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SOCIETY’S ILLS- “STUMBLE” LP

(Release Date, June 10, 2017)

Oh, Canada you’ll have to wait another year for a chance at the cup but thankfully there’s some quality punk rock coming from your parts sooner than that. Montreal’s Society’s Ills, “Stumble” is out June 10th. Lyrically they rise above the prevalent Ills of today’s society and have you singing along in no time, except the French song, “Plaintes De Bruit” (I’ll be faking it though in a few more listens). They may be the ambassadors of “Stumble” punk but they display excellent musical coordination and creativity throughout this release. The crusty ethos of punk is never lost as they incorporate eclectic and nontraditional aspects at multiple points throughout “Stumble”. None of the tracks disappoint. From the opening “Winter”- a northern ode to cabin fever… “when the days are short and the nights are long” all the way through to the closing, “Shot Gun Menard” aka Crazy Bob. A ballad of the delinquent turned hardcore undercover, mob busting, shot up, Canadian Cop.  “The Great Unknown” stands out. This song rips. I’m playing it for the fourth time as I write this (my first review in 20 years). The driving bass line starts it and the guitars are fast, pull back and then go back to the races. Deviates and early No Use For A Name were the first connections I jumped to. Bursts of speed, powerful sing along lyrics, an energetic rhythm section and enough tricks up their sleeves to keep it interesting will have to make me thank In Effect. I’m glad I didn’t have to stumble upon this soundtrack to this summer’s shenanigans.

https://societysills.bandcamp.com

-Brent Clark 

LOYAL UNTIL DEATH “REMAIN DEFIANT” LP

(1732 Records, Release Date July 7, 2017)

How to begin? Well, this review should be entitled “how to put a double barrel straight in your mouth and force you to mosh”. Loyal Until Death is a band from Florida, defining themselves as “street hardcore”. I’m not a big fan of comparing two or three releases of the same band, so for this one, I’m just going to talk about their upcoming. It will be released on July 7th and let me tell you, it’s a KILLER record. Let me put it straight : I’m a big fan of heavy hardcore, with a shitload of moshing parts. You know… the kind of hardcore that gives you the will to go to the gym, do 15 reps for swollen biceps. Well, that’s exactly what Loyal Until Death lets me feel. Power, strength and especially credibility. I mean, you can feel that this record has 100% street cred. Every word spit on the mic is well placed in the mix and the songs. By the way, those ones are not too long, just enough to appreciate the song, not too long to get bored. It gets straight to the point, which means a huge punch in your face. But it’s not only a succession of breakdowns. Many songs feature subtle arrangements with melody to give a different color to the powerfulness of them. Now, let’s talk about the production… massive. The end result gives you the feeling of a powerful war machine rolling over you. And this feeling is strengthened by the writing. Precise, and over the top. It’s really a “heavy hardcore” record. On the bands Facebook, their main influences are, for example, Crowbar and Strife. We can definitely say that’s true due to the amount of double bass used on the tracks, solos, and you know, the feeling of muscle. And the riff. It’s about riffing hard. Also, the use of two singers with different voices is quite interesting. One of them is a low key voice and the other is more of a high pitch one. Both of them are really complementary and their flow gives more color to the record. The low one has more of the rap/ hip-hop flow and the high one is more into regular hardcore singing I’d say. In conclusion, I get the kind of feelings from this that I get when I put on the last First Blood record or some Steel Nation tracks. You want something different? Get this album!

https://loyaluntildeath.bandcamp.com/album/remain-defiant

-Vincent Cruz Mermy 

INCENDIARY “THOUSAND MILE STARE”

(Closed Casket Activities, Released May, 2017)

For the past decade, Long Island formed but now Brooklyn based hardcore band, Incendiary have been putting out hardcore with a metallized tinge and continue that streak with their powerful new album “Thousand Mile Stare”. The band follows the same well tread path when it comes to tried and tested hardcore with a strong metal alliance (especially when it comes to the guitar playing) as the likes of fellow Long Islander’s Vision Of Disorder as well as Upstate NY heroes such as Snapcase and Earth Crisis. All of those bands are certainly an influence on Incendiary but it is perhaps Snapcase that stand out as the biggest impact on the bands sound, especially on “Thousand Mile Stare”. With songs on this album like “Hanging From The Family Tree” and “Awakening” evoking the spirit of “Progression Through Unlearning” in particular you definitely can't go wrong with that album as a cornerstone of influence.

Incendiary definitely have their own thing going on though and while those influences may be in place, the band forge forward with their own ideas and execution. Dynamic songs like “No Purity”, “Fact Or Fiction”, “Hard Truths Cut Both Ways” and the bruising closing track that is “Poison” certainly pack a punch, the hardcore backbone being defiantly rock solid with those more metal riffs adding an extra crunch to the bands sonic assault and the results speak for themselves. From the opening explosion of “Still Burning” onwards, “Thousand Mile Stare” is a powerful album that exudes passion from the commanding vocals to the bands muscular groove. Incendiary sound pissed off with the way things are in the world but rather than not do anything about it, they are prepared to stand up for something and that command of positivity is the backbone and heart of the whole album.

https://www.facebook.com/IncendiaryHC

-Gavin Brown 

I QUESTION NOT ME ZINE- Issue 4

"The Biohazard Issue" (Released Spring 2017)

Ahhhhh, IQNM #4 put out by the hardcore knowledgeable Becky McAuley who is a contributor to this site so this review could be suspect to being biased AF... but I swear I will give you an honest run down here. IQNM is not your basic hardcore zine where they give you interviews, record and show reviews, scene news, gossip etc. etc. etc.

What IQNM does bring is a shit ton of original ideas that basically showcases how entrenched in the scene Becky is. For starters we have a breakdown of the East Coast Assault Comp Volume 1 which came out in the mid 90's and is listed here as probably "my third favorite comp". In this "Moshograph" (yes, they just used coined the term) we get a current day rundown of the 19 songs on that comp plus stories, ancedotes and background from the bands involved. It's not necessarily a review but more of a thing where they pick it up by the ankles, turn the whole thing inside down and see what's falling out of its pockets. Which band was located furthest north, furthest south, west.... soup to nuts baby. Although this is not my 3rd favorite comp in the whole wide world it was cool to read straight up for the different angle it was approached at.

Next up is me... Chris In Effect in a long winded breakdown on what it was like selling zines back in the 80's and 90's without the help of cell phones, GPS, and having the internet at the level that it is at today. Having 10,000 copies of your zine sitting in the hallway outside of your apartment and then having to go out and sell them was a tall order and in this article I try to take us through the early stages of the zine's run where there were 50 copies made of the initial issue all the way through issue 12 with 10,000 made and what it took to get them into people's hands.

Another good feature is the "2 Shows, 1 Day and the Yonkers Bodega Tour" where Becky and her husband tackle previous days where they went to 2 hardcore shows in a single day (another great concept) and the Yonkers Bodega Tour which was not a tour but rather a one night thing where Billy Club Sandwich and Mickeys Crew both played at small bars within a few blocks of each other in Yonkers in the early 2000's at the same time. This piece goes on to talk about fights that started at one of the venues and ended at the other. Pretty funny actually.

"Dudes (And Girls) On Band Shirts, Wearing Band Shirts" is another feature in this issue. Just break that title down and that's exactly what they talk about using certain hardcore band shirts as their subjects. This was another good idea but without fully seeing each shirt they are talking about it was a little hard to follow.

As I was getting towards the end of this issue I started wondering why this issue was called the Biohazard issue. Right towards the end though there is a Biohazard crossword puzzle (get the fuck out the car, and leave it in the crossword) as well as a Kool Keith vs Biohazard grid thing where they compare song titles from the Bronx rapper vs the boys from Brooklyn.

IQNM is a half sized black and white zine that would benefit greatly with more photos to accompany these original ideas they come up with. The photos they use are generally the backdrop behind the text and articles like the one with the t-shirts would have been 1000 times better with photos to accompany the article. There are other instances as well where some more graphics or photos would have given that article more juice. With all the work that it took to put the material together my guess would be that this is a money issue and not for a lack of effort. There are 6 full double sided pages folded over to make this a 24 half page zine which I'd guess cost a few bucks to put together. I really enjoy zines that veer off and don't do the typical "zine thing" and IQNM does it well. It's not big and flashy, doesn't jump out at you from a visual standpoint but the content is solid and fun to read. Hit 'em up below to get a copy:

http://iquestionnotmedia.com

-CW

CHESTY MALONE AND THE SLICE ‘EM UPS

“WE’RE STILL DEAD” LP (Released October 2016)

I have to admit when I was asked to do this review I was a little nervous since this band is one that if they didn’t like what I had to say would most likely rip my leg off and use it as a microphone stand. However the band interests me so wish me luck. This band I’m referring to is Brooklyn’s own Chesty Malone and the Slice ‘Em Ups. If you are not familiar with the band, they can best be described as a combination of horror/slasher movie/metal/punk /hardcore (think Misfits, Murderdolls with a touch of Cannibal Corpse lyrical content).  All these elements are apparent on their third and latest release titled “We’re Still Dead”; which actually was released on Halloween 2016 but is now re-released on vinyl. The album contains 10 songs totaling around 25 minutes of music and with song titles such as: “Destroy All Humans; “Slay To Kill (Kill To Slay)” and “Gorilla Girl From Outer Space”, this album completely captures the essence of what Chesty Malone and the Slice 'Em Ups have be about since their inception in 2006. Lead by front woman Jaqueline Blownaparte, who has the sexiness and aggression of the late great Wendy O. Williams and the commanding stage presence of Blondie and Poly Styrene (X-ray Spex), combined with guitarist Anthony Allen Van Heck, Uruk Brutal on bass and Chris Moore (Negative Approach) on drums; together have made “We’re Still Dead” an album with a garage rehearsal rawness blended with metal/punk crossover fierceness which immediately made me think of  punk legends The Exploited's later releases. All the tracks feel like Chesty’s hand is going to reach through the speakers, rip out your heart and feed it to you. My favorite track off the album is “El Matador”. As Chesty sings in track #7 “I look like hell cause that’s where I dwell” and if you doubt her this is coming from a band that has shared the stage with such notorious bands as The Mentors, Murder Junkies and Murphy’s Law. For someone who didn’t know much of the band except for watching a few You Tube videos, after giving a listen to “We’re All Dead” and really enjoying the lyrical satire and the blending of heavy music, I now consider myself a fan. So give this album a listen….if you dare.

https://chestymalone.bandcamp.com/releases

-Chris Beman 

PUMMEL “DEMO 2016” (Released October, 2016)

I have to apologize to the readers here as I was given this band’s demo to review a little over a month ago and sort of forgot about it and it’s one you need to check out. The band I’m referring to is Pummel; a four piece hardcore band from Boston, MA and consists of members: Matt-vocals; Steve-guitar; John- bass and Steve-drums. This self-titled demo was released last October and contains 6 songs totaling around seven and a half minutes of straight up, good hardcore. The songs are short and Pummel does a great job keeping the music tight while the lyrics flow with rage, speaking out on such topics as feeling "numb"; police aggression and dealing with one's thoughts. What’s ironic is that I usually enjoy my songs fast and short but I admit I would love if Pummel’s songs were a little longer; songs like “Stone Cold” and “R.P.G.F.” seem to end just as I was really starting to get into them. From the opening song “Pummel Boogie” (which is an instrumental) through the last song appropriately titled “The End”, I really enjoyed this demo. If I had heard it last year when I mentioned my favorite releases of the year I would've definitely given them an honorable mention. You can listen to the demo at their Bandcamp page below:

https://pummelhardcore.bandcamp.com

-Chris Beman

RAW POWER “INFERNO” LP (Demons Run Amok Entertainment, Release Date June 9, 2017)

While largely unfamiliar with Raw Power before hearing their latest, I was impressed their new record. “Inferno” is a full length release from the Italian outfit that has been active since the early 80's, albeit with a few lineup changes. And while I am generally partial to a more evolved style of hardcore, rather than the simplicity of the hardcore punk pioneers, Raw Power combines elements of both eras. The songs featured on “Inferno” are austere and aggressive but also better recorded and underlaid with a more robust crunch than their early material. The result keeps things from getting formulaic, and places “Inferno” as a release from the modern era, in a good way.

This release contains 15 songs, in both English and Italian. It opens with “Look The Other Way”, on the subject of corruption, and while it’s a sufficient opener, it’s not as engaging as some of the tracks that follow. The chorus of “You Don’t Know Your Enemy”, the next track, was the first high point for me. Other standouts from the first half include “How Many Bands” and “Sono Morto”, which almost reminds me of a more straightforward “Climate Of Fear” era Bitter End. “Amici” is the kind of treat one sometimes finds buried at the end of albums, or mid-album. It’s succinct, well-crafted, and a bit moshier than some of Raw Power’s other offerings here.  While some tunes are structurally superior to others, this is true of most full lengths, especially those with so many songs, and overall the quality is pretty even. “La Paura”, the final offering, almost has a Poison Idea vibe at first, and a slightly inconclusive ending (for both the song and the album.)

Overall these dudes seem to have aged more gracefully than some of their American contemporaries (allowing for the fact that some past members have died and been replaced) and have released a genuinely enjoyable album that grew on me after a few listens. It reflects their history of tremendous energy and features some engaging riffs, and the result is relevant rather than a relic. Listen to the title track below.

https://demonsrunamok.bandcamp.com/album/inferno-lp-cd

-Becky McAuley

ALL FOR NOTHING “MINDS AWAKE/HEARTS ALIVE” LP (Redfield Records, Released April, 2017)

Holland’s All For Nothing have been racking up praise for their no-nonsense brand of hardcore since their debut album “Can't Kill What's Inside” a decade ago. That praise will undoubtedly multiply tenfold due to their formidable new album “Minds Awake/Hearts Alive” which is thirteen tracks of blistering hardcore pride.

Starting as they mean to go, the band blasts through opening track “Remain Defiant” with an assured outlook, happy in the fact that their live sound is demonstrated in exemplary fashion on this set of songs with the production on the album by Madball guitarist Brian “Mitts” Daniels being totally on point and he has really nailed that live sound. All For Nothing have a reputation as a fearsome live act and the songs on display here are built for the live arena especially fearsome songs like “Weapons Of Mass Deception” and “One Spark”, two songs that stand out as songs that would incite chaos on the dance floor.

The highlights on here come thick and fast with one in particular being vocalist Cindy declaring "Follow your dreams" on the album’s title track, a declaration you can't help but get swept up with in the bands passionate and uplifting stance coming to the fore here and when that particular song is followed by a supremely vicious breakdown, its heaven for any hardcore fan. The triumphant groove of “The Other Side” is another highlight, catchy and uplifting but with that all important hard edge and or the berserk “Never Follow”, a song that can barely contain its blistering energy, and that's just for starters. This album is packed full of standout moments and that's what makes this album so good.

In fact, All For Nothing have, in “Minds Awake/Hearts Alive”, an album that will stand the test of time. It's pissed off but has a positivity coasting through it (especially “One Spark” and “Yet To Come”) and the energy simply explodes from the speakers throughout when you listen to it. Every single song the band have here, from the explosive opening of “Remain Defiant” to the closing groove of “Hope Is My North” are both memorable and well executed with more than enough hardcore fury to satisfy the most ardent fan. Whatever you do, don't miss this album.

https://www.facebook.com/allfornothinghc

-Gavin Brown 

HIGHER POWER “SOUL STRUCTURE” LP

(Flatspot Records, Venn Records

Release Date May 19, 2017)

The international hardcore scene is on a serious high right now; bursting with new talent and new bands all continually digging for a new sound – and Higher Power from Leeds, UK are no exception. They've blended a laid back new school style while clearly taking a few cues from the hardcore forefathers of the US East Coast. With my allergies on high alert, and summer creeping ever closer, I was delivered a pre-beach-weather auditory care package in the form of this band from England. I had not heard of Higher Power until their debut LP, “Soul Structure”, showed up in my inbox. I'm glad it did.

I had no clue what I was going to hear when I hit play, and Higher Power delivered 10 fresh tracks of a brand of hardcore that I really don't think existed before. After my first listen it was clear that Higher Power don't seem to follow a specific formula in their song writing; which is pretty rad because no track on this record was predictable. It's great to hear a young band branching out and exploring new ground considering how easy it can be to give into certain trends. “Soul Structure” comes through hot; its groove heavy, and keeps momentum with stretches that make you wonder whether you should bang your head or 2 step. Higher Power manage to provide a sound that stays heavy without being too intimidating with an almost surf-core vibe at times, which is perfect considering they are dropping this just before summer.

With vocals that have been compared to Perry Farrell from Jane’s Addiction (a fair comparison, though maybe a bit misleading), Higher Power navigate a realm of hardcore that somehow generates a feeling of relaxed chaos while avoiding traps that otherwise pigeonhole so many up and coming bands in the scene. I certainly would recommend Higher Power's “Soul Structure” to anyone looking for a fresh lead on some new music to blast out your car speakers this summer. Look for an interview with lead singer Jimmy Wizard on this fine website in the upcoming weeks!

https://flatspotrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fsr31-soul-structure

-Josh Derr

THE BABY SANDWICHES "DO IT AGAIN" EP (Released February 2017)

How could you possibly pass over a band named The Baby Sandwiches, right? At the very least you have to check in, kick the tires a little and see what they got going on. Their bio says they prefer theirs with barbeque. This won't take long as we are offered up 6 songs that clock in at around 9 minutes in length... which includes a cover of Yo! Scunts "Beer, Sex, Weed". This Staten Island NY 4 piece enlisted the help of Glen Loreio who not only drums for Billy Club Sandwich and No Redeeming Social Value but also has become a go to guy in the NY scene when you want your band's music to not sound like it was recorded in your mom's kitchen, garage, basement or outhouse. The remaining 5 tracks of originals, although short are no joke with a nice blend of punk rock meeting a classic NYHC type of sound. I am not saying that The Baby Sandwiches are reinventing the world of punk rock or hardcore with what they're doing but they do deliver some nice tracks with lots of fun, groove and dare I say heart. I'd bet ya a wooden nickel that these cats are probably a pisser to see live as well as you get an overall fun vibe out of listening to this. Downside? The whole thing is 9 minutes long which includes that cover song I mentioned! Write some more songs please! Previous to this review this bands name was one of those types that I'd see on show flyers but never crossed paths with. I'm glad I'm now acquainted and look forward to whatever is up next. You can get "Do It Again" now digitally on their Bandcamp page (name your price) or hold tight for the vinyl version which is still in the works.

https://thebabysandwiches.bandcamp.com/album/do-it-again

-CW

NRSV ended up having the best time slot of the night coming out to the stage to a shoulder to shoulder crowd. Seeing them explode from the first song to the last was great to see as the No Redeeming boys showed they still got it after all these years playing about a 35 minute set of their best. The No Redeeming chicken made a mosh pit appearance as did the guy in the beer bottle costume as well. Back in the late 80's when this band was just starting out they were a 2 vocalist unit and on this night they returned to that form with former singer Mike Dixon rejoining the band for the night alongside Dean Thrilla to share the mic. Dixon has rejoined the band in the past (most notably for a This Is Hardcore set in 2013) and has brought back that special chemistry that he and Dean always had together. Apparently Dixon didn't even practice with the band leading up to this gig and he nailed his parts making for a great set as well as bringing the feeling about of what if he never left the band in the first place.  Those shared vocal parts make No Redeeming just that much better. The rest of the band were charged up feeding off of the crowd who went off from start to finish. With a new release in the works it is safe to say that NRSV will not be done rocking the party any time soon. 

MURPHY'S LAW. PHOTOS BY: MIKE RANDALL

EDGEWISE “ANGELS & ADDICTS” EP

(Coin Toss Records, Released March, 2017)

The long-slumbering PAHC band Edgewise came out of hibernation just over a year ago, playing shows and with a slightly revamped lineup, and last month released a 4 song EP titled “Angels & Addicts” on Coin Toss Records. Even with a 2 decade long break, Edgewise prove no worse for wear as they successfully put together these new tracks which hold true to where they've been while allowing themselves the creative space to add new elements.

“Angels & Addicts” comes out swinging heavy right away, holding a concretely aggressive tone all the way through, and is titled appropriately for the subject matter discussed on the record. Each track is unrelenting in the band's trademark combative hardcore style, with an added new school tint where heavier and longer breakdowns appear than would have 20 years ago. It's great to hear a band that established its roots over 2 decades ago not be afraid to grow after taking such a long break. My initial assumption for this new liveliness in sound is due in some part to the addition of Jess Goldey (My Turn To Win) on guitar. This choice really shows that Edgewise has decided to take what they have done previously, and not just capitalize on it, but actually take the time to evolve and step back into the scene as a band ready to produce new material in a raw and real way.

In a time where countless bands from the infancy of hardcore are playing reunion shows and hitting the road to play the hits, Edgewise seems to stand among the few of those bands which are actually attempting to give something new to the scene. While many new bands today are checking social media constantly concerned about numbers, Edgewise is concerned with the message, and it shows. With members who remained active in their absence as a band, putting on/going to shows, running labels, and genuinely contributing to the scene, Edgewise is not just a band coming back because it's a good time to do it, they are back because it's the right time. You can check out some of the new offering by clicking HERE to see their official video for the track “Choked Out”… and one side note: this EP should also come with a sweaty dude to smash you in the face during the breakdown on “In My Veins.”

https://www.facebook.com/edgewisehc

-Josh Derr 

SILENCE EQUALS DEATH “END TIMES” LP

(Eulogy Recordings, Release Date April 7, 2017)

On their new album “End Times”, New Jersey hardcore bruisers Silence Equals Death fire through fourteen tracks of furious and energetic hardcore.  There are hints of metal popping up in their sound constantly and a definite eclectic vibe is present throughout the album and the band delivers them in a defiant manner that goes hand in hand with an air of hope that the band emit from the songs. “End Times” starts with the brute force of “Peacemaker”, a speedy track with some cracking gang vocals and an anthemic feel to it. The energy generated from this opening maelstrom sets things up nicely for the album with that energy hardly letting up throughout its duration.

The speed of songs like “Common Ground” (with guest vocals from Jason of fellow NJHC band Crime Scene), “Weakness” and “Survival Of The Fittest” work well with the mid-paced grooves in songs like “Eaglensniper”, “Hope” and “Never Ending Story” with a song like “Devotion” combining these two elements to perfection as this all adds up to an overall sound of many variations that all still sound as hardcore as it gets. This variation is personified in “Life Hurts More”, a heartfelt and mournful song that starts with some downbeat piano that is reminiscent of the start of “Love Denied” by Biohazard and the track continues in this vein in a powerful manner. The track simply crackles with emotion and then explodes with passion before ultimately transforming into a hardcore and rock ‘n roll collision, and as crazy as that sounds is definitely the best track on an album packed with high points. Silence Equals Death concludes with the last four tracks on here being the “Resurrection” EP from a few years back. This EP fits seamlessly onto the end of the album and shows the consistency that the band have in their sound as the tracks stand tall with the rest of the material on “End Times” with the brutal “Sight Unscene” being the pick of the bunch. With this album Silence Equals Death have made a statement that they are back and looking to take out anything or anyone that stands in their way and their energetic songs and delivery are here to stay. This is an album that sounds vital from a band that are clearly on the up.

https://www.facebook.com/silenceequalsdeath

-Gavin Brown 

NOT LIKE YOU FANZINE (Issue # 7, Spring, 2017)

Thinking of DIY punk/hardcore zines that have lasted 7 issues or more and I'm pretty much not coming up with a long list of names here. So congrats to Not Like You for making it this far, staying the course and for also branching out into a successful record label and more. If you have not caught NLY reviews in the past on this site the story goes like this... NJ transplant now living in ABQ, NM taking in many of the things that the southwest scene has to offer while holding on to his northeast roots while covering both. Las Vegas seems to be one of Mike NYL'S go to spots for shows and the Vegas venue Blue Tile Lounge is featured here with the leadoff interview for issue 7. Mike catches up with Dean Pascucci who has been putting on shows there since the late 90's and it's an interesting read with his Skate Punk Reunion shows modeled after old Thrasher Magazine Skate Rock compilations. Skate culture has always been represented well within this zines pages and this issue is a little different as the skate aspect dominates over music interviews. NLY issue 7 checks in with Justyce Tabor from Oregon, ABQ local Spacoli and Nimbus founder Charlie Butterly as well as another skater... Dave Hackman out of Malibu,CA. I know diddly squat about skating and the skate scene but these are some well put together chats. Washington DC’s Give are your lone band interview here in issue 7. A shorter than normal reviews section and a long scene report round things out here with a page count of 40 on full sized stock. Another nice job.

http://www.notlikeyourecords.com/zines.html

-CW

VIGILANTE “TRUE STORY” EP

(Released March, 2017)

Underground music scenes, especially the hardcore scene stays alive because of one thing...SUPPORT. Hardcore started with friends supporting friend's bands, then starting their own bands, fan bases grew and the rest is history. So out of respect, when someone who does so much for underground music puts together a band you should give them a listen. Anyone in the NJ and NY hardcore scene probably know of Anthony Gutter from Gutter Christ Productions, but he is also the vocalist for the New Jersey hardcore band Vigilante, which also includes members Ruben (guitar); Neel (guitar), Dan (bass) and Jake (drums). Their debut demo titled “True Story” contains 6 songs about life "on the wrong side of the tracks". The song titles reflect situations that many have experienced and the lyrics vary, from comedic in such songs as "Sandwich and Blunt" to the seriousness of living as a junkie in "The Walking Dead". My favorite is track 4 "Dead Is Better" which features another NJ native Wes Nihil (from Razor Blade Hand Grenade and solo work). “True Story” introduces Vigilante as an upcoming hardcore band but also as a band that has the heaviness and aggressiveness that will attract fans outside of the genre. Be warned, if you are looking for hardcore that is about positivity and change Vigilante isn't for you.

https://vigilantenj.bandcamp.com/releases

-Chris Beman

HASHTAG HARDCORE ZINE

(Issue Numbah 5, Spring 2017)

Proving nothing is ever really done, gone or finished in hardcore Hashtag Hardcore out of the Den Bosch, NL returns after stating their last issue would be their last. Being one of the most honest and sarcastic zines out there I was sad to see them go and even more glad Daan has returned to put together another cut and paste piece of art. Interviews with Life Spite, Mind Trap, Power Play, Big Contest, Chain Reaction, Bad Attitude, Drug Dogs Zine, an old Breakdown interview with Jeff and Dijan, an old Slayer interview from "Rump" (Rumpshaker Zine maybe?) and more in the way of short burst reviews and other oddities that you catch as you go back and look over everything. The layout is haphazard and is what gives this zine it's personality with just funny shit in between most of the pages. I dug the old Breakdown interview as well as the one with Dan Skibra who runs Mad At The World Records. I like that Hashtag interviews bands I've never heard of who are usually from Europe and flying under many people's radars. Great cover art as well which had me flipping through the pages looking for who actually drew it as it had a Chris Bee (Fit Of Anger, EGH) feel but it was actually drawn by a guy named Dylan Chadwick. On a side note Daan also drums for the Dutch band Cornered who have been interviewed on this site in the past and who are definitely worth checking out.

http://hashtaghardcore.bigcartel.com

-CW

TOUCH "REARRANGEMENT" EP

(Released February 2017)

I absolutely love when stuff like this gets submitted for review as it shows the worldwide reach of hardcore music. Based in Budapest, Hungary Touch deliver a clean straight forward sound that jumped at me right away. "Growing Consciousness" kicks off with some rumbling bass guitar with the rest of the instruments creeping in as they build things up to one of those "intro bust" types of beginnings before the vocals come in at just under the minute mark. I get some Bad Brains vibes, some Vision vibes and toss in some Burn while you are filling up that shopping cart as well. "Out Of The Void" follows up with more of that same style; clean, fast, with clear vocals and some nice guitar work... choppy breakdowns and all to get the crowd moving. Track 3 titled "Years Of Conflicts" starts off slow and has another lead in of about a minute before the vocals start. A nice build again as with the opener. Less of a mosher but they make up for that as the song moves along with its fast beat that slows down along the way with some nice choppy drum parts once again. "In Progress" is the closer to this 4 track 10 minute effort starting off with a flurry of activity before settling in to that Touch style that flows throughout here. The blueprint Touch has laid down is solid and my only request would be to further push the boundaries of what they are already doing as after 4 songs this EP does have a slight feel of the songs blending together. Look for this to be released shortly by Chiller Than Most (also out of Hungary) with a planned Fresh Blood feature on this site as well.

https://touchyoursoul.bandcamp.com/releases

-CW

ROTTING MONARCHS “DEMO/EP 2017”

(Released February, 2017)

Rotting Monarchs is a punk /hardcore band that are definitely flying under the radar; and although they do have a Facebook page, there is not a lot of information provided about the band. But that is not a bad thing since the band's music reflects back to a time when the punk and hardcore scenes where not controlled by the internet and the only way people found out about bands was by word of mouth, tape trading, seeing them at a show and possibly a write up in a fanzine. Rotting Monarchs state their influences come from such  American hardcore legends as the Cro-Mags, Gorilla Biscuits and the Bad Brains. The trio from York UK includes members Max Watt; James Briggs and Jamie Bradley and their main objective is  "to write noisy punk from the heart."; which they have captured on the band's debut self-titled demo/EP. This five song EP which runs just over 10 minutes is a well-blended mix of punk rock and hardcore. The songs brought to mind other NYHC bands such as Outburst and Underdog  My favorite track is number 5: “Viggo”. Rotting Monarchs have a raw, garage sound to them that I think some demos these days lack. It is not refined, it is simple and it's good. If you live in or around the York area of the UK, look for Rotting Monarchs doing a few shows that are posted on their Facebook page.

https://rottingmonarchsband.bandcamp.com/releases

-Chris Beman

FUCK YOU PAY ME “DUMBED DOWN”

(Tankcrimes, Release Date March 24, 2017)

Clevo hardcore is alive and well with Fuck You Pay Me’s newest album, “Dumbed Down”. Tony Erba-vox, Aaron Dowell-guitar, Alex Balmer-bass and Steve Callahan- drums bring the beauty of a typical Midwestern day in late February. If you don’t know what that means just envision stepping into a puddle of grey slush at the ass crack of morning………basically, being pissed off with freezing, fucking cold socks in the dark.  I moved away from the Midwest and I sometimes miss it. This album allowed me to revisit that feeling without having to change my socks. It’s hard, loud, dark and just plain rough. Don’t expect any covers of Integrity or One Life Crew from these guys, they have made their own sound which is the way it should be. They incorporate the rawness of the old hardcore punk with the lyrics that relate to newer fans of hardcore but also the old heads. Check out “You Hate Me and I Hate You”. Who doesn’t relate to just saying FUCK YOU to someone you don’t respect? Or calling out the “Ammosexual”? Hardcore continues to progress and/or live on and with hardcore veterans and those new to the scene making music and supporting their local scene. FYPM is doing just that in Cleveland without holding back or falling into clichés or trends. Just simple, straight forward hardcore punk. I like to gauge an album and band on what they would be like to see live and I felt FYPM would bring the pain on stage to the crowd and themselves with their energetic and scattered violence. From the excellent black and white art work with the DIY look on the cover to raw cuts like “Saint Dorner” and “Dark Side of the Spoon”, I would love to see this band play live. Check out their pages and, as always, support your scene.

https://www.facebook.com/FYPMclevo

-J-Spec 

SEARCH “BETWEEN THE LINES” 7” EP

(Revelation Records, Released February, 2017)

With the reunited Youth Of Today and Gorilla Biscuits still touring the world to enthusiastic audiences and the recent reissue of the first Uniform Choice album alongside great new bands like xTIXONx and Protester, the straight edge movement is as vibrant nowadays as it ever has been and Search are a band that are still proudly flying that flag. With a lineup consisting of members of storied New Jersey straight edge bands like Mouthpiece, Floorpunch, Turning Point and Release among others, it is with a fearsome reputation that Search emerge from the Garden State. “Between The Lines” is the first material to emerge from the newly formed band and on the strength of this EP, the band prove that all their years of experience in those bands is still paying dividends for them today with their new musical output and with all that experience they are still spreading their straight edge values onto crowds both old and new with a new lease of energetic velocity.

On “Between The Lines”, the combined members of the band come across as so full of life and explode with such a vivacity that you would think this was the first music they had ever put out, let alone that they are all decades deep in the hardcore game.

Frontman Tim McMahon is still as formidable a vocalist as he was when he was originally in Mouthpiece and this is evident from the very first vocal he bellows on the EP’s eponymous first track. This carries on throughout as his authoritative vocals take control and still sound as powerful as ever. The rest of the band are on top form too and it is great to hear the spirit of those swaggering basslines, low strung grooves and manic energy that are synonymous with records like Floorpunch’s “Twin Killing” and well in the music of Search today. Tracks on the EP like the brooding fury of “Nothing Left”, the all-out energy of “Fade” and the brutal Cro-Mags stomp of closing track “It’s Gone” all bear the hallmarks of classic hardcore and mark Search out as a hardcore band to look out for with baited breath when they release their debut full length. Until then though, this is an excellent opening salvo from a band with so much history but also so much to offer in the future.

https://searchnjse.bandcamp.com/track/between-the-lines

-Gavin Brown

DEAD BHUTTOS “DEMOCRACY IS THE BEST REVENGE” EP (Released January 2017)

Before I even get into the music presented by Dead Bhuttos on this EP....Shit, before I even actually listen to their music, I'd like to stress the importance of releases like this one. Dead Bhuttos are from Pakistan. Fun Facts; Pakistan is slightly smaller than 2 California’s. Pakistan has a population of about 202 million people. Pakistan is comprised of several ethnic groups including, Punjabi, Pashtun, Sindhi, Sariaki, Muhajirs, Balochi, and others in order of percent of the population. Pakistan is 96% Muslim and 4% everything else. If you think for one minute that forming a band in Pakistan and being political in any way is something easy and safe and that these three guys do not have something to say and perhaps fear, I'd beg to differ. So here we have these three maniacs from Pakistan who decide to name their band Dead Bhuttos. The name Bhutto may sound familiar if you have ever studied the region. The Bhuttos are a prominent political family in Pakistan a la the Kennedy's (you get the name now?) or the Bush's for the kids. The Bhuttos have held control of the Pakistan People's Party since its inception. The patriarch Zulfikar was President of Pakistan from 1971-1973 and Prime Minister from 1973-1977. He was executed in 1979. (Read about his life and death, very intriguing stuff). His daughter Benazir (yes his daughter...a woman you ill informed & sorry lot) was Prime Minister from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996. In 2007 she was assassinated via gunfire and explosives. Her brother Shahnawaz died of mysterious circumstances (ahem ahem...poisoned) in 1983. Her other brother Muttaza was controversially killed by police in an incident in 1996. So in a nutshell add in war with India, a little martial law, Islamic law becoming the law of the land, some deadly floods, coups, some NATO actions, and there is a small background as to where this band is coming from. Sounds like a recipe for great hardcore but let’s find out now that most of you either fell asleep or skipped down to the next metalcore review.

This EP is comprised of three songs. The first song is "Pakistan Ka Matlab Kya" clocking in @ 2:34. This is a song about life in Pakistan and the group's dissatisfaction.  All of the songs are in their native tongue and are mercifully translated on their Bandcamp page. This one starts off rippin’ and stomping. I feel like I'm listening to something from 1982.  Something underground.  Something edgy. It romps along and then grinds to a slow dirge with an excerpt from "The Communist Manifesto".  Sweet.  Kickass hardcore tune to start things off.  Vocals are gruff. Music is perfect for a core record. The second song, the titular,  "Democracy is the Best Revenge" runs 2:10. It kicks off with a sweet bass interlude, which is joined by the drums in short order, then the tune kicks off into a street punk, hardcore angry hybrid that reminded me of 86 Mentality a little bit. The bass line continues and the song slows and rockets once again reaching the stomping conclusion. This one actually has bits of Z.A. Bhutto's final speech in it. This is the hardcore punk rock shit I love. The final song the :34 second "Taqwacore Ko Miss Karao!" a quick throwback thrasher. No this is not a shoutout to some hot chick named Miss Karao, it seems to be a shout to forget about Taqwacore (literal translation). Taqwacore is the subgenre of Islamic punk. Either that or perhaps they have an issue with the documentary about that subject of the same name. Either way, I'd love to get the opportunity to see these nuts and discuss it further with them. 

So you get two full fledged, rockin’, hardcore, punk, political, dangerous, rad tunes and one nice frenetic blast of rage from our core compatriots in Pakistan. This is the type of stuff I jump at to review. The stuff that gets even the most jaded of us a glint of that fire, that anger, that need to shout about the injustice you see around you that we once had in spades (some of you still do, I know). The Dead Bhuttos are an important band, so give them a listen. Let's hope they survive long enough to record some more shit and maybe tour the world a bit. Let's face it they don't live in the most stable part of the world...but hey, people who live in glass houses and all. They'd probably get lynched over here and die quicker nowadays so,.... maybe don't tour here for a minute, but keep making music fellas.

https://deadbhuttos.bandcamp.com/album/democracy-is-the-best-revenge

-Core Junkie

OUTSIDER MAGAZINE ISSUE #32 (Winter 2017)

The ever consistent Outsider Magazine continues to impress with what sometimes seems like non-stop content. Based out of Newburgh, NY and still a free cop if you are in that area as well. This issue's must reads are with Monte A. Melnick; former tour manager of the Ramones and GG Allin's "Weapon of Choice" which is an article written by Malcolm Tent who some may remember from the Trash American Style store that used to be up in Connecticut. The Melnick interview is a refreshing read and the GG article is just a great fucking story about a show GG and the Disappointments played in upstate NY and all of the insane back stories that came along with dealing with one of the biggest maniacs the world of punk has ever seen. Hatebreed's Matt Byrne is also interviewed and being a local to the Newburgh area they touch on certain local topics. This issue is interesting enough for any "outsider' but if you reside in the Hudson Valley it is even more vital of a pick up with all of the local vibes they cover. From bands, bars and artists to local ads for tattoo shops and screen printing places Outsider has their area on lock down. Editorials, reviews, the zine scene (covering new bands) and more is crammed into this 22 page full sized zine on newsprint. Free in the Newburgh area as mentioned and usually free if you write to them requesting a copy. Hit 'em up!

www.NYOUTSIDERZINE.com

-CW

PRIMAL RITE “SENSORY LINK TO PAIN” EP”

(Revelation Records, Release Date March 17, 2017)

Revelation Records has been a force in hardcore and punk music for as long as many of us can remember – and in some cases, even longer. A large portion of their staying power is the label's willingness to diversify their bands and the music they produce. Listen to any Revelation comp and you'll get a feel for what I'm saying. Many times, punk rock and hardcore record labels tend to pull bands with a similar style or sound, which is understandable, but can get stale after a while. Revelation has always kept a diverse stable of bands, therefore keeping their label's all around image and sound pretty fresh through the years. Enter Primal Rite. From the people who brought you Gorilla Biscuits, Down to Nothing, and Sense Field; here is something unlike any of that!

My first thought was that Primal Rite sound like Power Trip and Forseen made sweet metalcore love and birthed a long haired hell-child. I was given 3 songs which in total clock in right around 8 minutes - just enough to get excited on this new band and leave me anticipating their record release! The first of the 3 songs, “Sensory Link To Pain”, starts with feedback and a drum fill that are met with wailing guitars dive-bombing into a heavy circle-pit-worthy break and then a 2 step and back again until reaching a seriously heavy breakdown in the back leg of the track. From the gate, Primal Rite provide a cross section of all the things that make metal/hardcore cross overs rad. The next 2 songs, “Is It Me?” and “Primal Discipline” are just as powerful as the first track, with fast breaks flaring up to be met by driving riffs and precision drumming. My only real criticism here is that the vocals are a bit low in the mix, and while it's not distracting, there is certainly room to punch them up a bit.

If you are looking for a blend of metal and hardcore that fires on all cylinders for fans of both genres, then keep an eye out for Primal Rite. If these first 3 songs are indicative of what's to come, we can expect some great new music out of the Revelation Records catalog! The 7” drops mid-March with an LP to follow, check it out. Pre-order below.

http://revhq.com/store.revhq?Page=search&Spec=26

-Josh Derr

POWER TRIP “NIGHTMARE LOGIC” LP

(Southern Lord Recordings, Released February, 2016)

A band that needs absolutely no introduction, Power Trip returns from a near 4 year gap in recorded output with “Nightmare Logic”. If there was an award for sheer unabashed masters of the riff, I’m certain these guys would clean up every year! This Texas punk-metal force to be reckoned with delivers maximum riffage, and anyone familiar with their back catalogue shouldn’t be surprised. This feat only leaves me in awe of how these guys manage to top themselves with every release. “Nightmare Logic” is everything great about Power Trip’s past releases, but condensed and streamlined to all of their best elements. Faster, groovier, riffier, heavier, louder, and scarier, this might be in the running as my favorite Power Trip record so far, and potentially favorite record of the year, YEAH I KNOW IT’S ONLY FEBRUARY! The lead off single (err initial promotional single rather) “Executioner’s Tax” (“Swing Of The Axe”) is slowly becoming one of my favorite head banging anthems, – supplemented by Riley’s “SWING OF THE WHOAW!!” It’s pretty clear Riley is a pretty big proponent of the “WHOAW” as a vocal stinger, as opposed to the usual “OH” or “HUH”. Points for individual flare! In particular I like how this record is sonically slightly more accessible than 2013’s “Manifest Decimation”. MD to me seemed too oversaturated in reverb; a pretty obvious nod to the vintage thrash sound of yore, but the echoey quality just became too distracting at times. The final sound achieved here on NL is a perfect honed in medium. On top of the vintage production, there are little hints of a John Carpenter-esque 80’s horror movie synth weaved throughout the record, achieving a near perfect classic aural aesthetic. Favorite riff: the namesake song “Nightmare Logic”, I wore my forearms out trying to play along with this bad boy. Overall, this is a strong record and well worth the 4 year wait. Bang your head, live to shred, butter your bread, bring out your dead. Hey! I’m a poet, and I didn’t…realize it. 7 thumbs up!

https://www.facebook.com/powertripTX  

-Dan Piro

DOWN FOR LIFE MAGAZINE

(Issue #2, Released winter 2016)

"Hardcore has and always will be a subversive, free-thinking entity, inclusive to anyone regardless of race, color or creed - this mantra will never erode". Some wise words within the editorial comment piece which greets the reader upon the first page turn of the second issue of DFL.

DFL supremo Miles Hackett and his team have again nailed it with an issue packed full of must-read articles - rarely will you skip a page. From updates (album news from Dutch legends No Turning Back) to the up-and-coming (hardcore supergroup Search), the unassuming (a thought-provoking interview with Life Of Agony's Mina Caputo) to the untouchables (an eight-page feature with cover star Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies), DFL has all bases covered. The frontmen of Touché Amore, Angel Du$t and Wisdom In Chains give the low downs on their respective latest albums whilst Rancid and Old Firm Casuals icon Lars Frederiksen reveals his love for 70s British glam-rock.

James Sherry documents the huge influence of Siege and how they are finally getting the credit owed to them; Straight Edge bruisers Sect show what you surprisingly get when members of Earth Crisis and Fall Out Boy share a practice room; Fat Mike talks about the longevity of NOFX; the rebirths of Burn and Judge are captured in depth whilst Cro-Mags singer John Joseph dusts down his ever intriguing soapbox. A snapshot of the UKHC scene leans towards the heavier side. - Dead Man's Chest and Cold Hard Truth dropped supremely brutal albums in recent months. Cruel Hand, Code Orange and Fury are amongst several bands who score highly within the album reviews section before a raft of live reviews and a brief chat with TSOL's Jack Grisham brings the issue to a cheek-puffing close. Consider my appetite whetted for issue 3, due out in April.

http://www.downforlifezine.com

-Tim Edwards

BULLET TREATMENT “BLOODSHOT CHAPTER 2” (Basement Records, Released January 2017)

Following on from last year’s first volume, Southern California's Bullet Treatment release “Bloodshot Chapter 2”, another EP packed to the brim full of a mixture of straight to the point hardcore and snotty So. Cal punk that flies by in just over 10 minutes. Band main man Chuck Dietrich and his cohorts are obviously extremely influenced by Bad Religion and the Adolescents and their music reflects this with tracks on this EP like “We're Going Down In Flames” and “Failed Version Of Normal” featuring that energetic and catchy melodic style that BR do so well with their own high velocity spin on things. The more hardcore of the tracks here such as “No Return”, “Group Decay” and “Dead Behind The Eyes” have more in common with bands such as Verbal Abuse or D.R.I and some even have a hint of a D.I vibe to them (especially on the closing track “Drug Thief”) and the two styles work well with each other here to create a cohesive piece of hardcore punk. Bullet Treatment have a unique revolving array of band members for each release (including members of Suicidal Tendencies, Fear and Rise Against… among many others) and the band has had something like thirty members featured on their releases over the past two decades which is one way of keeping their musical output fresh and the material on “Bloodshot Chapter 2” certainly feels vibrant. With the admirable turnout of music that they produce, it won't be long until we get more new Bullet Treatment music but until then, enjoy the quickfire and catchy hardcore punk of “Bloodshot Chapter 2”.

https://www.facebook.com/bullettreatment

-Gavin Brown 

OLDHAM BOYS “OUR STREETS, OUR SOUND”

(Released September, 2016)

Many quality records have been written by bands whose members have a back catalog in a different harder style. Criminal Damage, No Time and Wisdom in Chains all instantly caught my attention with their more melodic output compared to their previous projects. The Oldham Boys are next in line for this honor with their engaging debut effort: “Our Streets, Our Sound”. This 8 song EP features JR Glass from Next Step Up on vocals, along with past members of Iron Cross, the Goons and the Reticents. It sounds exactly how you might imagine in the best way possible.

As a longtime fan of Next Step Up, I was psyched to check out any NSU-adjacent projects, and these guys don’t disappoint. (11 years ago I attempted to start a Next Step Up tribute band called Nails of Logic, but couldn’t find any other members besides 3 potential drummers, aka the opposite of the usual instrumental conundrum.) While there are nods to oi classics like the Bruisers and the Business, the songs are replete with melodies all their own, such as the well-crafted guitar lead in “What’s Going On”, perhaps one of the finest moments on the album. You can’t succeed in this genre without well written songs, and the Oldham Boys deliver on this front.

Lyrically, these songs are a mix between socially relevant content reminiscent of the NSU era (“Fight the Urge”) and standard fare about being grown up punks and skins enjoying themselves on Friday night. “20 years can come and go, but our friendship will stay tight.” “These Old Boots” is the most Bruisers-inflected song on the record, and explores the familiar theme of staying true to one's self and not changing for a partner, aka the skinhead equivalent of "no not for you dear, I won't change at all." The title track is a rousing closer and caps off an album that does not feel too long or too short, but just right at 8 songs.

For fans of the Bruisers, Patriot, the Business, Bulldog Courage and of course Next Step Up (and if you aren't a fan of Next Step Up, what are you even doing?)

https://www.facebook.com/oldhamboys

-Becky McAuley

ZEIT “MONUMENT” EP

(Assurd Records, Released October, 2016)

There has always been an abundance of hardcore bands to come out of Venice, California (most notably the home of Suicidal Tendencies as well as bands like Excel) but not Venice, Italy but Zeit plan to change this and do a good job with their latest EP “Monument”.  A furious melding of high octane hardcore with a few grindcore, noise rock, powerviolence and metal elements added in to this heady and discordant mix. These differing styles are eaten up and churned out often in the same song so there is no time to get bored with so much going on and the EP’s short running length guaranteed this. Opening track “Staring” blasts things off and comes across like a melding of Weekend Nachos with the energy of Vitamin X with a nice line in attacking riffs and an intense vibe that resonates through the track. The following track “They Run In Circles” continues with the same energy but adds in an element of Botch style discordance and a slower groove that only amplifies the heaviness. The EP’s title track continues in the same vein as its predecessor but adds in a quicker groove without losing the heaviness with the urgent conclusion of the track a particular highlight and continues the momentum of quality on the EP. Closing track “The Swarm” which is a cover version of the At The Gates song starts off as a faithful version of the original with its stirring string section (courtesy of guest musician Nicola Manzan) intro but as soon as the riffs and vocals come in it is immediately evident that it is even heavier than the original with Zeit putting their own spin on the track and it definitely pays off as it roars along in a cloud of focused anger. It is that focused anger that will see the music of Zeit continue to flourish as they are definitely a band to look out for in the future.

https://zeithc.bandcamp.com

-Gavin Brown

IRON REAGAN “THE CROSSOVER MINISTRY”

(Relapse Records, Release Date February 3, 2017)

DON’T FALL – TO YOUR KNEES – STAND UP – THE CROSSOVER MINISTRY! Iron Reagan has been in my regular rotation since about summer 2014, when the press for “The Tyranny Of Will” started buzzing about. Now, if you are a die-hard fan of Iron Reagan, you’re probably saying to yourself “they’ve been around since 2012 you dork!” Well, to that, I retort with: “Suck off jag-wad!” I openly admit, I was stubborn about IR from the jump. As a huge Municipal Waste fan I had ignored any side bands Tony and company had to offer, which in retrospect is a silly notion. It’s not as if these bands were in competition with each other. And the lesson here is, if dudes from a band you really really like are in another band, odds are YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO REALLY REALLY LIKE THAT BAND AS WELL!

So after ignoring them for the better part of two years, when the promo video for “Miserable Failure” dropped I was hooked! It’s now been just about 2 and a half years since “The Tyranny Of Will” and these Richmond VA thrash-punk stalwarts bring us “Crossover Ministry”. Wasting absolutely no time “Crossover Ministry” picks right up where “Tyranny” left off, and is a frantic kick to our collective figurative nuts. The absolute precision these guys operate with is the stuff of legend! Every riff is delivered with spine snapping speed, every line is yelled with a frenzied urgency that will make your ears bleed, but make you want more with every short song. Don’t let the tongue in cheek pun-addled song titles fool you, there’s plenty of dark introspection with these lyrics. Songs like “Dead With My Friends”, “Dying World” & “More War” display a tasteful evolution from the party thrash of early Municipal Waste. Musically, “Ministry” is pretty much on par with “Tyranny”. Just as you’d expect, this is a pretty densely packed mama-jama, boasting 18 tracks in just about a half an hour. “Crossover Ministry” in 2017 is an important record! Crossover in general is an important niche! Metal, punk, & hardcore have always co-existed in the underground with the occasional blending. So few bands over the years have actually been able to do it well. And when a band like Iron Reagan comes along, with consistently true to form bangers, we need to celebrate them for preserving this crucial element of our scene. 7 thumbs up!

https://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/sets/iron-reagan-crossover-ministry/s-2qD1d

-Dan Piro 2017

SCARBORO "HERE COMES THE HANGOVER" CD

(WTF Records, Release Date February 3, 2017)

Scarboro? Never heard of 'em punk? Me either until this popped up in the inbox with a short bio which states that this 3 piece got started in 2012 and are based out of NYC. Back in 2014 they released the "The Safeword is YES" EP on their own and this time around they team up with WTF Records out of Europe. Scarboro has good influences. They got a list of ‘em that includes all bands that I dig. Agnostic Front, Bad Religion, 7 Seconds and H2O amongst others and I hear a little bit of all of them within these 14 tracks. When you get new music quite often it's a situation where you play it a few times and you know if your gonna end up liking it or not pretty quickly. After a few listens I knew I was in on Scarboro and after a few more rides I was pretty much hooked. 14 songs is a lot for most punk and hardcore releases as we've all pretty much all become conditioned to short blast EP's that run around 10 minutes with maybe 5 songs. What makes this 27 minute album (and I stress that this is a full length) flow and kick your ass is as basic as the songwriting which is really fucking good. Scarboro mixes shit up and doesn't settle in on one good song type, style or whatever you want to call it. They got hooks and grooves out the ass and they show that they got some more edgy hardcore in their back pocket as well. Songs like "One Night Last Stand", "Life Like Any Other" and "Archangels" bring in elements that will have you humming this shit in your head on the ride in to work, all day at work and then save some for the ride home, while other tracks like "Scarboro", "Disassociate", and "Relentless" mix in more of a raw style more in line with some of their NYHC influences. Shit, even up to the last track which is the title track they got you kind of guessing with a track that could be off a Get Up Kids album with some acoustic parts intertwined with some crunch. To sum it all up... we got a winner here folks as Scarboro show a knack for excellent songwriting and diversity within their songs making this thing fly by and give you that urge to hit that play button again and again.

https://www.facebook.com/scarboropunx

-CW

DOWN TO NOTHING “LIVE ON THE JAMES”

(Revelation Records, Released January 2017)

Richmond VA’s own Down To Nothing come at us with a bit of a twist in a brand new live album recorded on home soil at The Broadberry in October of 2015. You don’t see a ton of live hardcore albums out there nowadays and over the years I can count the number of them that I actually really liked on one hand as there is just something about seeing hardcore bands in person that does not translate to vinyl/cassette or CD in my book. The opening track here is “Life On The James” which was the title track off of their last studio album from 2013. The sound they got here is clear and crisp and makes for a good listen overall. The track listing is a good representation of the bands catalog mixing stuff up from their latest album as well as older stuff from 2003’s “Save It For The Birds”, 2005’s “Splitting Headache”, and 2007’s “The Most”. In all we get 17 tracks here in a little over 30 minutes. I wish there would have been more between song chatter/crowd interaction from frontman David Wood here as most of the songs start off with a “this song is called…” and then the title yelled out. Little things like that can give you a better feel for what the band or their songs are about and represent. Down To Nothing are one of my favorite current day hardcore bands who I still have not seen live and on a recording like this I would have loved to pick up a little tidbit or nugget of information to make me like them even more. But still with all that said this is a good effort which is being strictly reviewed off of a digital download. There are varied vinyl editions available and with the right inserts/photos and packaging I could see this being a good keepsake for fans of this band that I am sure many of you (like myself) wish would make the rounds more often than they do at this time.

http://revhq.com/store.revhq

-CW

ALTERED BEAST S/T 7”

(Blak Skul Records, Released January 2017)

Out of Kansas City Missouri (or Mizer-uh depending on who ‘ya talk to) we have Altered Beast! This group of Mid-Western heavy hitters are offering up their first piece of vinyl, a self-titled 7” on Blak Skul Records (not to be confused with Black Skull, a death metal label out of Germany). In carrying with the tradition of most hardcore bands from the region, Altered Beast’s heaviness is only surpassed by their darkness. In their aesthetic alone I see a lot of influence from Integrity; the bleak imagery is a perfect complement to their punishing heavy riffs. Something about the water in the Midwest, every band has a tough as nails metallic edge, and Altered Beast remain faithfully in line with the sound of their forefathers, while offering up enough personality to set them apart. Heavy guitars, pensive lyrics, plenty of mosh, this record has all the makings of a banger. 5 thumbs up!

https://alteredbeastkc.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7-inch

-Dan Piro 2017 

STALE PHISH "POLE JAMS" LP

(Not Like You Records, Released November 2016)

Stale Phish are a 4 piece out of Detroit, Michigan and "Pole Jams" is their sophomore release which is delivered to us by the fine folks over at the Not Like You Laboratories who deliver zines and music on the regular. As a "writer" I like it when bands write their own review or description and Stale Phish summed themselves up quite properly here when they say "not reinventing the wheel, just taking it on a hellride". On the music side of things Stale Phish have a basic punk rock and roll style that has an Agnostic Front "Victim In Pain" era feel with a few of the tracks here starting off with choppy drum blasts that get followed by a nice bass line and there is nothing wrong with that in my book. The 13 songs here clock in at a little less than a half hour with track 10... "I Can't Remember" being the lone stand out crusher of a track with an awesome fast pace and groove that got stuck in my head and I still can't get out. I pretty much have worn this track out it is so good but at the same time I wish they had more tracks like this one. The other stuff is good, but this track absolutely rips.

With the cover artwork by Bobby Draws Skulls (look him up on IG) and titles like "Summer Of Sk8", "Sk8 Date", "Sk8 For Allah" and "Live By The Board" (amongst others) it's is quite obvious that the band is entrenched in the skateboarding world and should appeal to others of the same ilk. "Pole Jams" is a nice release of well-played basic punk rock that isn't reinventing the wheel (as previously stated) but nonetheless a record you can still get down with. Probably a hoot to see live as well.

https://stalephish.bandcamp.com/album/pole-jams

-CW

ACHE “FADE AWAY” LP

(Dead City Records, Released December, 2016)

Ache deal in some of the most aggressive and in your face hardcore out there at the moment and on their new album “Fade Away” prove that they are not only out for blood but also have the songs to back up their furious attitude. The band wastes no time in introducing the world to their manic take on hardcore. Punishing grooves interlocked with razor sharp riffs are the order of the day here with opening track “The Blood” exploding like a huge circle pit and the vivacity that they convey here doesn't let up at all throughout “Fade Away” with tracks like the aptly named “Razor” and the bass led groove of “Panic Kills” upping the energy levels to a breaking point until you can literally feel the surge of anger breaking its way out of your speakers.

“Hounds Of Hate” initially reveals a different side to the band with a classical guitar intro that is as menacing as it is beautifully played starting the song off before the most unhinged and violent song on the album kicks off. The song is a total blur and will be a total blast to see this played live. Truly cathartic stuff here from Ache and this is possibly the best track on the album and is followed up supremely by the sublime instrumental following track “Disillusioned” which acts as a calming influence to the heady mania that has preceded it and will kick off again and shows just how good the musicians in this band are. When it does kick off again with that harsh exuberance, it continues with “Movement Of Fear” and the album’s title track which are both as murderous as the albums vicious beginnings before “98.6” and “Nothing” finish things off nicely with a barbaric touch of hardcore beatdowns.

While Ache are primarily a hardcore band, they also have a big metal and grindcore influence on their music and this is evident in some of the riffs, vocals and drumbeats with bands like Trap Them and Napalm Death seeming like kindred spirits to the New Yorkers as well as the huge influence of hometown heroes like Burn, Cro Mags and Raw Deal/Killing Time. There is a sample of a subway train at the end of “Disillusioned” and this is fitting as the music of Ache is similar to a train hurtling under the streets of New York City taking down anything that gets in its way, which is exactly what Ache’s music does. “Fade Away” is a brilliant album and is not only a lesson in total ferocity but also a great example of the vibrancy and eclecticism of hardcore music and I can't wait to hear more from this up and coming band.

https://soundcloud.com/deadcityrecords/sets/ache-fade-away-album

-Gavin Brown 

FRAGMENTED “12 BROKEN PIECES”

(Released August, 2016)

In today’s Twitterverse society, getting to the point is key. If there was a hardcore version of that example it would be Fragmented from NYC. Short, hard and fast (no, not a self-reference.) was what I was looking for and this three piece band didn’t disappoint. “12 Broken Pieces” has 12 vicious cuts with the longest timing out at 2:39. Fragmented uses a multi vocal approach in their onslaught which works well for them. As for the musical feel of this album, I felt more of a lean toward thrash reminiscent of S.O.D. and hardcore similar to Crown of Thrornz/Skarhead (from vocals). It’s easy to find similarities and make comparisons but more difficult to find uniqueness in bands but Fragmented is simply themselves with lyrics and style. Reviewing albums is easy, making the albums and putting the work out for people to love, hate or ignore is hard.

I try and use a three point approach to reviews of: 1: Did I get a sincere feel from the music? Definitely. Fragmented is a band who love music and producing music the scene would appreciate. 2: How would this album/band translate to a live show and would I see them? Yeah, I would see these guys knowing that I would get a good show and, most likely, a bill of other good bands. Win. Win. 3:Is the album something I would recommend to other people? Definitely. “12 Broken Pieces” is for any metal or hardcore fan. As always, support your scene. Get out from behind the keyboard and see some bands.

https://fragmented2.bandcamp.com/releases

-J. Spec 

ABSOLUTION “JUXTAPOSITION” EP

(Wardance Records, Released January 2017)

Another blast from the past for this review go around. The new....err... old....err.... 30 years in the making, EP from the nearly mythical beast known as Absolution. This is actually an EP that was recorded in 2011 but is being re-released by Wardance. This EP includes two songs from their "demo" along with a song that was a longtime staple of their live set yet never captured on a recording. Finally there is one golden nugget redone from the New Breed Compilation that pretty much could have been the ONLY thing that they ever recorded and they'd still be one of my all-time favorite NYHC bands.

Now, if you just said, "What is the New Breed Compilation?", then please, promptly remove your head from your ass, turn in your hardcore gold card, and put the Google to good use. Seriously, what's your fucking damage?  So, Absolution kind of burst onto the scene in the late 80's with a flavor all their own and made an immediate impact on anyone who saw them. The ultra-charismatic singer Djinji Brown and the NYHC stalwart hammer master, Gavin Van Vlack combined with two other fellas, (This ain’t a history piece bitches look ‘em up) and began to make their mark on anyone fortunate enough to see them. I was one such fortunate soul a handful of times, so nanny nanny boo boo, stick your head in doo doo. I won hardcore! My hardcore card is platinum. I kid....I kid... On this recording Djinji and Gavin are accompanied by two other very seasoned and capable core type fellas, Dan Cav on bass and Andy Guida on skins. Absolution never had a proper demo release but that didn't stop the music from being widely circulated in various forms. There are rehearsals out there, a poorly recorded 7", and cut and paste hodgepodge of a discography yet nothing really ever captured their essence. A few songs came close, the New Breed tune comes to mind as well as a version of "Fall Of A Nation" that made the rounds as part of a "session", but overall the band that could've dominated the scene was never properly captured and by 1989 they were done, cementing their legendary status albeit, unbeknownst to them. 

Finally the music...the glorious music!  Finally… recorded properly. The first song up is "As We Were" @ 1:14. A clean, crisp Absolution song!!! Holy fucking shit. I can't believe my ears. It's a hardcore rager. This is one of the updated "demo" songs mentioned above. The second song is the other "demo" song "Risk". "Risk" is a galloping hardcore tune clocking in at 1:42. About halfway through there is a nice switch in tempo/breakdown that has a cool original structure. Next up is "Never Ending Game" @ 3:04. This is a song that immediately causes me to circle pit and smash shit as soon as I hear it. Here it is in a nice clean recording and it will still have you stage diving off your front porch and you may just punch a tree or two or kick over your mailbox. It's a fantastic song. The only difference is Djinji's vocals are now of a mature adult rather than a screaming kid so it comes off slightly more subdued than the original, but in no way lesser. You should already be familiar with those three songs at least, as they have all been out there in varying forms and if you’re not then ‘ya slippin'. The final song is the one that never was recorded before 2011 and anyone who saw them back in the day will get that nostalgia feeling for a song they haven't heard in a long ass time. "In Thought" starts off in that NYHC "lurking" kinda way, where I could see some of the crowd doing that hands behind the back creepy walking thing. The song then gets to galloping but has many tempo changes and again a clever song structure which is what made Absolution stand out. The musicianship really stands out on this song and Gavin is his usual monster self on the guitar. Overall, the musicianship is fantastic and Djinji's vocals are as strong as ever. This is awesome, plain and simple. If you liked Absolution then here is your chance again to see them in a newer light. I have been rockin’ this over and over, so to Djinji, Gavin, Dan, and Andy I say, thanks, nice job gentlemen, I think we are finally hearing what we were meant to hear. Soooo, how about you go back into the studio and record the rest of it....ALL OF IT. Come on guys....why the fuck not?  Redo that entire discography. I'm dying to hear an update of "Fall Of A Nation", I did the best cleaning of the copy I had but it is still a calamity of a recording....a calamity that I listen to on the regular.

http://wardance.bigcartel.com/product/absolution-juxtaposition

-Core Junkie

AIM HIGHER “HOMEMADE” EP

(Rise Records, Released December, 2016)

Alright you hardcore historians, you punk pioneers, you underground OG's, and YOU! Yeah you, you just plain old, old dudes. You may want to check out the latest by a hardcore icon. Oh shit...the kids too. Can't forget the kids. My daughter happens to enjoy this fellas work as well. My review this go around is for the latest musical venture by the one and only Mr. Kevin Seconds. I consider Kevin Seconds in the very small group of folks I would label as an idol. I use the word idol completely devoid of the implication of any form of worship, yet chock full of admiration for and inspiration from a guy who has made music for decades, spanning genres, within over 25 releases, in the form of over 25 releases, in a band called 7 Seconds. Now, that is just with the band 7 Seconds.....then there are also projects like Go National, Ghetto Moments, Drop Acid, Seed, Kevin Seconds & The Altruistics, Positively Ventilate plus 7 or 8 solo albums, plus acoustic, plus spoken word, plus painting, plus broadcasting live on Facebook while Uber"ing" or whichever of those it is he does. I am pretty sure the guy eats, drinks, and shits creativity. If you don't believe me, fuck you.

This time around Mr. Seconds has decided to dabble once again in the underground hardcore punk thing with the release of his "Homemade" EP under the moniker Aim Higher. From what I understand this is Kevin's home recording of the four songs upon which he would like to build a band and maybe do a little sumthin-sumthin, you know, tourin', recordin', rockin and rollin' and what not. Future developments not withstanding, we get to hear what he is currently up to and whether or not anything grows from we shall wait and see. This is a quick four song offering that clocks in at a little over four minutes. Perfect for any band looking to introduce themselves and perhaps whet the appetites of underground gourmandizers, everwhere. So let's let the ass kissing cease and the nitpicking begin. So I read some reviews and this has been labelled as new 7 Seconds and in one instance Dead Milkmen-esque. I think labelling this new 7 Seconds is selling it short and selling the mighty 7 Seconds way short. And by that I mean, 7 Seconds is a genuine, bonafide, hardcore punk rock establishment. It's a honed craft. At this point in the game it's professional in all the good ways. Aim Higher is clearly an infant by comparison, with basic production and that homemade style, hence the title of the EP.  As for the Dead Milkmen? I don't think so punk rock girl, we only have it iced. Anyhow, Kevin's vocal delivery on this sounds more subdued or maybe less urgent. It may be a little more nasal. The music is stripped down. This has a real garage rock feel to it. While it is fast paced and has many of punks calling cards, I wouldn't label this hardcore punk necessarily although it does approach those speeds at times. This is punk rock and roll but leaning heavy on the rock. If I had to draw comparisons I'd go for more of a bouquet of Electric Frankenstein fell minus the solos with hints of Hellacopters here and there. "Mouth of Stranger" could easily be a Ramones tunes, and any time the name Ramones pops up you are doing something right. The lead off song "Stain On Your Generation" starts off with a quick double musical click  that sound like the turning of the dial on an old school TV. Yes kids they had dials, we got up and turned them. It sounds like two turns of the dial which on the third, lands on something good...the song, which immediately kicks in. It proceeds to take aim and fire off a disgruntled tirade at someone. I know who it's about for me, not sure who Kevin is talking to, but that's not the point. 48 seconds and done. Boom. Next up is "For A Reason" @ 1:21. This has some of that Kevin Seconds positivity running through it and is about getting together and getting shit done. "Homemade" @ :47 and "Mouth Of A Stranger" 1:30 seemingly come from a more personal place lyrically and are my favorite two tunes musically.

So there you have it ladies and germs. This is what I would consider catchy and melodic garage rock....punk...maybe? If you like things Mr. Seconds has done in the past, I am reasonably certain you will want to rock this. If you haven't really given a flying fuck, you may still enjoy this because I feel it is certainly stands on its own. It's not 7 Seconds, it's its own beast. Now, will these songs be swallowed by the goliath that is 7 Seconds and become a part of that repertoire? That remains to be seen, but I am very doubtful, creatively, that is not Mr. Seconds style. Like I said, he is like an X-Man whose power is creativity. Aim Higher is just one manifestation of said power. And with that I exclaim, EXCELSIOR!!! See you in one of Kevin's Uber chats and until then always aim higher you cunts.....and rock out with your cock out, I know a good 4 song soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKcGEIO7V0rVLQvwfAUad8_Sy837-Xies

-Core Junkie

CRUEL HAND “YOUR WORLD WON’T LISTEN” LP (Hopeless Records, Released September, 2016)

I've enjoyed seeing Cruel Hand a couple of times and have listened to them sporadically over the past few years, but never kept them in heavy rotation. Not because I didn't like their music – I did (and do). Rather, as with many bands on my playlist, I constantly cycle past band names I'm familiar with because I feel pressure to listen to as much new music as I can. This means that many times I don't dive as deep into a band as I should, and unfortunately for me, Cruel Hand was one of these bands. Not anymore. Their second release on Hopeless Records, “Your World Won't Listen” has pushed me into CH so that I've gone back to listen to their older records just to hear their musical progression, which is easy to recognize. The first thing I noticed about this album is that it's not as uniformly “hardcore” as I expected or hoped it would be. That said, not getting what I expect can sometimes be a good thing. If you listen to their Bridge 9 releases and the 2 albums since their jump to Hopeless Records, there is a noticeable shift in the direction of the music itself. I don't know if there is a direct correlation, but where there was a straight link to metal before, there is now an undertone of the signature punk sound that has become synonymous with Hopeless throughout the years. There are tracks such as “Decompose” that start off sounding like old Metallica, but somehow take a turn and end up with an almost Oi sound. Stylistically “Your World Won't Listen” tackles a lot of things at once by laying hardcore style over top street-punk drums while adding guitar riffs that are distinctly metal - which could get messy quick, but I feel works for this record.

There is plenty to get down to here, and I always enjoy when a band is comfortable enough to switch it up a bit! That said, if you are looking for a sequel to 2010's “Lock And Key”, this is not it; this record is definitely on the same path as “The Negatives” from 2014, albeit with a slightly heavier tone. Overall I think this record is a solid release, and it certainly fits as the next step for Cruel Hand.

https://cruelhand.bandcamp.com/releases

-Josh Derr

POOR LILY “DIRT ON EVERYONE” LP

(TV Mayor Records, Released October, 2016)

I hold within my little, chubby, sweaty, greedy, hands the third release by one of New York and Connecticut's' most hidden of gems, Poor Lily, entitled “Dirt On Everyone”.   For those of you who don't know, Poor Lily is a three piece punk rock and roll outfit with roots in the hardcore scene we all know and love. They are a unique band whose sound has shifted while remaining true punk rock. I really enjoy the two other LP's and the EP but for me they are almost unrelated. Each fits a certain mood....for me that is, like, I'm not jamming the "Three Song " EP on into "Vuxola" in one sitting, but I digress. Really good stuff though so check it out on the quick. I threw this LP on and gave it a listen through without reading any of the information contained therein. I got the feeling a common thread was running through it. I then consulted the information and came to find that the lads categorize this as "a punk rock opera about the NSA, mass surveillance, and the battle over privacy". It was inspired by the entire Edward Snowden debacle and the information that arose about how our government unlawfully collects data on its law abiding citizens. This is a concept album that tells a story, and it is intended as one piece of music. 30 minutes and 38 seconds of a single track separated into 14 parts. The guys even went into Exeter Studios and recorded the album in a single take from start to stop. The result is a great piece of work in my opinion. It plays very much like a rock opera and I could see this being the soundtrack to the first hardcore musical with a play and instead of an orchestra, just Poor Lily in the pit slamming through the musical bits. The music runs a real gamut of styles but is firmly rooted in punk. My favorite track or rather "part" is "No Wires". "No Wires" has an almost hardcore experimental jazz feel, and do not let that scare you, it is a quality tune. Poor Lily are flexing their musical chops and influences all over this record and it makes for an interesting ride. For the people who like the similarities games, I get a strong Dead Kennedys vibe at times, sometimes I feel a bit of Circle Jerks thingy going on. I even get the occasional wiff of surf rock which harkens in modern terms, to the Night Birds and those that came before them. I have a sweet vinyl copy which came with a nice booklet and a sheet explaining in more detail what I mentioned above regarding the theme of the album. Every inch of this release is influenced by the Snowden/NSA story right down to the art work which is comprised of said documents cut up to create all of the artwork contained in the package. Adam, Max, and Dom have made a very intriguing statement in the form of their chosen art. I am sure the creation of this statement was not easy, but I am glad they decided to share it us. Even if you could give a flipping shit about their statement, you still get a kick ass LP that won’t leave you bored.

https://poorlily.bandcamp.com/album/dirt-on-everyone

-Core Junkie

REALITY SLAP “LIMITLESS” EP

(War Records, Release Date January 13, 2017)

Coming out swinging from Lisbon, Portugal, Reality Slap deal in short, sharp blasts of hardcore and the band’s new effort “Limitless” is eight tracks of condensed fury enhanced by some powerful riffs and an iron clad attitude. An empowering sample sets things up on opening track “Beyond” with its "believe in yourself, live or love without restrain" refrain before the album’s title is defiantly stated and a crunching and tense rhythm explodes from the speakers while a screeching guitar riff powers over the top. This sets off a grooving rhythm in a similar style to “Age Of Quarrels” opening track “We Gotta Know” which is particularly telling seeing as how big an influence the Cro Mags are on Reality Slap and this sets up the albums tone in fine style.

From then on “Limitless” doesn't let up for a second with its wholly inspiring vibe and vibrant hardcore grooves that take in a number of styles, each as passionately done as the last with tracks like the Madball-esque title track, the furious energy of “Liberate”, the Nightmare On Elm Street sampling fury of “Escapist”, “Haymaker” (which feels like a punch to the face!) and the chant along aural bruising of “Lone Wolf”. All the tracks fly by in no time and you have barely time to catch your breath before “Limitless” ends with the breakneck “Berserk”, a song that is aptly titled and one that embodies the short, sharp shock nature of Reality Slap to the fullest and ends this in a way that as with the rest of the EP, sums up the band, their sound and their message.

The passion that the band have for both their music and hardcore is palpable and classic bands like Breakdown, Bad Brains and Cro Mags as well as newer bands like First Blood and Turnstile are obviously a big influence on their sound and style and with “Limitless”, Reality Slap can look to the influence that those bands have and take their brand of hardcore and spread their message worldwide. The opening samples on “Beyond” states halfway through that "defeat is yesterday, today's victory is clear" and with “Limitless” they have a winning album and outlook without a doubt and with this statement of intent will be putting their mark on hardcore for years to come.

https://www.facebook.com/realityslap

-Gavin Brown

CLITERATI- “CLITERATI” EP

(Released December 9, 2016)

Hailing from Portland Oregon, female fronted 4 piece hardcore punk band Cliterati step into the ring with their first self-titled EP. Filthy bass tones, choppy D-Beats, and doubled female vocals highlight this solid 5 song effort from the band. Riffage that is at times reminiscent of both Integrity and Negative Approach scattered spastically throughout the album are just well done hardcore punk songs with a dark feel. If you like Discharge, Spazz, or Negative Approach I would give ‘em a whirl.

https://www.facebook.com/slimepriestess

-Mattakins

One of the greatest parts of hardcore for me is how special it is to all of us; how individually we form intimate bonds with songs and bands, then at a show we get to share that excitement and passion with everyone around us. Whether it means grabbing a stranger by the shoulders and screaming a chorus into their face, working things out in the pit, or stepping on someone's face and high-fiving them after – we share these experiences, and it means the world to all of us. The vibe in the Underground Arts on 11/20/2016 was a unified electricity as hardcore kids of all ages shuffled into the dimly lit basement venue in Center City Philadelphia.  Multiple generations of hardcore were represented in anticipation to celebrate the genesis of one of the greatest and most recognizable bands in the scene.  

As one of few bands able to gather fans from all corners of the hardcore scene, H2O have played countless shows in all sorts of venues, but a hot basement on the East Coast is definitely their home turf, and this promised to be an evening well spent. I had never heard of Reason To Fight from Providence RI, but I have to say that I'm stoked they were chosen to open the show, because now I have a new band to check out. With a classic hardcore sound and solid presence on stage, they were a great pick to kick things off. The crowd (which was still trickling in) seemed to warm up to them quickly and the response I saw was definitely positive. You can check out their full length “Dedicated to Nothing” on Fastbreak Records, and I recommend you do so – it's a good listen!

SICK OF IT ALL “WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS” EP (Century Media Records, Released November, 2016)

Christmas must have come early....awww snap. For my brain was awoken from a long winter's nap.  When my inbox alert went off with a clatter. I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. When what to my wondering eyes should appear???  New Sick Of It All called, “When The Smoke Clears”. Away to the turntable I flew in a flash. Tore open the cover to play my new stash. Well, actually.....Santa may be watching... so.....in the interest of truth and presents, maybe I downloaded the EP..... and maybe I listened to it on my computer. It was definitely mid-day and I wasn't sleeping, but fuck me man, it certainly wouldn't have sounded so damn pretty that way, and that shit sounded pretty.  Seriously, read it again, I'll wait here. Yeah, yeah, it's no Clement Moore, but what the fuck is the "down of a thistle" anyways? 

So yes, new SOIA. What can you say about these guys?  30 years in hardcore, STRONG. No on again off again. No quitting for 20 years and coming back. No bullshit.  These maniacs have been doing it all along. I'll say it again, no bullshit. I got their demo shortly after it came out and have been along for the ride ever since. I haven't blindly liked all of their stuff, and some stuff made me slightly cringe (that recent Bronx tune), but overall a great and expansive body of work and I give them MAXIMUM RESPECT! 

Now let's see what these jabronies are currently up to and rip their hard work a new asshole, shall we? The first cut up on the block today is the titular "When The Smoke Clears" running 1:55. It starts out with a choppy Metallica-esque riff and I am waiting for the OH WEE OH’s...but then Lou starts a chant and I get a little worried we are heading into a slightly parmesan territory.....but have no fear ye faithless for then the galloping tune begins and you are running around in circles punching shit acting like it is 1986 all over again. Excellent opening. The men have not let me down and of course not lost a step. Next up is "Black Venom" at 2:23. This is a relentless, pulsating tune full of piss and vinegar...or rather venom if you will. About a minute and a half in the song changes pace a bit allowing for some of you aggressive types to show off your killer moves in the pit. The third cut is topically entitled "Doomed Campaign". This one has more of a street punk sound and it is a rocker. "No one here can speak for us. No one here can earn our trust.None of them can speak for us. None of them can relate to us". This one could be the theme for 2016 in general. Well done. SOIA have their fingers on the pulse. The fourth jammy jam is "Blood and Steel" at 2:11 and it starts with a lonely quiet riff before kicking into a pounding tune. Another very topical tune from these legends in true Sick Of It All fashion. The final song on the EP is called "Fortress" clocking in at 2:39. This one starts with a sweet riff and then some gang vocals before launching into a speed of light galloping hardcore rager. Lou sounds as angry as ever. This one culminates in a nice sing along that I can see bringing down the house at the end of a show. A definite for the 35th anniversary tour in a few. So there you have it. You are going to get 5 unmistakable SOIA songs. There is no doubt when you hear them, who it is you are listening to and in this case that is a good thing. These are five great new songs from the guys. They sound as tight and vibrant as ever and as stated, Lou may sound even a bit more pissed. Other bands should take note that releasing five strong tunes is plenty for us out here in consumer land. It's just enough to leave you wanting to run through them again...and maybe again (in my case). There is no burn out. These diehards have given us thirty years of music and mayhem, so the least we can do is give them eleven and a half or so minutes to see what they are doing now. You won't be disappointed, especially in light of the fact that many of us this year are more sick of it all than we have ever been.

http://www.sickofitall.com

-Core Junkie

ACTIVATE “FUCK THE MAN” EP (Released October, 2016)

Alright thrashers, pay attention! Here we have Activate from Philly, a super group ensemble of hardcore vets playing a brand of throwback thrash that is comparable to the big white Nike & denim vest era. Activate boasts a power house roster of ex members of Underdog, Bad Brains, Reign Supreme and Punishment, featuring “Stress The White Boy” on vocals; (for the uninformed, that’s the tattooed DJ guy who’s on stage taking pictures at every Black ‘N Blue Bowl). “Fuck The Man”, their debut EP is technically their 5th output, as there have a been a slew of online Bandcamp releases of demo tracks and covers. This recording is 3 new tracks, re-recordings of their 2014 demo, and 2 cover tunes. The 2 covers are indicative of the span of influences of this band; The first being a solid tackling of Suicidal’s “War Inside My Head”, and the 2nd an interesting take on Black Flag’s “TV Party”… re-vamped for the edge as “Pizza Party IIII”. The new tunes on this EP are my favorite part; the instrumental intro has a great doomy vibe which is a really cool setup for the whole thing. “Fuck The Man” has a couple of cameo appearances from The mighty Freddy Madball, and the infamous Joe Hardcore, and if you’re in the market for some well-played vintage thrash, and you’re a fan of Anthrax, skateboarding, The Ninja Turtles, and Municipal Waste, This band is for you! 5 thumbs up!

https://activatethrash.bandcamp.com/album/fuck-the-man

-Dan Piro 

FULL SCALE RIOT- “EMPOWER” LP

(Eulogy Recordings, Released November, 2016)

With Thanksgiving  weekend upon us, I know I'm not alone in being thankful for all the bands who continue to make hardcore music, Doing these  reviews is a great way of learning about bands whose music and lyrics provide a release, hope and education. Full Scale Riot (great name for a hardcore band by the way) is one of these bands. Formed in 2006, FSR are a NY/NJ based hardcore band with members Tim McMurtie (M.O.D/Rhythm Trip/Self Destruct) on guitar, Bernard Allen (GTK/GHIRODAH) on vocals; Jeff Wood (M.O.D/The Dillinger Escape Plan/SHAT) on bass and Evan Rossiter-drums. The band has two prior EP’s and their first full length album “Empower” was released on Black Friday 11/25/16 and should immediately be put on your early shopping list. “Empower” contains 9 songs with a total playing time of around 30 minutes; with lyrics tackling political oppression in songs like “Rising Tide”, legalizing marijuana in “Eighty Two Hundred”, remaining positive in “Pick It Up” and facing betrayal in “Hold You To The Fire”. The guest list that FSR recruited on this album  includes Jimmy Gestapo (Murphy’s Law) providing spoken word on “Eighty Two Hundred Drop”; Chris Rivers, Ben Harper, Marc Rizzo (Soulfly) and a young talented lady Tsarina Romanoff adding her beautiful voice to “Hold You To The Fire”. Although FSR are a hardcore band, musically they are able to effortlessly transition into the thrash realm. This talent is showcased in the track “PMA All Day”, which blends hardcore, funk and has a thrash element which immediately brought Slayer to mind. Allen's vocals on “Empower” and his live stage presence should put him in the conversation when it comes to great hardcore front men. The history and experience that both McMurtie and Wood bring, along with Rossiter's energetic drumming are what makes “Empower” a contender for album of the year and Full Scale Riot a band that is headed for great things.

https://www.facebook.com/fullscaleriot

-Chris Beman

BRAIN SLUG “LIVE IN POWER” LP

(Released October, 2016)

When I was asked to review NY's Brain Slug's upcoming album I was very excited. This was another band I first heard on the Black ‘N Blue Takeover radio Show and enjoyed what I heard. Their music leans towards a more brutal style of hardcore, which reminded me a little of great bands such as Darkside NYC and All Out War. I was also excited to see them live at the 2014 Black ‘N Blue Bowl at an outdoor setting in Brooklyn. The band's live energy that day matched the same energy of their previous recordings. With three releases under their belt, “Live In Power” is the band's first full length, with 15 songs totaling a little over 30 minutes of audiological carnage. The music is aggressive, has a heavy punk influence, and the lyrics are deep rooted in societal ills and personal struggles. The album's lyrics are not just thrown together, they are thought out and full of anger. My favorite tracks ended up being “Year Of The Rat”, “Mortar & Brick” and “Time Has Come/ Written In Blood”. Without a social media presence Brain Slug are a band that is somewhat of a mystery to me but the only thing you need to really know about them is that they're pissed off and aren't going away anytime soon. To quote a line from the title track "Gotta live in power or you'll die like a fool”. Their Bandcamp page currently has this up as a “name your price” download (along with their previous releases) and for you vinyl junkies Just A Audial will be releasing this on 12” wax soon enough. Keep your eyes and ears peeled or whatever else it is you do to find new music… oh yeah, keep reading In Effect!

https://brainslugnyhc.bandcamp.com 

-Chris Beman

VINNY HOOLIGANZ “LATE NIGHTS” EP

(Released March, 2016)

Do you every listen to new music that just gives you a moment of dread thinking it is just a rehash of a rehash of the same old, same old? When Chris asked me to listen to Vinny Hooliganz, I thought it may be the typical mess of hardcore riffs with basic lyrics and forced energy. Instead I got the opposite. It is definitely NOT your standard NYHC but if you listen, you can hear the influence of not only hardcore but street-punk, Oi and straight up rock and roll.Think H2O with less sing along choruses and breakdowns and more rock oriented songs. The five song album, “Late Nights”, is a solid effort by this four piece from NYC focusing on life and the struggles of relationships. Usually the tired stories of breaking up or getting cheated on all sound the same. While the same theme, Vinny's lyrics are strong and truly work with the music. The only gripe I have with the album is the length of the last song, “Winter”. It is too long. At 5:54, I had to look a couple times to see if I had the song on replay or something. Too long by a couple of minutes. However, if that is the main complaint I have then I would say that isn't anything to not pick this up for a listen.

I am looking forward to see if they put out more music as good as this EP effort. Definitely look them up if you are looking for that quality street rock and roll. Enjoy and, as always, support your local scene.  

https://vinnyhooliganz.bandcamp.com

-B-Spec

RAKE-OFF “IN TWENTY SIXTEEN”

(Released October, 2016)

Boasting nine quick, well written songs and a solid production value, “In Twenty Sixteen” by Italy’s own Rake Off is a solid exercise in excellent hardcore punk. Kicking off with an instrumental track called “Rake Stomp” it carries a heavy Rival Mob vibe, but very quickly shifts to a more Sick Of It All type vibe with the next few tracks. Littered with tom centered breakdowns, loads of group vocals, and screeching guitar leads this is really just a fantastic representation of the early 2000’s East Coast style of hardcore. My personal favorite track is the final track entitled “Get Fat”. Give ‘em a whirl if you’re into that fast hardcore punk stuff. Hey, it’s even available as a “name your price” on their Bandcamp page so what do ‘ya got to lose?

https://rake-offhc.bandcamp.com

-Mattakins

“THE EXTERMINATION VOLUME 3” COMPILATION (Flatspot Records, Released November 11, 2016)

With the first two volumes of “The Extermination” series having been so well received and showcasing the likes of Turnstile, Angel Du$t, Power Trip and Backtrack, Flatspot Records return with the eagerly awaited third volume of blistering hardcore featuring tracks from up and coming bands as well as tried and tested favourites.

It is a band that could be described as the latter as well as one of the most popular bands in modern hardcore that kicks off the third volume. LA’s Terror waste no time in giving you an aural kick to the head with the blistering “Other Worlds”. The track features a bouncing riff that lifts the song and a grooving breakdown towards the end. That’s just how good the band are and if this is a taste of what to expect with new material then the next Terror album will be a stormer; getting this compilation off to a great start. Following Terror whether on wax or onstage could never be described as an easy task but it's one that the following band takes in stride. New York and Boston based Countdown burst forth with “Average Man” and show their considerable power with a sound that is influenced by classic Cro-Mags with the bands vocalist reaching John Joseph levels of power on a track that combines a speedy energy, a gnarly groove and a killer guitar solo on the songs conclusion to great effect. Southern Californian’s  Disgrace have a Merauder vibe going on and show this off to great effect with the bulldozing “Hunt/Reprise”, a song that combines hardcore brutality with metal tendencies in a stunning show of musical venom while Manipulate follow this with the blistering “Shadow Walker”, a song that only slows down to let a thuggish groove take hold before the speed takes over again. The bands guitar sound echoes prime Suicidal Tendencies and what you have is a hardcore bomb ready to explode. Piece By Piece offer the short but sweet and self explanatory “Hating You”, a track that is a ball of swaggering fury and a fine addition to this comp and the bands powerful Negative Approach feel is immediately effective.

Take Offense are up next and you are immediately drawn to the bands immersive guitar sound that offers some crushing metallized riffs and a ferocious groove rolling through their offering “Enter The Center”. Just listen to the songs closing section that features some phenomenal drumming (think Dave Lombardo when he was in Slayer or even guesting with the reunited Misfits recently, it's that good), passionate vocals and that impressive groove to hear the band at full power. The UKs Higher Power continue the groove with “World Gone Mad”, a track that vocally sounds like a cross between Janes Addictions Perry Farrell and punk icon John Lydon gone hardcore, and as weird as that sounds it definitely works. Add these vocals over some prime hardcore such as a Madball groove and it just elevates the track even more. A shout out of "What Up, Higher Power motherfucker" followed by some nifty guitar work and a solid rhythm is definitely reminiscent of early Biohazard and signals a bruising conclusion to the track.

Friend Or Foe contribute the savage “Invincible”, a track that brings to mind thePoison Ideas classic “The Badge” and while Poison Idea are a good reference point for the Friend Ot Foe sound, the band have their own thing going on and “Invincible” shows it off in full. D.C Disorder finish things off with the anthemic “Naive To A World”, a song that looks back to a simpler time with a hardcore edge to it and is a great way to conclude an extensive collection of songs with each one demonstrating how much variety, energy and pride there is in hardcore music. With all of the tracks here exclusive to this release, you will want to waste no time and get a copy as soon as you can. Every band on here demonstrates the best and varied sounds and styles that hardcore has to offer and the folks at Flatspot Records have done it again with an excellent release. Bring on Volume 4!

http://www.allinmerch.com/flatspot-records

-Gavin Brown

Locals Out Live Death went on around 3pm at this afternoon matinee which truly is an oddity these days. For those who don’t know the name they are still fairly new and grew out of Live Fast Die Fast who this website was keen on. Their sound leans on 80’s and 90’s hardcore influences and isn’t too far off from what their previous band was doing. Considering they have the majority of the same members as LFDF that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The turnout here was lacking but I feel like Out Live Death put on a nice set regardless. Look for some more info on these guys in an upcoming Fresh Blood feature. 

Up next… more locals. This time in the form of the much younger and on the rise unit known as Hangman. They came out on fire with a really sick intro that caused a flurry of mosh up front but the wind came out of the sails just as fast as an apparent bass malfunction caused them to immediately stop playing. After a few minutes of tinkering with the thing-a-ma-jigs they jumped right back into the song they were doing. Nicely done. Their singer wore a winter coat the entire set (on a 60 degree day) and had a really good hardcore angry face with a ton of intensity. Hangman put out an 8 song EP back in August which features a ton of mosh. I like what these guys are doing and hopefully where they are headed. 

Albany veterans Born Low were up next. This was my first time seeing them live and they put on a nice set. Like many of the upstate NY hardcore bands Born Low leans heavily on that metallic hardcore sound but they got whatever it is to them that makes their tunes stand out. Their songs got a lot of choppy drum beats to them and their singer’s vocal style fits them nicely making for a good mix. Outside of their singer the band didn’t really move around all that much probably making it easier for the crowd to be on the dormant side for their set. SBC Bookings who put on this show has shown a tendency for booking bands from outside of the Long Island bubble and having these guys drive 3 or 4 hours down from Albany was a nice change of pace. Caught up with their singer Kyle afterwards who told me they are working on a new album after almost a 3 year gap since their last release. 

Maximum Penalty headlined to about 50 people but still were machine like playing with a ton of enthusiasm and had some bursts of crowd activity throughout their set. I don’t know about the rest of you who know this band but I have really grown to appreciate what they do more and more each time I see them. What’s that saying about fine wines? Their style is one of the most diverse within the NYHC genre going from songs with a ton of bop like the opener “Life And Times” to more traditional hardcore jams like their closer “Hate” which is one of their signature songs that I could never not see being a part of their setlist. You gotta love it when bands bring that same energy level for all their shows. The last time I caught MP was at the Dr. Know Bad Brains Benefit show in NYC over the summer where they played in front of a couple of thousand people in a public park. I am not saying they were just as pumped for this smaller setting with a sparse crowd but they were definitely close and if they don’t think they were they did a helluva good job selling it. This show on a whole lacked life due to a weak turnout. Blame football Sunday, the awesome weather on this day or the fact that people are literally fried after a week of political turmoil in this country.

-CW

CHILLER THAN MOST FANZINE

(Issue #4, Released October, 2016)

Chiller Than Most is proof that the world is a smaller place than it was say 15, or 20 years back. The reason I say this is that this fanzine comes to us via Hungary and is ripe with an old school NYHC feel to it to the point where if there was no address attached to Atilla’s work you would think he was just some kid from one of the 5 boroughs who has been around the scene forever. Without the internet and social media this zine would have taken years to be put together is what I’m getting at and it is for the most part a pretty cool tool to have. The cover artwork by Chun One jumps out at us here and covers the meat and potatoes of this issue which centers around the old WNYU Crucial Chaos Radio Show which was a mainstay in the1980’s in NYC. Marlene Goldman AKA “Spermacide” was the voice behind this show which played records, demos, gave timely scene info out as well as doing interviews and having bands play live on the air every week. Anyway… Atilla found Spermacide and did a pretty kick ass interview with her for this issue talking about the shows beginnings as well as some awesome stories along the way. An old Warzone interview conducted on air is transcribed and printed here as well. In it Warzone frontman Raybeez asks Spermacide if she will go “out on a date with us before this song plays?”

Atilla also hunted down people from bands like Fit Of Anger, Stand Proud, Krakdown, Our Gang, Uppercut, Supertouch, Beyond and more to get their takes on their experiences with this show. Some people were glued to their radios at home where they would record each episode and others tell cool stories of actually going down to the WNYU studios and all the stuff that went on there. There are about 12 pages in total here covering WNYU stuff and if you remember this show this is a MUST read. The rest of this issue has interviews with The Flex, Combatant, Might, and Nathan Simpson and Matt LaForge from Ancient Heads who are interviewed about their love and admiration of Bold. This one confused me initially as it looks like a Bold interview at first and since there is no introduction I am reading through it and saying when are dudes from Bold gonna start talking here and they don’t. Kind of weird/different to have an interview covering a specific band and the people from the actual band are not involved. Cover to cover CTM # 4 is 36 pages on microscopic sized print that was a lot of fun to read. Follow the link below to get info on how to cop one of these before they are all gone.

http://chillerthanmost.bigcartel.com/product/moshers-delight-records-tapes

-CW

TEAR THEM DOWN “ABIDE” 7” EP

(Morning Wood Records, Released September, 2016)

Dredged up from the banks of the Gothia River in beautiful Gothenburg, Sweden, home to the likes of In Flames, At The Gates, The Haunted, Ace of Base, Volvo, and Alicia Vikander (She's hot and won an Oscar, you pathetic fools), comes Tear Them Down.  Tear Them Down is a band who have absolutely zippy in common with any of the aforementioned groups or people, unless they drive Volvos. I'm also willing to wager one or all of them own the Ace of Base release. Hey, no harm, no foul, we ALL saw the signs, and they opened up our minds, and we are happy now...no? I think so, but digress, I will. SOOooooo, Tear Them Down are a punk band and very catchy. I would say pop punk, but I don't like that term very much. This is like drinking music for me with echoes of Dropkick Murphy's, Bouncing Souls, Face To Face or perhaps some later Bad Religion. It is solid musically and vocally with everyone doing their part without anything standing out in a negative way. That being said, nothing really sinks its hooks into me and stands out in that way either. This is probably because I am currently not in this musical phase, I mean, it is a good EP and when my musical circle swings me back around to this type of rock, as it does and as it will, I will keep this on the back burner to revisit because I am certain I will be ga-ga over it. However, I don't want to turn anyone off to this. My favorite tune here is probably the first track, "Take A Walk In My Shoes", a quick burst of punk clocking in at 1:37 that makes me want to drink Guinness for some reason. I am also liking the fourth cut "Take Me Back" also at a stealthy 1:51 (like my rum). The lyrics to this say, "Take me back to '94", well, if giant pants and stupid beads are your thing then by all means, go for it, but maybe '94 in Sweden was a bit different...I hope. Either way, it's a good song...except for those JNCO visions dancing in my head. If you want to add some solid catchy punk, Swedish style, to your collection, then this is an excellent place to start. Even if you don't want to, this release is only 5 songs at around ten minutes and we all can take the time out of our crazy schedules of posting our every waking moment to social media to have a listen and decide for ourselves. It flows really well and it ends before you know it. Seriously though,....don't listen to me, get it and form your own opinion, I just almost burned my house down making hard boiled eggs for Odin's sake...yes you read that right.

http://www.tearthemdown.com

-Core Junkie

“HARDCORE- LIFE OF MY OWN” (BY: Harley Flanagan, Released September, 2016)

“Hardcore- Life Of My Own” is the new book by Cro-Mags founder Harley Flanagan which contains a total of 434 pages telling his life story starting from his birth in1967 all the way up to the infamous stabbing incident at Webster Hall in NYC in 2012 and then beyond as the epilogue carries on to 2015 where Harley describes in detail the last days of his mother’s life.

If I had to sum up these 400 plus pages in a single word that word would be blunt with a capital B. Outside of a few topics (that are more along the lines of intimate relationships) there is almost nothing off limits as Harley starts off with a tough childhood upbringing that saw him bounce from the US to Europe with his mother and then finally back to an ultra-violent era NYC. Wherever you are in this book it always seems like the guy is on the move either on tour with bands or breaking away from NYC for stints of time as almost a way to recharge the batteries, get away from trouble or just a way to get by for the time being. The one constant being that he always found trouble (or trouble found him) at what seems like every turn. Being a white punk rock kid in the heart of Puerto Rican gangland territory got young Harley used to getting into fights and or jumped on a regular basis and as the punk rock scene of the time faded Harley was there as one the pioneers that ushered in the start of the NYHC scene and eventually his band the Cro-Mags.

This book goes into great detail on the formation of this iconic hardcore band from the earliest of days where he struggled to put a lineup around him to all of the albums that came after “The Age Of Quarrel” including what seems like an army of people that played with the band and other bands associated with some of the core members.

A standout moment in this book is when Harley pinpoints the time in Europe with guitarist Doug Holland and manager Chris Williamson where he feels that things started to unravel for that classic lineup that gave us “The Age Of Quarrel”. The story goes along the lines of Doug “finding” Chris’ wallet which had a lot of money in it, Doug telling Harley about it and offering him some of the money and then later finding out that the wallet was actually tucked inside Chris’ jacket and that the money was actually for the band. Harley’s relationships with his fellow band members (especially the earlier lineups) have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with brother like relationships turning sour and all the drama that goes along with it.

There is some extremely damaging material within these pages that questions people’s integrity, motives, sexual preferences, street toughness and basically who is fake and who is real within many aspects of the older NYHC scene and the scene of the last few years. The people being called out here do not have a voice within these pages to refute these claims but it would make one helluva talk show if you ask me.

I read this over the course of a week and after a little bit of a slow build up this thing really takes off and by the time you hit “The Age of Quarrel” era and beyond this book became really hard to put down. These days Harley seems to be fully ingrained in the world of mixed martial arts as well as being dedicated to his two sons. No matter what side of the Cro-Mags fence you stand on the one thing that most should be able to agree on is that Harley Flanagan is a hard as nails throwback old-school New Yorker who marches to the beat of his own drum. “Life Of My Own” is part biography, part history lesson and part life lesson.  Find yours where books are sold and at the link below.

http://feralhouse.com/hard-core

-CW

TRUTH & RIGHTS "LIES & SLIGHTS"

(My Reality Entertainment, Released October, 2016)

Truth & Rights may be a new name to some of you out there reading this but the release of “Lies & Slights” is just a continuation from where they started off and later left off back in 2010. Six Feet Under Records released their 3 track "Green Light" EP in 2010 and shortly afterwards the band kind of got tucked away nice and neat in the corner for various reasons with this rebirth ready to get started here in the later part of 2016.

The lineup put together here is impressive with Leeway's Eddie Sutton on vocals and a backing unit made up on NYHC vets that sport such names as Maximum Penalty, Crown Of Thornz, Coldfront, Stillsuit, Agents Of Man and Bulldoze to their resumes and surprisingly all of these members were a part of that 2010 EP.

My version of "Lies & Slights" kicks off with a track titled "Games" which is one of the tracks the band had been pushing as a teaser of sorts leading up to the release. This track clocks in just shy of 3 minutes and exemplifies what this band is capable of pulling off with a mid-paced bouncy beat that makes you nod your head for a few minutes before the last 30 plus seconds kicks in to full on thrash mode as the intensity gets ratcheted up to 11. Eddie Sutton behind the microphone still has his signature vocal sound and style which adds an additional element to an already refreshing sound.

"Tommy Karate" is up next and is more in line with what most would expect from this group of musicians but don't get too used to it as T&R is not all about just reliving hardcore days gone by with their style of music. This track is one of the more straight up hardcore jams on here with a fast beat and then a nice break a little more than half way through to open up the dance floor. The repeated chorus of "Don't you wish you could be like Tommy Karate" leaves you scratching your head as to who TK is or was and why I want to be like him.

"Pick It Up" gives us another speed burst, melodic lead and backup vocals throughout and ends with more choppy drum beats. We are 3 tracks in at this point and it's fairly obvious that these are some well written tracks that just have a good flow to them as these first 3 just flew on by.

"Sociopath" follows and is one of the harder tracks on display with a killer riff and a catchy sing-a-long type chorus. "Green Light" and "Chopped Up" follow and give us the first looks at the redone tracks from their 2010 EP. These 2 tracks are formidable and worthy of inclusion but have not set my I-Pod on fire like the 3rd redone track from that 2010 EP titled "BOLO" which is the next to last track on this release. The opening line to "BOLO" is “Be on the lookout for bullshit lies" which tips us off to this songs odd title. "BOLO" is one of the strongest if not the strongest track here with its insanely catchy beat and sing-a-long chorus spelling out B.OL.O. If a video is in the plans at some point this is the first track they should be considering. We jumped around a little there skipping over tracks 7 and 8 which are “Wonderland” and “All In” respectively. “Wonderland” is a nice track sporting another hard ass riff and in some ways is more of a hard rock song and “All In” is one of the hottest tracks on the whole damn album. We finally get to the closer titled “Diamond In The Rough” which sends this album off on a high note with maybe the most melodic track here but all the while still having an “edge” to it. In an upcoming interview we have with frontman Eddie Sutton he explains that this track more than likely will only be played out live in an acoustic setting which could/should sound amazing. I have listened to “Lies & Sleights” maybe 2 dozen times since getting an advanced copy from the band and this album has really sucked me in at times with its overall fresh feel. It is definitely not the same old, same old. There are undoubtedly aspects of the other bands these members have been a part in the past but they also bring fresh ideas to the table as well. There were times I felt like I was listening to a 5th Leeway album that would have built on from what “Adult Crash” and “Open Mouth Kiss” started and other times I felt like I was listening to Maximum Penalty with Eddie Sutton on vocals. Both references are meant in the upmost positive way. Truth & Rights spent what they probably feel like was an eternity putting this album together and their hard work pays off in a big way with this ultra-refreshing debut full length. A few of these tracks ae available through their Bandcamp page for stream/purchase with an eco-wallet CD version containing ALL the tracks available through the band. Hit 'em up!

https://truthandrightsofficial.bandcamp.com

-CW

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES "WORLD GONE MAD" LP (Suicidal Records, Released September, 2016)

One would think that the majority of people into punk, hardcore, or metal would all have some ties to this long running iconic band that got started way back in 1980 with this being their 12th studio album. "World Gone Mad" is the follow up to their "13" album which came out 3 years back and contains 11 songs clocking in at an insanely long 57 minutes. Although I hold their debut release in the highest of regards I must admit that each album that followed didn't have the same kind of impact and as time went on I checked out with this being my first check back in with ST in quite some time.

"Clap Like Ozzy" is a raging opening track that does show signs of Suicidal's earlier (but not earliest) days even though the chorus of "Clap Like Ozzy, Slam Like A Beast" is just the start of some real cornball titles and lyrics. At first I laughed it off as just one song with some not so serious lyrics but as time went on and the music grew on me it became more obvious that the titles, lyrics, (and in one case a soundbite) really take away from fully embracing this album which is really fucking good. If you look up the track listing on paper it doesn't seem so obvious but when you start feeling these songs and the chorus is something along the lines of "Wave your finger in the air, wave it like you just don't care" ("One Finger Salute") you start wondering what the thought process was behind a chunk of the tracks here.

Now that I got my bitching and moaning out of the way this record musically is amazing. This is big boy music performed by big boy musicians including ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo behind the drum kit. Epic songs that stretch out as long 7 and a half minutes in one case containing layers upon layers of precision performing with Mike Muir's distinguishable voice front and center throughout. For a guy closing in on 4 decades since starting this band he sounds excellent. Suicidal throws so many things at us musically on this album it is hard to keep track. Songs like "Get Your Fight On" start off in full power ballad mode before speeding up midway through with some absolute face melting guitar solos thrown in that lead to an absolute epic jam towards the end and they really pull this one off well.

"Still Dying To Live" is that 7 and a half minute song previously mentioned. The first 5 and a half minutes is this slow bluesy jam that is just so fucking catchy before the entire band joins in on the last 2 minutes. Another track where they showcase their talents, take some chances... and knock it outta the park.

The title track is another example of ST's genius with a track that slowly builds and builds with a choppy beat into the chorus that you could see a stadium of say 20, 30, or 50 thousand people all jumping in unison to. Let’s not kid ourselves though as Suicidal has put in their time and paid their dues over the years and are now (and for a while now) more of a rock arena band rather than some band that is gonna play the bar down the block on Saturday night. If you can get past that fact (and a few Junior High School lyrics) you can really appreciate what a well played album this is. There are plans for a new EP to follow this in mid-January to coincide with the inauguration of the next US president and then Suicidal's future is possibly up in the air with OG frontman Mike Muir saying he is unsure if these will be the bands last releases. Time obviously will tell but if this is the case "World Gone Mad" is not a bad way to start the winding down process.

http://www.suicidaltendencies.com

-CW

BORROWED TIME “POISONOUS GRACE” EP (Surface Records, Released October, 2016)

It seems Borrowed Time have been around forever, ironic when you consider their name. The long-standing Rochester, NY five-piece have been around since 2004 yet after a raft of line-up changes they ceased playing shows in 2009. They have been back a while and knocking out really solid slabs of metallic hardcore.

Their latest effort is six tracks of smash-your-head-in-a-car-door brutality. Opener "Final Curtain Call" evokes memories of Merauder's classic “Master Killer” with its locomotive drumming and muted riff patterns. As if it couldn't get much heavier enter Brick By Brick and Full Blown Chaos growler Ray Mazzola for a late cameo. There is more of a Cro-Mags feel to “21 Grams” before the unmistakable sound of Earth Crisis singer Karl Buechner kicks off “Judas Kiss”, a largely mid-paced head-nodder with a neat turn of tempo to satisfy the two-step brigade.

Vocalist James really comes to the fore on “Poisonous Grace”. Whilst it would be easy to compare his raspy style to Sheer Terror's Paul Bearer the Borrowed Time frontman's delivery is a bit more refined, soulful even, and every word can be heard crystal clear.

Borrowed Time's cover of SOD's “United Forces” is, for my money, not as fun as Skarhead's attempt but it certainly packs a meaty punch - the production here is HUGE.

Closing with “Ashes Of Man” Borrowed Time have shown they are far from ready to count down the hours to their next hiatus. Colossal.

https://www.facebook.com/BorrowedTimeHC

-Tim Edwards

NONE ABOVE ALL “BEYOND THE FRAME” EP (Released August, 2016)

NYHC in effect (pun intended). We have the latest release by NYC's own None Above All entitled "Beyond The Frame". You get 7 beefy cuts of prime core. This release clocks in at a nice 20:15 which put the songs at around 3 minutes or so on the average which are not epics but robust for the genre. I have listened to this several times now and it is good NYHC played at a wide range of tempos. There is some funky bits and plenty of mosh which will surely cause many a pit melee. You can hear aspects of many types of core on display as well as a touch of the blessed metal. I think the elephant in the room....inside of my head...is the recording itself. I think here it is a bit muddy and/or bass heavy. I don't like to criticize recordings because it is really no fault of the band and half the time you don't know if the end result is the way they intended to present their sound.  SO!, I'm going to go on the assumption that this is the way they like it to sound.....and to be honest after listening several times, as I already stated dammit, I think the recording kinda makes this more distinct sounding, like the good old days when the recording itself was part of the personality. It kind of gives it a groove or a hum...like a living breathing collective hive beast looms just over your shoulder ready to eviscerate you at a moments notice. I can hear hints of Awkward Thought and Downlow on the opening ripper "Take a Hike", one of my favorite tracks. "A.F.C. Champ is a pounding song and that collective hive beast I mentioned earlier is really felt on this one (just go with it). I can also hear light traces of Billy Club Sandwich and Burn on "Helm" and the titular track "Beyond The Frame". The two longest jams, both of which are surely to cause a pit casualty or three. I love the guitar intro into "Hope", my favorite track on this release. This is the driving song but also the song that will have you stomping around your kitchen and diving off your dinner table whilst you await your Eggos to spring from the toaster. The band is tight and the vocals are strong. I can see these guys fitting on just about any kind of hardcore bill as they cover a lot of bases here. While writing this review, I listened to this several more times and now I can't imagine it recorded any other way. So check out None Above All. It's NYHC..... but kinda like that "other" NYHC that you discover when you dig beyond the big guns and find the golden nuggets scattered around the boroughs that are doing their own thing. Can you dig it bitches?

https://noneaboveall.bandcamp.com/releases

-Core Junkie