length album tho, which was never released for whatever reason. If somebody knows if this is true and/or has these recordings, please let me know. After Tearwater ended, some members went on to other bands such as Ex-Ignota and Jejune. Enjoy!

Tearwater 7"

Dysphoria/Denile - split 7"

Here's somewhat of an oddity for Back Ta Basics Records, a 7" which has a printed cover on thick paper rather than the usual xeroxed covers on thin paper. The Dysphoria/Denile split 7" was released in 1997, and is still an awesome split which needs to be heard. Both bands were from PA and both sides of this 7" are great. Dysphoria's track, which was taken from their self-released 'Hope Without Reason' full-length (also from 1997), is simply awesome, it still gets me all pumped up to this day. Starting with a 'Repo Man' sample, it's got a killer bass-line and then the song is just all over the place, in the best of ways, with Gravity's hoarse vocals killing it. Love this track, and even tho it's my fave Dysphoria track, their other material is really good as well. Denile have 2 great tracks on here, except the sound is quite muffled which is a shame. They mixed chugga chugga hardcore with thrash metal influences and great aggressive vocals. It seems Denile was the more obscure and underrated band of the two, but don't let that stop you, they were an awesome band as well. There's still a Denile site around which has some info and mp3's for those who are interested. Expect some more Dysphoria and Denile posts in the future btw.

Dysphoria/Denile - split 7"

Slip - Never Surrender 7"

I first got to know Slip from their contribution to the awesome Over The Edge 2 compilation on Endless Fight Records. Slip was from Alabama which wasn't exactly known as a hotbed for hardcore in the '90s, which I'm guessing is the main reason they went largely unnoticed, which is unfortunate. This is the only release of theirs I'm aware of, the 'Never Surrender' 7" which was released on Soulstorm Records in 1994. I think that was their own label even? It took me quite a few years, until a few months ago actually, to track down and get my hands on this 7", which was recorded prior to their song on Over The Edge 2. I'm stoked I did tho, as this is an awesome 7", with 2 songs and 1 instrumental track of solid but pretty typical 90s chugga chugga, it even has an overused Star Wars sample to kick off the 7". I'm a sucker for that stuff, so yeah, I love it... I'm afraid I know very little about this band. Vocalist Frank would eventually do vocals for a another band I blogged about a while ago called Caption. That's pretty much all I know, haha... So yeah, it would appear this band went into obscurity relatively quickly, which is a shame. Give this 7" a chance if you enjoy chugga chugga/90s mid-tempo metallic hardcore. And let's face it, if you visit my blog regularly, chances are you do.

Slip - Never Surrender 7"

Biohazard - Wrong Side Of The Stage CD (Dynamo Open Air 1993)

With the new Biohazard album 'Reborn In Defiance' being released in early 2012, I figured it was time to do a Biohazard post. While I can't say I cared much for Biohazard after 'State Of The World Address', which wasn't that good either in my book, their self-titled album and especially 'Urban Discipline' are classics in my book. 'Punishment', still so good. Here's a bootleg of the first appearance of Biohazard at the legendary Dynamo Open Air festival, on May 29 1993. I remember getting crushed in the massive pit during their set (I'm still a small & skinny guy), but it was well worth it. One hell of a show. It was their third European tour at that point (missed em on their tour with Mucky Pup, and saw em supporting Kreator about half a year before this show), and 'Urban Discipline' was blowing up big-time so people were pumped to see em at DOA, and it showed. They would play 3 more times at DOA over the years. I'm pretty sure I also got this bootleg at one of the DOA's. It was released by Dead Dog Records, a label specializing in releasing bootlegs from all genres of music. They're so professional, there's even a barcode on the tray-card, haha... BTW, if opening track 'In Your Face' sounds familiar, it's cuz it's really 'Victory'. I also have another Biohazard bootleg from the same era if anybody's interested, just leave a comment. Anyways, enjoy!

Here's a vid from Biohazard at DOA '93:


Biohazard - Wrong Side Of The Stage CD

Locrian - The Clearing

A while ago I did a post on the Losing Face compilation, and asked about a band on there called Husk. Recently one of its members, André Foisy (also ex-Break Of Dawn), contacted me with some info and such. He also sent me a couple of the self-titled Husk 7"s (post coming up soon) and introduced me to his current musical project, experimental drone/noise/black metal band Locrian. Locrian has been cranking out numerous releases since its inception in 2005. They're about to release a new album called 'The Clearing' on Fan Death Records, which will be released on November 1st. I will be the first to admit this is not the kind of material I usually play, even though I do enjoy somewhat similar bands like Isis, House Of Low Culture and especially Amenra. Locrian is more experimental and has more electronic and noise influences than any of these bands. However Locrian is able to create well-crafted atmospheric soundscapes that are dark and emotive.

If you're interested, here's the press sheet in pdf form, and here's a free preview of one of the tracks of the new album, Chalk Point:

Also, here's a Popul Voh ('70s Krautrock) cover they did, showing an influence one might not expect, but is there nonetheless.

If you're not familiar yet with Locrian, and you enjoy what you're hearing, definitely look into this band more. There will also be a split release with Mammifer at end of the this year or early 2012.

Brainstorm - s/t 7"

Among the list of bands I love, Iceburn is one of those bands you might not expect to be on that list. But they are, especially their 'Hephaestus' album is incredible. Before Iceburn, some of its members including main member Gentry Densley were in a band called Brainstorm, a band which shared members with Insight (one of the early bands on Victory Records). Brainstorm, from Salt Lake City, started out in the late '80s out of the ashes of a band called Better Way. After a demo (which was posted on the xStuck In The Pastx forum a while ago, here is a direct link to the download: demo), a 7" was recorded and released on local label Flatline Records in 1991, who also released the Search self-titled 7" I posted a few months ago. This 2-song 7" might have even been released posthumously, as Brainstorm ended in 1990 from what I read? Anyways, great stuff nonetheless, especially 'Let Me Forget' is a great early '90s rocking mid-tempo hardcore song. Give it a shot!

Members moved on to bands such as Iceburn, Ascend, Eagle Twin, Handsome, Jets To Brazil and numerous more.

Brainstorm - s/t 7"

Brickhouse - Frankford 7"

Brickhouse was a shortlived hardcore band from Philadelphia, PA. They were formed in 1989, and besides a demo and the 'Frankford' 7" which was released on Street Level Records in 1991 I don't think the band did anything else. I don't even know of a compilation that they were on? The 7" was named after a neighborhood of Philly called Frankford, which was the home of some of the band members. The band had some members of Pagan Babies and The Uprise and 2 singers (with similar voices), as you can see in the video below. If anybody has any more info on them or can share the demo, do leave a comment please, cuz this band rocks hard. Solid hardcore, especially 'Nowhere But Up' is a killer track, altho all 4 tracks are great. They're not trying to do anything new, but what they do they do well. Enjoy!

My apologies for the weird skip right at the start of 'No More Favors', can't seem to get rid of it. I also scanned in a Street Level Records flyer that came with my copy of the 7". Again, only XL t-shirts & long sleeves.

Here's a cool live video of Brickhouse in action:


Brickhouse - Frankford 7"

Hope (Delusion) 7"

Here's a band I knew about for a number of years but didn't own any material of until recently. Hope (Delusion) from New Jersey started out as Unanswered in 1994 and recorded several 7"s under that name. They changed their name to Hope (Delusion) in 1997, after a couple of line-up changes and maybe they also felt their sound had also changed too much, tho the little I know of Unanswered isn't a radically different style. Anyways, using their new name name they recorded this self-titled 7" which was released on Track Star Records in 1998. The band folded shortly afterwards. If yer into bands such as Bloodlet, Rorschach and such, chances are you will enjoy this band as well. A good and solid 7", it's a shame this band didn't release more stuff. Enjoy!

Hope (Delusion) 7"

Pushbutton Warfare - A Pain You Never Thought Could Exist CD

Pushbutton Warfare from Western Massachussetts formed in 1994 after a Bloodbath reunion (Bloodbath being the best band on the 'Back Again' compilation 7", a pretty solid Western Mass hardcore comp from 1989 or so). 3 Bloodbath members started a new band, which would become Pushbutton Warfare, with a new singer, Justin Markou. The band recorded (and self-released?) a self-titled CD in 1997. After some tours and such, singer Justin Markou was replaced with old Bloodbath singer Bruce LePage and the original guitarist left and Chris 'Zeuss' Harris took his place. With this line-up the band recorded the 'Wash Away The Weak' 7" which was released on Jamey Jasta's Stillborn Records in 1999. The band eventually folded and members went on to various other bands. There were plans to re-release the self-titled CD with bonus material, but I have no idea if that actually happened?

Anyways, here's the 'A Pain You Never Thought Could Exist' CD, which compiles some Pushbutton Warfare demo and compilation tracks. Fairly tough hardcore, blunt and to the point, good stuff. This CD was released on Lifeless Records in 1998, before its first 'official' release I believe, which was the Shadows Fall 'Somber Eyes To The Sky' CD. What makes this CD different from most similar compilations is that it also features the never released Bloodbath 7" which was supposed to have been released on Community Chest Records (who also released the aforementioned 'Back Again' comp 7") but that never happened, and some Distance tracks, another pre-PW band with 2 Pushbutton Warfare members. Pretty damn cool if you ask me. For an extensive biography check out their myspace. Markus posted the 'Wash Away The Weak' 7" some years ago on Killing The Legacy blog, so check that out if you're interested, it's also a cool 7".

Bruce LePage ofcourse went on to front 100 Demons, while Justin Markou went on to Withstand and a number of other bands, RIP. Pushbutton Warfare members have also done time in a shitload of other bands such as Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, Death Threat and Bloodwar, and guitarist Zeuss would eventually start his own Planet-Z recording studio and become one of the most well-known hardcore/metal producers around.

The CD also has a movie on it, but I couldn't get it to play for me. I've still included it with the download just in case.

Pushbutton Warfare - A Pain You Never Thought Could Exist CD
Pushbutton Warfare myspace

Worlds Collide - All Hope Abandon

Worlds Collide was an awesome, and I feel underrated, hardcore band from the DC/MD area in the early '90s. The most well-known person in the band was Ken Olden, who's also known for his other bands such as Battery, When Tigers Fight and Damnation AD. However, Worlds Collide remains my fave Ken Olden band, and has been pretty much since I first heard Worlds Collide on an old Lost & Found Records compilation (with Damnation AD as a close second, also amazing). Anyways, after a few studio & live recordings in the early '90s, which were compiled on the 'Pain Is Temporary' CD (which Chip posted here), they recorded their first, and only, full-length album 'All Hope Abandon' in early 1993. It was originally released on LP by Watermark Records that same year. In 1995 Lost & Found Records re-released it on CD, with a completely different layout, which makes me think it wasn't one of their most legit re-releases (what a surprise!). It would also be the last Worlds Collide recording unfortunately.

Anyways, the album contains re-recordings of 'Faces' and 'Any Worse' from the demo/'Pain Is Temporary', and 6 new tracks. All in all, an awesome album and a great follow-up to their earlier material, even tho I prefer their older material. These songs are a bit more metal, more intricate and layered than the old stuff (check the second half of 'Faces' for a good example, which wasn't part of the original version). For some reason it seems this album has a bad rep, but I don't care, I love it. Not as much as the older Worlds Collide material, but still, awesome stuff from start to finish. I ripped the CD, but also included pics of the LP version with the download. My scanner's too small for LP's and large inserts, so these pics are taken with my low-end camera. The CD version contains a 'hidden' track after some minutes of silence after the last track 'Any Worse', which is a cover of John Fogerty's 'The Old Man Down The Road'. It's not on the original LP. Members have since played in bands such as Battery, Damnation AD, Bluetip, Seven Gone, The Whips and a bunch more. Enjoy!

I've just seen a face
A mirror of my own
All polish with no substance

Worlds Collide - All Hope Abandon

Divided By Hate - Sediments Of Shame 7"

Divided By Hate was an awesome hardcore band from Connecticut. They were formed in 1995 and after a 4 song demo, did the 'Sediments Of Shame' 7". It was released on vinyl and cassette by East Coast Empire Records in 1997. Awesome metallic hardcore that's quite heavy, and great vocals as well. In 1998 the band folded unfortunately. They did not do much else in the form of recordings, they contributed to a few compilations, including the 'Strength Through Diversity' compilation, but that's it. But at least there's this 7", and I still love it. I wasn't able to find much info on this band, but one of the guitarists now plays in a metal band called Creation, singer Dave is a tattoo artist and drummer Jay Gantz is now playing drums with singer/songwriter Kari Bunn. Drum tech on this 7" was Alex Garcia-Rivera btw, who's played in bands such as Piebald, Give Up The Ghost, Baby Gopal etc. Anyways, enjoy!

Divided By Hate - Sediments Of Shame 7"

Backjumper - Across The Deadline free download

I'd never heard of Backjumper from Bari, Italy before, but they recently made their debut album 'Across The Deadline' available for free and contacted me about it. It was released on Killer Pool Records in 2009. On this album they play metalcore with a bunch of influences ranging from modern hardcore to thrash metal to mathcore to rock and even rap (in the vocals of some of the songs). Overall it works and they have the musical skills to pull it off, tho I could definitely do without the rap-influences in the vocals, they are the weakest part of this band to me. It's not the best album I've ever heard and it lacks a bit of cohesion here and there, but it's solid and I wouldn't mind seeing this band live. Best tracks on this album are opening track 'Deadline', which is a fairly straight-forward track, and closing track 'Stabbed Back And Fallen', which is way more technical. Backjumper released a new album called 'White, Black And The Lies Between' on Southern Brigade Records earlier this year. Check it out if you like this album.

Backjumper - Across The Deadline free download
Backjumper facebook

Hyde - Separate Yourself From Existence demo

There have been plenty of well-known hardcore bands from Michigan, such as Negative Approach, Necros, The Meatmen, Pittbull and Earthmover. A lesser known one is Hyde. Hyde were around from around the turn of the century till 2002 or so and they were a band that was quite metal while still rooted in hardcore. They mixed thrash metal with hardcore, and it ended up being an awesome mix. Here's their 'Separate Yourself From Existence' demo from 2000. They would release a MCD called 'The Sky's False Persona' on Tribunal Records later that year. In 2002 they would release another album on Tribunal Records, called 'A Beautiful Nightmare', for which they re-recorded 2 of the these demo-tracks. That was the last release of theirs I'm aware of. I can recommend both releases, and 'A Beautiful Nightmare' can still be picked up for a mere $.99 from the Tribunal estore. Members moved on to The Alliance and Poison Tongues who I wrote about here. Enjoy!

Hyde - Separate Yourself From Existence demo

Neglect - '91-'92 demo

I've already blogged about Neglect before, when I posted their En Public live 7". I decided to post another Neglect gem today, their '91-'92 demo. While this demo has been re-released on a couple of Neglect releases, this here is the genuine article. I've ripped it straight from tape and scanned the insert. I haven't seen too many of these around, so I'm pretty stoked I have one. Neglect was an amazing and unique hatecore band and this was their first studio demo after doing a rehearsal demo in 1991. As said, this demo would be re-released as a 7" by Motherbox Records in 1995 and also on the 'Four Years Of Hate' 2xLP/2xCD by Gain Ground Records in 1996. However, those were re-mastered (which is most apparent in 'Horror Struck') and the 7" doesn't include 'Mind Games' while 'Four Years Of Hate' doesn't include the tiny bit of goofing around that's right after 'Mind Games' on the demo. So enjoy the demo, in its original form. Awesome stuff, by an awesome band.

Neglect - '91-'92 demo
Neglect myspace

Standing8Count

Here's another band I discovered thru Alain R.P.P.'s awesome distro, Standing8Count. They were from Long Island and played hardcore with a definite groove. Standing8Count mixed tough & heavy hardcore with groove and spoken/shouted and sometimes almost hiphop-esque vocals. Ripped here are the 2 demo's done by Standing8Count, their 1997 demo and their 1998 demo. A friend from back in the day and myself used to go nuts over S8C (what's up Thijs?!), especially their 1998 demo, even though seemingly we were in the minority over here. Oh well, I even have an ugly as hell blue S8C t-shirt with a white print that Alain was selling at a show one time. It's tucked away in a box somewhere, heh. Anyways, S8C's 1997 demo is good and shows plenty of potential, but is also not without flaws, the second track 'Self Inflicted' doesn't really do it for me and the vocals don't flow all that well with the music.

However their 1998 demo is where it's at. The music is heavier, the vocals are way stronger, and overall it's just an awesome & solid demo. A track like 'Everything Changes' is pure genius, and still makes me wonder why this band never got more recognition, they definitely deserved it in my opinion. Another underrated band in my opinion.

Apart from a few compilations I'm not sure S8C ever did a proper release besides these demo's? There is mention of a split 7" with a band called Perception (never heard of this band) in a flyer that came with the 1998 demo, but I've never seen it. The same flyer also mentions S8C shirts, only available in size XL, haha... Anyways, after some line-up changes Standing8Count either called it a day and members started a new band called Become One or they simply changed their name to Become One. Become One did at least one demo that I know of, no idea what else they did tho. If anybody has the Become One demo, share it please, I'm dying to hear it! For some reason I'm thinking Rick Ta Life/Back Ta Basics also had plans to do a release for either S8C or Become One? Anyways, Standing8Count was awesome, definitely check it out if you haven't already.

*** Update October 25 2011: I managed to score a different Standing8Count demo from 1998 at a show recently. Unfortunately the demo had been taped over with other stuff at some point such as Clubber Lang and Neglect, so all that I am left with is the cover and the insert... Fucked up! But at least I know now there's at least 1 more demo! I will do my best to hunt this one down... ***

Standing8Count 1997 demo
Standing8Count 1998 demo
Standing8Count myspace

Innerface - Season In Hell CD

Innerface from Rochester, NY formed in 1995 and blended death metal and metalcore with sick vocals, a bit like Starkweather on the 'The Divine Art...' 7" minus the soft vocals. After they did a demo called 'Flash Of Humanity' they would release a full-length called 'Season In Hell' on Impression Records out of Germany in 1997. Impression Records would eventually become Lifeforce Records btw. Anyways, the album is pretty solid and Jody's vocals are truly sick, and it is his voice which makes Innerface stand out from other bands that played a similar style. The band would also appear on a couple of compilations such as East Coast Assault II and Mother Earth. I don't think they did any other release of their own. Enjoy!

Innerface - Season In Hell CD
Innerface myspace

Prong - Live At CBGB's promo 12"

Prong needs to no introduction... Awesome band with an impressive discography. So without further ado, here's a promo 12" that was released by Epic Records in 1990 promoting the then still unreleased 'Beg To Differ' album, also from 1990, which coincidentally is Prong's best album to date in my opinion. The 12" features 3 live-songs on side A, and the B side is etched with the band members' autographs. Opening track 'Third From The Sun' is a Chrome cover, and is the same live recording which also appears on 'Beg To Differ' (not on the LP tho). As far as I know the second track, 'Dying Breed', was never properly recorded for any Prong studio-album, so there's only this live-version. Which is a shame, it's a pretty cool song. The final track, 'Intermenstrual, D.S.B.', appears in a studio-version on 'Beg To Differ'. These 3 live-recordings would, soon after the release of 'Beg To Differ', be re-released on the 'Lost And Found' 12"/MCD, together with the regular version of 'Lost And Found'. Enjoy!

Just for fun and cuz of the Evil Dead video, here's a video of Prong's studio-recording of their cover of 'Third From The Sun':


Prong - Live At CBGB's promo 12"
Prong website

Darkest Hour/Groundzero split 7"

Here's an early Darkest Hour release, from before their first full-length 'The Mark Of The Judas'. Released in 1999 by East Coast Empire Records, this split 7" features 1 great track by Darkest Hour called 'Faith Like Suicide'. Darkest Hour started out in 1995 and has released a number of albums on labels such as Art Monk Construction and Victory. They're still around, in fact their latest album was released earlier this year. Anyways, this track would later appear on their 'Archives' album from 2006 which compiles their earliest material.

The other band on this 7" is Groundzero from CT, with 2 songs. Groundzero was an awesome metalcore band who were around from 1996 to 2003. The first track on here is a good example of their sound. However, the 2nd one is a Fear cover, 'Let's Have A War', which in my opinion doesn't work out too well... Both of these songs would later appear on their 'Healing Leprocy' MCD, which features an even odder choice for a cover, Blue Öyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper'. I have to give them credit for their choice of covers, and while I'm not too fond of this Fear cover, their BÖC cover is pretty sweet. Groundzero singer Darrell Tauro also ran a label called Upfront Records, and after Groundzero broke up would go on to bands such as Wrench In The Works and Emmanuel.7.

Darkest Hour/Groundzero split 7"
Darkest Hour myspace
Groundzero myspace

25 Ta Life - Live In Aachen, Germany, June 11th, 1998 tape

Say what you will about Rick Ta Life or his bands, but old 25 Ta Life rules, plain and simple, both live and on record. Maybe he's become a caricature of himself nowadays, but just check out his stuff on the old NYHC documentary to see someone who's super passionate about hardcore, gotta respect that. Here's a live-tape of a show 25 Ta Life played in Aachen, Germany in 1998. An old friend of mine, Job, used to be a tour-manager in the '90s and early 00's. He happened to be one on this tour as well, so in typical Rick Ta Life fashion there's a shout-out to him at this show, haha. Anyways, this live-tape was released by Lockdown Records, a small label which was run by a local guy called Stefan Maassen, who's still around in the German scene. The sound-quality is quite decent for a DIY tape release, so if you're into 25 Ta Life, you will definitely enjoy this one.

I've ripped it as a single 40 minute mp3, here's the setlist:

1. Wise To Da Game
2. Loose Wit Da Truth
3. Short Fuse
4. Where It Begins
5. Make It Work
6. Crucified (Agnostic Front/Iron Cross)
7. Strength Through Unity
8. A Bullet For Every Enemy
9. Loyal To Tha Grave
10. Took My Kindness
11. Keepin It Real
12. Turning Point

25 Ta Life - Live In Aachen, Germany, June 11th, 1998

Band profile: The Cold Front

There's a flourishing scene of cool new bands coming out of the greater Los Angeles area. I've already written about Colombian Necktie on 2 separate occasions here and here, but there are plenty more cool bands popping up over there like Confrontations and Seizures. Here's another band from that area, The Cold Front out of Long Beach, not to be confused with the old Cold Front from NYC obviously. The Cold Front released a demo in 2009 and are about to enter the studio again to record 5 new songs, and are playing shows regularly. The band plays modern hardcore similar to some of the Panic Records bands such as Another Breath and The Golden Age, with a few rough edges here and there. Nothing new or ground-breaking but they do this style well enough and with enough intensity that it keeps me interested and I would love to see this band live some day. I'm looking forward to hearing the new recordings which should be released sometime this summer. Hopefully on a 7" or something that I can add to my collection, haha.. Anyways, enjoy!

The Cold Front - 2009 demo
The Cold Front facebook

Strength Thru Pain - D.C. Hardcore 1996 demo

Don't let the 'D.C. Hardcore' title of this demo fool you, this has very little to do with the Dischord bands usually associated with the term 'D.C hardcore'. This is tough mid-tempo hardcore from DC/Virginia, plain and simple. If you like bands like With One Intent, Punch The Klown or Next Step Up, you will dig this too. As usual with this style, I picked this up at the RPP distro back in the day. Nothing too amazing, but a pretty solid and enjoyable demo nonetheless. Not a lot else to say really since I know pretty much nothing about this band. I think the singer did a label called Moosestyle Records after the band ended? No clue if they did anything else or if the members did any other bands, so if you have any info, please leave a comment. Enjoy!

Strength Thru Pain - D.C. Hardcore 1996 demo
Strength Thru Pain myspace

Colombian Necktie - s/t CDEP

I did a review for LA-based band Colombian Necktie last year, whose demo ruled. They've had some bad luck with getting some releases out since the demo I reviewed, just a split tape with Pariah managed to come together, but that one had the demo songs on it, no new material. The material CN recorded for the records that never panned out, 5 songs in total, are now put out by Reckless Minds Collective on a CDEP, with the 3 demo songs added as a bonus.

They stuck to their mix of harsh hardcore/metal, with rough and bitter-sounding vocals, which I certainly don't mind. The band has added more dynamics and subtlety to the songs tho by utilizing some quieter parts here and there, and overall it's clear the band has evolved as musicians as well as song-writers. The 4 tracks on here are awesome, and the band has definitely stepped it up a notch. I say 4, even though there are 5 tracks on here. That is cuz the 4th track on here, 'Lirit', is an instrumental track which feels out of place to me. It's mostly piano and sounds too uplifting to me to really fit in with the negative and aggressive atmosphere of the other tracks. However, it also shows this band doesn't mind straying from the beaten path. My favorite track on here is the 2nd one, 'Larvae', which starts off with a quiet and melodic intro before building up into a mammoth of a track. It's really heavy but also has an intricate song-structure and subtle leads and build-ups which emphasize the potential & progression of this band. But in no way does that mean the other tracks aren't memorable, cuz they are. This EP is pretty damn solid and the clearer production, which doesn't take away from the heaviness of the songs at all, adds to the aggressiveness of the sound while showing that the band can play and is more subtle than one might expect. All in all, an awesome follow-up to the demo, and it's great to see this band evolving.

You can check out the new tracks on the bands bandcamp page, but if you like what you hear, don't hesitate to (pre-)order it at the Reckless Minds webstore. Future plans include a split release with Ruined Tongues on Reckless Minds and a 7" on Irish Voodoo Records.

Search - s/t 7"

Here's a damn cool 7" from the early '90s Salt Lake City hardcore scene. Released on Flatline Records in 1991, this self-titled 7" is the only release of Search I'm aware of apart from demo's. It has 2 awesome songs on it and an instrumental track that they should have worked on some more to turn it into a real song, it definitely had enough potential for it. It seems the SLC scene at the time was quite happening, other bands such as Brainstorm (whose 7" I will post someday soon), Iceburn and Reality were also great. Ofcourse SLC also produced some amazing bands later on in the '90s such as Lifeless and Triphammer. Anyways, back to this 7". As I said, awesome stuff. I love this kind of hardcore which is so typically '90s, this band reminds me of Trial By Jury, another band I love and who were also around at that time, tho in another part of the US. Definitely an underrated band, so check it out.

Bassplayer Cache Tolman went on to Iceburn, Rival Schools and a bunch more bands. Drummer Andy Patterson is now a record producer and also plays in Iota. No idea what the rest of the members did afterwards. I would love to hear more Search material, so if anybody can hook me up with demo's or whatever, by all means do!

Search - s/t 7"

Scream And Be Heard compilation CD

This compilation CD was released in 1997 on Double Down Records out of PA, USA, which makes sense considering the full title of the compilation is 'Scream And Be Heard. Volume 1: Eastern Pennsylvania'. The bands on this compilation are Chine, Dysphoria, XIII PFP, PP&G, Blue Collar Underworld, Chamber and Surrounded. While not all bands on here do it for me, Dysphoria can do no wrong of course (the 3 songs on here also appear on their 'Hope Without Reason' album tho) and Surrounded & Chamber are great as well. The other bands mix styles such as rap, ska, funk, hardcore and metal, with & without the use of trumpets and saxophone, and with varying degrees of success. Gotta love the 90s, both the good and the bad parts of it I suppose... Either way, interesting compilation to re-visit, tho I could definitely stomach bands such as Chine & XIII PFP (somewhat) better back then than I can nowadays... I have their split 7" (also on Double Down Records) to prove it, heh... Anyways, would love to hear more stuff by Chamber, if anybody has some info on them or more of their material, lemme know or leave a comment! I don't know if the label did any follow-up comps dealing with other parts/scenes in PA at the time, would love to get my hands on them if they did.

Scream And Be Heard compilation CD

Neck

Neck was a band from NYC/Long Island which was formed in 1995. They played a metal/hardcore hybrid somewhat similar to a more straight-forward Candiria, although they didn't really have the jazz & hiphop influences that Candiria did. Either way, Neck had the talent to pull it off, but somehow never really got the recognition they deserved, including by yours truly. I knew Neck from a compilation my old band Disdain was on that also had Neck on it and their tracks didn't do much for me at the time, so I dismissed them. Fast forward to a few years ago where I checked out some more Neck tunes and it totally hit me. This band was awesome. After that moment I managed to get my hands on their first 2 albums which I ripped and uploaded here.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1998 on Striving For Togetherness Records. In 1999 their second album, 'Should My Fist Eye', was released, this time on Cho'Sin Records. The final track on this album, 'Cinder', was recorded & performed by Drillpress, a band that drummer Larry Hundertmark was in before joining Neck, and they had never managed to release these recordings before. The full discography of Neck includes a 1996 demo, a 7" released in 1997 on Bittersweet Records, a self-released EP called 'Crawl Away' from 1999 and another album called 'Smart Bomb And The Swarm', which was self-released on their own label Lifeless Records in 2005. All of these seem pretty hard to find, so I don't have any of those unfortunately, sorry, but if anybody's willing to part with their copies, hit me up! They also appeared on a bunch of compilations, including the 'Fear No Evil' compilation, on Last Word Records, with among others my own band, Disdain, the 'Over The Edge vol. 3' compilation which I posted here and the 'Disintegrated - A Cure Tribute' compilation on Too Damn Hype. Neck's drummer now goes by the name Razor Tongue as the singer of Nassau Chainsaw, while other members went on to bands such as Car Bomb and Paiste Junkies.

Update: as Mark commented on this post, he has some Neck merch pics. Personally I hadn't seen any Neck merch (possibly because I live in Europe, hah), so my interest was piqued. And for those who are also interested:

Update June 2020: A guy called Hunter Krueger started a blog on Car Bomb which also includes information, photos and downloads of Neck! Awesome stuff, so do check it out if you want: Secrets Within aka Car Bomb Museum.

Neck - self-titled CD
Neck - Should My Fist Eye CD
Neck myspace

Fable - Give Us The Night 7"

After yesterday's post had a singer/songwriter connection, I figured I'd continue with another singer/songwriter related post. This time it doesn't involve 90s emo tho and the singer/songwriter here is David Vandervelde. His first band was Fable, which he joined in 1997 at the age of 14, I've ripped their 'Give Us The Night' 7" here. Fable was a Christian metalcore band similar to Zao which hailed from Michigan and started out in 1997 with a bunch of young teenagers (14-16 years old) giving it their all. Soon after doing a demo, they recorded their 'Give Us The Night' 7" which was released on Takehold Records in 1998. Some of the songs from this recording session would also end up on a few compilations. The only other record they would do was a split 7" with Mara'akate on Happy Couples Never Last in 2000, when they also called it quits. Drummer Derek W. James now plays in David Vandervelde's backing band. Enjoy.

Fable - Give Us The Night 7"

Infind - Absence 7"

Here's a quieter 7" than what gets posted on here usually. Infind was an emo band from Staten Island. I guess their main claim to fame is that singer/songwriter Kevin Devine (also of Miracle Of 86) played in this band in his teens, tho he wasn't part of Infind during these recordings, at least he isn't listed. Anyways, this 7" was released on Struggle Records, also out of Staten Island, in 1995 (I believe, there's no mention of a date anywhere). It is one of those records that fall outside of what I usually listen to but that I like regardless. There's quite some tension in these songs and they are much darker than most of the Deep Elm-like emo from that era. Anyways, I don't think this band did much else besides this 7". Oh, and you know this record is from the '90s when you see the ad from Struggle Records that comes with it, cuz it mentions that the t-shirts you can order only come in size XL! Enjoy...

Infind - Absence 7"

Vision Of Disorder / Loyal To None - 'Split Atom' split 7"

After posting the Loyal To None 7", I got a request to also post their split 7" with Vision Of Disorder. So here it is. This split 7" was released on Hearsay Records in 1994. The only other record I own that was released on Hearsay Records is the Converge/Overcast split 7", which I'm fairly certain was released without either bands consent. So I'm not sure what's up with this split 7" either. Anyways, the Vision Of Disorder tracks on this 7", 'D.T.O.' and 'No Regret', would also appear later on on their 1995 demo (so this 'D.T.O.' is not the version from their '94 demo). Great side with VOD being at the top of their game and it does mean I tend to not listen to the Loyal To None side as much as I should. Which is a shame really cuz their side is great as well, and if you like their self-titled 7" I posted before, you'll love these 2 songs as well. No idea where LTN's recordings are from or anything, or if they're indeed recorded specifically for this split 7". Anyways, this is a solid split, so check it out.

Vision Of Disorder / Loyal To None - 'Split Atom' split 7"

Edgewise - Massacre Of The Innocents CD

And here we have yet another band I first heard on the East Coast Assault compilation. Edgewise was a hardcore band from West Chester, PA formed in the late '80s. After doing a great 7" called 'Silent Rage' on Smorgasbord Records, they recorded and released the 'Massacre Of The Innocents' album on Harvest Records on both LP and CD in 1993. The album also includes a re-recording of 'Silent Rage' from the 7" and a different version of 'Tolerance' from the aforementioned 'East Coast Assault' compilation. Harvest Records would also release records from bands such as Starkweather and Turmoil, and I believe it was run by Edgewise's guitarist Vince Spina.

Anyways, to me this is Edgewise's strongest output, with their mix of more traditional hardcore and metallic hardcore they had a sound unlike most bands at the time. On top of that Al Spina's vocals are hard and angry but still have a melodic edge to them at the same time. Great effort and the album definitely stands out from the crowd as a whole. After this album Edgewise did a self-titled album in 1997, which might have been some sort of reunion effort. That album was released by Gain Ground Records out of Germany, which had already re-released the 'Silent Rage' 7" as a 10" and CD in 1995 (with a completely different cover/layout, and a few bonus-tracks). Thorp Records would eventually release a discography CD in 2003.

As said to me this album is Edgewise's strongest material, although it seems that most people prefer the 'Silent Rage' material (which is great, no doubt about it). In any case, this is an underrated record for sure which I feel has been overlooked by many. I ripped & scanned the CD version, the LP has a different layout (same cover tho), but it's too big to scan in, sorry.

Edgewise - Massacre Of The Innocents CD
Edgewise myspace

Loyal To None - s/t 7"

I got this 7" years ago because of the Vision Of Disorder/Loyal To None split 7" I picked up a while before that. While the VOD side on that split got tons more play from me than the LTN side, I did like LTN, but early VOD is hard to beat, you know what I mean?! Anyways, I managed to pick up this self-titled Loyal To None 7" and it's pretty sweet. Loyal To None were from Queens, NYC and this 7" was released on See Records in 1993, so before the split 7", which was released in 1994. It's a pretty good 7" with some solid hardcore with a nice groove to it and atypical vocals. So check it out. I believe Loyal To None also did a live on WUSB split tape with Vision Of Disorder, can anybody confirm this? I have no clue what else they did tho. Singer Brian Meehan moved on to Milhouse, Prom King and Celebrity Murders, no idea what bands the other band members did before or after LTN. Any comments with more info on Loyal To None are more than welcome. Thanxxx & enjoy!

Loyal To None - s/t 7"

Six Centuries In Japan - The Burning And Falling Away demoCD

Even tho this demo is not from the '90s, I figured it would be okay to post an awesome demo from the early 2000's... Six Centuries In Japan was a band from Kentucky, they were around from 2002 to 2004 or so. From what I know, this demo was the first of 2 demo's that SCIJ did before they folded. I don't have the 2nd demo unfortunately tho, but I've ripped the 1st one. I loved this band when I first heard em (on mp3.com when it was still a great resource for finding new bands), and contacted 'em about a demo. Their bass-player, Adam Nicholson, sent me this demo and it received a lot of love from me at the time. And I still dig it hard. SCIJ was made up of youngsters, I believe their age-range at the time of this demo was 16 to 18 or so, but they had lotsa potential. This demo is damn good in my opinion, and it still surprises me this band didn't get more attention when they were around. Pretty typical early '00s metalcore, but executed damn well and with some heavy-ass breakdowns, but also some more melodic parts and great leads. The only downside really are the clean vocals which aren't too strong, and I'm not a fan of clean vocals in my metalcore anyways, but the singer's screams are pretty solid. Either way, enjoy!



Six Centuries In Japan - The Burning And Falling Away demoCD

Losing Face compilation CD

Losing Face Records was around from '98 till, I believe, the mid '00s. The label was started by Byron Wheeler. He played in 2 bands that are on this compilation, Straight Jacket and Wrath. He also played in this awesome political hardcore band called Lariat, search around for their stuff, you won't regret it. Anyways, this compilation was released in 1998 and features mostly bands from upstate NY (Bane and Indecision being the 2 exceptions, and also the most well-known bands on here). Most of the tracks on here are previously released, but it's still a solid compilation. Here's the list of bands: Bane, Inner Dam, Withstand, Indecision, Wrath, Husk, Straight Jacket, Solace, Down Foundation, Cipher, Section 8, Sever and Birth Control Glasses. The Birth Control Glasses track is tacked onto the Sever track and is weird, to say the least, haha... I didn't bother separating them, sorry. Anyways, if anybody has any info on Husk or Solace, lemme know, I quite dig their tracks but have been unable to find any info on them.

Losing Face compilation CD

Crosscurrent - Life Dictates Pain 7"

Ever since I got to know Pin Drop Records thru Holdstrong's 1st 7" and the 'Together As One' compilation 7", I've had a soft spot for the label (which was run by one of the guys in Holdstrong). Releasing bands such as Grimlock and Die My Will doesn't hurt either! Anyways, here's one of the bands that they released that's lesser known, Crosscurrent, who were coincidentally also on the 'Together As One' compilation. Hailing from Waldham, MA, they played heavy and tough hardcore with great shouted vocals and a nice crunch in the guitar sound. Not a classic 7" by any means, but solid nonetheless and I still enjoy this 7". This 7" was released in 1995 and apart from at least one demo that I know of, and the aforementioned compilation I don't know any other release this band did. Some members moved on to 7th Rail Crew, and one of the guys also did some time in Grimlock if I'm correct. Either way, check it out.

Crosscurrent - Life Dictates Pain 7"