Well...

One month strong with no comments and no followers. I guess I don't know how to do this. Well, as the Whiskey Rebel from Rancid Vat says, it's lonely at the bottom, baby!

Negative Approach - Tied Down

The mighty and powerful Negative Approach! Few bands matched their in-your-face intensity. Sadly they only released this and a 7" before disbanding. However, there's been several re-issues and live stuff released since and they have gotten together for some shows recently, although I'm not sure if they are touring or not. A great E.P. from a GREAT band.


It's All Worth Nothing

Human Sufferage - Thank You, Mother Dear E.P.

 Another band I know very little about. I know they were out of Ohio and I believe this was their second and final release. A good L.P. of straight ahead early 80's hardcore. Hey Big Guy and Results stick out as favorites, and the title track is sincere and a point of view rarely heard in hardcore. Worth a listen.


Fair Warning For All(fixed)

The Freeze - Rabid Reaction

Here's one of my absolute favorite records of all time. From Cape Cod, Mass, The Freeze pumped out some great hardcore throughout the 80's and 90's. Fast to slow, intense to melodic, and lyrics powerful to ridiculous. The Freeze were one of the best. They went silent in the late 90's, but after re-issuing some early classics they're back together touring and recording.

I've Got Nothing Left, Nothing At All(fixed)

Manifest Destiny - We Love Our Country... 7"

Don't know much about this band. Good hardcore here. No surprises. They released this 7" and a 12" E.P. as well as various compilation tracks.

Screamatorium

Beaver - Self-Titled 7"

Beaver was a hardcore band out of the Maryland/D.C. area, although they never drank Ian's Kool-Aid. Apart from a comp track this, I believe is their only recording. A good hardcore record. Difficult to find info on this band, although it was fun searching for the band name! Give it a listen. Hell, it's free after all!

Limited Nuclear War On The Hippies

Battalion Of Saints - Fighting Boys E.P.

 San Diego's Battalion Of Saints did a great job of combining punk, hardcore and a bit of metal for a pretty powerful sound. Let's let singer George Anthony tell the story from their official website:

The Battalion of Saints is a legendary punk band formed in 1980 out of San Diego, Ca. Their deep impression left on music scene is still influential, and regarded as one of the original icons and pioneers of hardcore punk. After several line up changes, due to the tragic deaths of various members throughout the years, front man and mainstay George Anthony reformed Batts with members of Total Chaos and The Spooky. Their brutal sound and talented line up continues to stay true to their hardcore punk roots and sound, with fast and furious tracks that bring the adrenaline and raw power out of the volatile combination. 

Governments Will Try To Fuck You!!!

Thanksgiving Feast

Happy Thanksgiving. Here's a couple bands that know their way around a dinner table.

Poison Idea - Feel The Darkness

Poison Idea. The undisputed heavyweight champions of punk rock. Hardcore at its most brutal and aggressive. This release, in my opinion their finest hour, is all you need to know about hardcore. Angry and loud. A fuckin' masterpiece. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, PI had tons of releases throughout the 80's and 90's with very little not worthy of a spot in your collection. They originally broke up in '93, but Jerry A still busts out shows now and again with an all new crew. The world lost the mighty Pig Champion in 2006.

We Miss You, Pig!(fixed)


The Misfats - Misfits Tribute E.P.

The Fattest Misfits Tribute Band Ever! Entertaining but too damn short! 5 Misfits classics with the lyrics changed to represent 'the fat lifestyle'.The 'Fats unfortunately put down their forks in 2008, but their blog (Chewin' The Fat) is still up and contains lyrics to their masterpieces. Their Myspace Page and Website are also entertaining reads. Glen Hamzinger, the vocalist also has a blog Quest For The Best in which he searches for the best chicken fried steak in Portland.

Misfats(fixed)

Graven Image - Kicked Out Of The Scene 7"

 Another outstanding hardcore band from Richmond, Va. Graven Image didn't last too long and this was their only release. They also had a split cassette with another Richmond band Honor Role. 12 minutes of (mostly) ripping fast tunes, Dear Abby being my favorite. Well worth a spot in anyone's collection.

I Don't Know What To Do(fixed)

F - You Are An E.P.

I discovered F on the Flipside Vinyl Fanzine. I found this 12" and it blew me away. But, like most bands, I knew nothing about them. I was just happy to crank the tunes! It was also quite difficult to find info (you try doing a search for the letter 'F'!) So I'll credit the great and informative Kill From The Heart website for the following reviews and band profile:

The Tiresome and Typical Story of F
(from the liner notes in the "You Are An E.P." reissue)


The band F - no one seems to have a credible justification for the name - was formed in 1982 and released their first 12-inch record You Are An E.P. a year later. Prior to its release, the band broke up into two bands - one punk rock and the other '70s-style heavy metal - with the same name and performing the same songs in their respective styles.


This miniscule controversy - as well as a number of childish and unfriendly pranks - brought the band to the attention of the South Florida scene. For an effect probably not half as comical as they thought at the time, the band adopted the newly minted straight edge pose, complete with Xs etc., while drinking heavily and behaving like spoiled, self-destructive, carnivorous swine.


Upon the pressing of 1,500 copies of this record in 1983, no less than 200 of the records were smashed with hammers and against walls by the band and attendees at the practice/show. Such was their idea of a punk rock record release party. Calling the police on their own shows was another party favorite, and they delighted in their last show in Fort Lauderdale where the police actually made arrests instead of the usual simple harrassment.


The band toured twice outside of Florida, both times with White Flag - althought their t-shirts and interviews indicated they had toured with the Ramones.


The band consisted of U.S. Ken "The Duke" Decter, John "John Galt" Golf Jr., Eddie Nothing and alternating drummers Ravenous "Mike Hasson" Gangrene and Pete Moss. Tim Swingle also played bass early on.


The Duke moved to California and played solo under that moniker and as guitar-man for the Ex-Idols. John is a financial planner in South Florida and Eddie (who also played for the Gay Cowboys in Bondage) is now a bill collecter in Tampa. Rav has not been heard of in some time, and Pete won't ever be again, as he died in mid-1997 while abusing some straight-edge heroin. (Rest in peace, Pete.)


[Note: Someone wrote to the website to say that this is incorrect; Pete Moss committed suicide in 1997]


In the early 1990s, the F-Boys appeared in South Florida, having no other connection with the band than their name. And then, following their example, F, The Band Formerly Known as the John Birch Society were born in Gainesville in 1994 and released a fine e.p. "Die You Stupid Hippies."


by Phil Blumel
 
Review:
Wow! A patriotic, homosexual punk band. Sounds like something for everyone to hate, right? Wrong! If you miss this one for those reasons, you're a total idiot. Just get this EP> Growling vocals and real tight mid-tempo music with loud yelling backup vocals that compliment the whole thing. A bunch of patriotic sayings and a poem about Ian MacKaye are included. I would enjoy this band much more if they left out their nationalistic political views (and their version of "My Country Tis of Thee"). Saying like "James Watt and Joe McCarthy were right" makes me wonder if all this is just a joke.
-Ron Philips (from Task #1, March 1985)

Such Men Are Dangerous(fixed)

Killing Children - Certain Death 7"

I always liked this 7" from the short-lived Indiana band Killing Children. I loved their name so picked it up and was quite pleaed. Good straight ahead hardcore with humorous lyrics. I never knew anything else about the band. While searching for info I stumbled across a blog from the drummer. Here's a little inside info:

Scott somehow tracked me down, having heard that I was a decent drummer. He quickly hired me and North sophomore Dave Fortney, a wry, ironic kid with an impressive forelock, for bass duties. It was really unbelievable good fortune – Killing Children had something approaching a national profile, having been favorably reviewed in prominent national fanzines, and having played shows all over the Midwest. Of course there was the problem of the band name….


Scott was really a delightful guy. A tall, impossibly thin straw-haired nineteen-year-old, he possessed a sharp and irreverent sense of humor. Killing Children was really more a hardcore parody than a real hardcore band. Scott knowingly and mercilessly made fun of the strict hardcore sub-genres, such as skater thrash and death rock. Our live show often included a tongue-in-cheek death march through the crowd in funeral shrouds. Scott was a strong guitarist and an engaging front-man – on a good night, the trio of Scott, Dave and I could match the intensity of most headliners.

I can’t imagine what my parents were thinking, but they permitted me to go on short tours with Scott as the sole adult guardian. On our trips, in a particularly bizarre custom, we ate only Lucky Charms and drank only Little King’s Cream Ale, a barely-drinkable swill of a regional malt liquor. We slept on floors, if at all. I would return from these weekend trips exhausted and sick, wondering if I really had what it took to be a touring musician. It never occurred to me to try actually eating a proper meal or catching a few hours’ sleep.

Scott planned to record a full-length Killing Children album with Dave Fortney and me, and we saved every penny for the recording and pressing. Somehow the album never came together, and I assume the money went to underwrite Scott’s label’s many other projects. I might have been annoyed at the time by the album never coming together, but at this stage in my life I feel very grateful for the experience. Scott taught me about how independent labels work, and how independent distributers get the product into stores. He helped to instill in me a DIY ethic that has guided me throughout my life.

I can’t remember why we stopped doing Killing Children shows, but the band sort of gradually fizzled out after Dave’s and my senior year in high school. Although my musical focus remained hardcore, I started to become interested in certain select non-punk music, such as R.E.M., Lou Reed and the Velvets, L.A. psychedelic revival bands such as The Rain Parade and The Dream Syndicate, roots bands such as The Violent Femmes, Los Lobos, and Jason and the Scorchers, and vintage blues records. I spent more time practicing my guitar than my drums, and I made my first tentative attempts to write songs.

I Am Crazy, I'm Fucked In The Head

N.O.T.A. - Toy Soldiers 7"

Tulsa, Oklahoma's N.O.T.A. pumped out some fantastic early 80's hardcore. This is their first, and best 7", from 1984. They released another excellent 7", 'Moscow', the same year, and a self-titled LP in '85. Aggressive, in-your-face hardcore that sounds just as good today as it did some 20 years ago. They disbanded in 1986 but reformed in the mid 90's for a couple releases then called it quits in 2000.

You Might As Well Be Dead, You're Not Alive

Sluglords - Trails Of Slime

 Yet another band I know very little about, other than the fact that they were out of Frisco. I believe this was their only release, although a re-issue that includes live and demo tracks called Sluglords Forever' was released last year. Great straight-ahead hardcore here.

Live To Live/Die To Die

Rebels & Infidels - Corporate Picnic

 Here's another band that I know absolutely nothing about. So I'll steal a MRR review of this album I found on KFTH:

REBELS AND INFIDELS provide some sharp, almost nihilistic satire to complement their mixed-tempo compositions, but it's the thrashers that really stand out here. The piledriving "Last Rites" and "American Citizen" (as well as their theme song) offer both excitement and food for thought, and the off-beat production emphasizes this band's raw "live" qualities. Solid and creditable.
-Steve Spinali, from MRR, 1984

A funny story behind this one. I was at a party at this girls house that I didn't know. I wasn't having a particularly great time. I did however, find a couple cassettes laying around. One was a UK Subs comp tape, the other had this LP and the Exploited. I decided they would never be missed by the complete stranger. I had never heard of Rebels & Infidels but immediately liked it, and listened to it quite often. A month or two later a bunch of people were hanging out and this one friend of mine asked for the keys to my car so he could make time with this chick. I said sure. Turns out she was the girl that had the party, and as luck would have it the R&I tape was in the car. Needless to say she saw it and took back what was rightfully hers. Some of the songs remained stuck in my head but I was never able to hear the album again. That is, until I stumbled upon it on the great blog Down Underground. And now it's once again a part of my collection.

As far as I can tell this is their only release. There is a pretty good Demo floating around, tho.

You Got 'Em, Use Your Brains

Teenage Depression - Skank Or Die 7"

A humorous 10 or 12 minutes here. Teenage Depression was a short lived NJ band. Funny punk songs about topics they hate. (Damn, people hated Henry back in the day!) While searching for more info on the band I found this tidbit of trivia. 'I Love Kate' is about Kate Schellenbach, who played drums for the Beastie Boys at the time. A good record. Give it a shot.

Anarchy Is For Assholes

Sic F*cks - Self-Titled E.P.

Born from the cesspool of late 70's NYC. Singer Russell Wolinski and beautiful sisters Tish & Snooky collided to form quite the glam punk train wreck. With lyrics such as: 'Insects rule my world, and I can't find a girl' and 'Chop chop chop up your mother, use her for meat. Chop chop chop up your mother, don't use her feet' how could you possibly go wrong? A good, and humorous, record but supposedly pales in comparison to their live shows, which featured among other things, Tish & Snooky dressed as slutty nuns. The band didn't last too long, but apparently they've been known to get together for reunion shows now and again. The girls have made quite the name for themselves in the 'punk rock fashion' world. Check out manicpanic.com for the whole story as well as some awesome pics of the 70's NY scene.


Rock Or Die

Secret Hate - Vegetables Dancing E.P.

Secret Hate was another band I discovered by way of a compilation. They had a couple great songs on the 'Hell Comes To Your House' comp, neither of which are on this ep. Great punk/hardcore sound. Really catchy stuff. It's also one of my absolute favorite album covers. The E.P. was originally released in 1983, but was re-released in '98 with some live tracks. The band came and went rather quickly, as did most bands. They reformed in the late 90's and released 'Pop Cult Vomit' which I've never heard. I believe they're gone for good now.

We've Got A Brand New Dance

Total Chaos - There Are No Russians In Afghanistan 7"

Not to be confused with the current hardcore band out of California, U.K.'s Total Chaos was a short-lived Anarcho-Punk band from the early 80's. Between 1981 - 1983 they released two 7"s and a 12" E.P. as well as some comp tracks, including Bullshit Detector. Not alot of info on these guys but I did find the following link if anyone is interested: http://uk82.150m.com/bands/totalchaos.html

Same Things Happened Again(fixed)

Saccharine Trust - Paganicons E.P.

An early SST band. Saccharine Trust put together a weird punk/hardcore/artsy sound that I thought worked particularly well on this, their debut E.P. from 1981. They released several albums throughout the 80's but kinda lost me as, in my opinion, they just kept getting weirder and weirder. But i still love slapping this baby on once in a while. The band released a new CD in 2001 and continue to play shows.

Freedom Is What Ruins Your Brain

Reagan Youth - Youth Anthems For A New Order E.P.

Reagan Youth was one of the early New York hardcore bands. Formed in 1980, this was their first release, in '84. They released a second album in '89 but it lacks the power and aggression of this classic. They split up the same year. In 1993 singer Dave Insurgent committed suicide after his prostitute girlfriend was found in the back of Joel Rifkin's truck. The band reformed in the late aughts to tour and plan a new recording. They're still touring however I believe no original members are left and as far as I know, no new release has emerged.

We Are The Sons Of Reagan... Heil

Capitol Punishment - Self-Titled 7"

Capitol Punishment was a hardcore band out of Fresno, CA. I first heard them on the incredible Maximum Rock 'N' Roll comp, 'Not So Quiet On The Western Front', and sought out any releases. At the time this was it. The straight ahead hardcore tunes with mega-gruff vocals. The 4th song 'Jody Is My Bloody Love' is a slow, bizarre 5 minute love song from John Hinckley to Jody Foster. Capitol Punishment went on to release several LPs and EPs thru their ultimate demise in 1995. Ralph, the original singer, left the band in '88. They continued with several other singers from '88 to '95. The music stayed consistent, but in my opinion this remained their best.

I'm Going In The Wrong Direction

Sick Pleasure - Self-Titled 7"

The aforementioned Sick Pleasure. Angry S.F. speed freaks. Sick Pleasure was around for a short time in the early 80's. Young, loud and snotty. Not as fast as Verbal Abuse, but just as angry. They recorded but never actually released anything as a band, but after they broke up and moved to other bands a great split with Code Of Honor was released. It featured kind of a late 70's style punk sound. And the following year this 7" was born, featuring a noticeable lean towards a faster hardcore sound.

I Just Want My Parents To Burn

Verbal Abuse - Just An American Band

Verbal Abuse formed in Texas in '81, but are better known for their S.F. 'Vat Rat' days ('82 - '84). Singer Nicki Sicki and Dave Chavez scraped up the ashes of their previous band Sick Pleasure, laced it with inhuman amounts of speed and alcohol, and ended up with a chunk of hardcore history. 'Leeches', 'Social Insect', 'Disintegration'. 'Free Money', shit EVERY track is a classic! But as soon as it started it was gone. Nicki left the band, they all grew their hair and ended up releasing 'VA Rocks Your Liver' in '86. While not a horrible album, it's NOT the same band. But all's well that ends well I guess. After pulling 8 years in a Texas prison Nicki and Dave are back together touring and recording.
This is actually the reissue version which includes some tracks recorded live in '84.

Enjoy this one, because you won't find much better!

Society Hates Me, That's O.K.
fixed!

Raw Power - Wop Hour 7"

One of Italy's finest hardcore exports, Raw Power. Brothers Muaro & Giuseppi Codeleppi started the band back in 1981. This, I believe, was their first US released 7" That same year ('85) they also released the LP 'Screams From The Gutter' stateside, followed by 'After Your Brain' in '86. They continued releasing and touring throughout the 90's and up until Guiseppe's death in 2002. Mauro has apparently gotten them back together and have them touring again.

For my money, this 7" is Raw Power at their best.Four blistering tracks of raw hardcore with just a hint of the metal that would show up in later releases.

You Are The Victim

Wasted Youth - Reagan's In

LA's Wasted Youth. This E.P. is pretty much the epitome of early 80's hardcore. Loud & Fast. Sneering vocals. Songs such as 'You're A Jerk', 'Teenage Nark' and 'Born Deprived'. And a Pushead cover to boot. An absolute gem. Like alot of other bands they evolved into more of a metal outfit. Another E.P., 'Get Out Of My Yard' was released in '86 that featured a slower, less hardcore sound but i thought was actually pretty good in it's own right. They also released an L.P. in '88 called Black Daze, but I've never heard it.

We Can Live Our Own Lives
fixed!

Sluggo - Contradiction 7"

I didn't know anything about this band back in the day, but I really liked this 7". Pretty straightforward hardcore from '83. I searched for some info and found out they're from Cincinnati, Ohio, this is their only release, and they've done a couple reunion shows the past couple years.
Here's a description is their own words:

Founded by four suburban youths in 1983, Sluggo ambushed the unsuspecting Cincinnati music scene with its brand of fast, loud, straight-edged hardcore influenced primarily by the Dischord bands from Washington, D.C. The Cincinnati scene had several great punk bands around (Musical Suicide, SS-20, The Edge, Snare and The Idiots, and others), but Sluggo stood apart by being younger, appearing more clean-cut, and playing much tighter than any of their older counterparts. 

As members changed and the musical interests of the members evolved, Sluggo moved away from the thrash sound of D.C. toward the metallic appeal of Motorhead. This direction was an appropriate one, as guitarist Chris Donnelly had matured into an accomplished lead player. In their later days, singer Julian Bevan, having completely overcome his initial shyness, put on an extraordinary show by leaping around the stage with a sweaty devillock obscuring his growly face while Donnelly displayed his virtuosic guitar work.

The second and third incarnations of Sluggo each produced studio recordings that for a variety of reasons were never released. Fortunately, the master tapes survived the intervening years and they have been digitally re-mastered, now sounding better than ever.

If you like this check out their website: sluggocincinnati.com. It's got all their recordings available for download.

It's A Contradiction

White Cross - What's Going On?

Great '83 release from Richmond, Va's White Cross. Enjoy.

Jump Up My Ass

Society Dog - ...Off The Leash 7"

One more of my favorite 7"s. This one from San Francisco's Society Dog. Don't know much about this band. The late Johnithin Christ is on vocals. More 70's punk sound than 80's hardcore. Still a really good record. As far as I know they only released this one and one other 7" before splitting.

The Baby Is Dead

Necros - Conquest For Death 7"

The pride of Maumee, Ohio. I was only able to see them live once, in the early 90's when they were touring with the Circle Jerks. As far as this 7" goes, I'll let Pushead's review from a 1983 Maximum Rock "N' Roll describe it.

"Conquest for Death" is a raw uncontrollable rage of rambunctious combustion. A fast forceful frantically paced flailing stormer against competitive nature. An outrageous single venture before they release the upcoming LP.

Exactly!


Be A Man

Social Unrest - Making Room For Youth 7"

Another one of my alltime favorite records. This was in fact one of my earliest introductions to hardcore. And in my opinion it still sounds great 30 years later. Social Unrest released some pretty good stuff over the years, but none better than this 7".

Bodily Harm And Not Much Charm

Exploited - Rival Leaders 7"

Ah yes, The Exploited. What needs to be said, really? Wattie & The Boys have pumped out some of the best hardcore there is. This 7" from 1983 is one of my favorites.

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, Here We Go