Mindwar - s/t MCD

A few years ago I blogged about the Evolve/Mindwar split 7". As mentioned in that post I was looking for the other Mindwar releases, and I found them, I just never got around to blogging about them... Here's their self-titled MCD from 1992. Despite what I said in the other post, Mindwar from New Britain, CT didn't sign with Germany's XNO Records in 1994 but a few years earlier. This was the first record they did with them, followed by the full-length 'Degeneration' in 1994 (I'll post that at a later date), which would also be their last record. This 4-song MCD comes in one of those thin CD-single cases that required the covers to have these weird 'cutouts' (always hated them). If you don't know what I mean, check the scan in the zip to see what I mean. Ugh. Anyways, this is good stuff no matter how it was packaged, heh... Mindwar played a style that had its roots in early 90s metallic hardcore but combined this with a ton of heavy alternative rock/metal. They had a sound of their own, but I'm not sure if that worked in their favor or not, this band seems rarely mentioned. Underrated is good word to describe this band. Please give them a try!

Mindwar - s/t MCD

Step Aside - I'll Take Darkness... 7"

I first heard VA's Step Aside on the 'A Change For The Better' comp 7" from 1990, which I blogged about here. I loved their track on there but I somehow never managed to add it to my record collection. Soon after posting that comp 7" I corrected that oversight and I now own on black & red vinyl heh (I am still looking for any of the alternative covers tho, in case anybody's willing to part with one). In any case, Vicious Circle Records who released that comp, released this 7" in 1991. And it's simply awesome, right up my alley, so much so that I somehow thought I had already blogged about this 7" soon after I got my hands on it, haha... Early 90s mid-tempo metallic hardcore with great semi-spoken/shouted vocals. And it even has some guest vocals by Lance from As It Stands (and the almighty Mayday afterwards), how could this not rule! I am pretty sure that regular readers of my blog will eat this shit up. Unfortunately I have no idea what else this band did besides a couple of comps and this 7", nor what the members did before or after Step Aside. If anybody has any information, please leave a comment!

As an aside, a couple of years later another Step Aside, from Brooklyn, NY, would appear on a couple of compilations (including one of the amazing East Coast Assault comps)... Good stuff, but not the same band tho.

Step Aside - I'll Take Darkness... 7"