Uniform Choice - Screaming For Change

Uniform Choice
"Screaming For Change" (1986)
Hardcore / Punk
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Fast mid-eighties straight edge youth crew from California. Say what you will about their other recordings, but nothing they released before or after compares to this album. I'll keep this short and simply say that if you're thinking about starting an(other) 80's sounding hardcore band, you should add this to your rotation to make sure you do it right. "We scream to say you better listen!"

Gather - Total Liberation

Gather
"Total Liberation" (2004)
Hardcore / Metal
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Those of you that know me know I'm nowhere near being hardline, but I do like some over-the-top vegan straight edge music... And this is one example. For the record: I don't support the ALF, I kill mosquitos that are sucking my life juice, and I eat caffeinated chocolate from time to time. All that said, it's nice to hear some impassioned vegan straight edge kids getting pissed and writing metallic hardcore. I know I haven't said anything about the actual music, but you probably have a good idea of what you're getting into: 5 Tracks of hard, well-recorded mid nineties xVx hardcore worship with enough breakdowns to pick up hundreds of dollars worth of change. "Merely straight edge, not enough! Merely straight edge, step it up!"

Despise You - West Side Horizons

Despise You
"West Side Horizons" (1999)
Hardcore / Metal
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Holy shit, Despise You. These guys ripped it up in the mid to late nineties and then came back together to play shows in Cali and did a little US tour. I was living in Mexico when that happened so I had to miss it (didn't drive to Houston because I'm weak and a poser). Brutal, grinding, metallic, fucked up violence complimented by male/female trade-off vocals and some dismal guitar tones. I want to say before they got back together for the tour, they had only played a handful of shows, if that... But their little ripples in the punk pond turned into colossal tsunamis of influence. I don't even know what that means. Anyways, this has already been posted over at Seeeing Red and Am I Mean?... But fuck you, I want it on my blog too.

Das Oath - Uber Alles

Das Oath

"Uber Alles" (2003)
Hardcore
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This is a partial discography of a unique Fastcore band that's fronted by Mark McCoy of Charles Bronson fame. High pitch, nasaly vocals mixed with some fast, noisy, artsy (sorry) guitar work and equally satisfying (and angst-filled) lyrics. You gotta love the between-song distortion that makes it all flow together (I love Scholastic Deth for this too) in a seamless hyper-speed punk attack. Note: Track 6 is a cover of Queen's "We Are The Champions."

Otophobia - Malignant

Otophobia

"Malignant" (2002)
Hardcore
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These guys from Philadelphia like to mix it up track-to-track. You've got your blistering Grindcore blitzes (two tracks ~10 seconds) and your raging Crust ballads (one track is ~4 mins). Fortunately for us, they can pull both off beautifully. Go find your Phobia shirts, put your dreads in a bun, and get ready to hate everyone in the scene. This was the last release on Slap-A-Ham, so you know it's gotta be good.

Hatred Surge - Hatred Surge

Hatred Surge

"Hatred Surge" (2005)
Hardcore / Metal
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A one-man band has never sounded so good. Hatred Surge (AKA Alex Hughes) pumps out 9 tracks of Despise You style Gulf Coast Grinding Violence that will fuck your day up. Uncompromising raw vocals, blazing guitar/bass work, crunchy as shit sludge sections, just a fantastic release with enough variation to keep you from wanting to listen to anything else for a few days. He went on to add female vocals on the Insect Warfare split 7". The Black Metal picking at the beginning of Invisible Noose gives me the biggest boner. Oh yeah, the last track is a Despise You cover too.

Life's Halt - We Sold Our Souls For Hardcore

Life's Halt

"We Sold Our Souls For Hardcore" (1998)
Hardcore
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LA positive Straight-Edge Fastcore with that Youth Crew feel that makes you consider learning how to 2-step... Before realizing you'd rather run in circles and try to jump over your friends' heads. "Get in the pit you motherfuckers!"

Terrorizer - World Downfall

Terrorizer

"World Downfall" (1989)
Hardcore / Metal
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LA based seminal Grindcore of the best variety, none of that boring shit. This album has great Death Metal style riffing mixed in and a solid machine-gun drumming that will send chronic headbangers straight to the hospital. These guys ripped it up with this album and decided to give it a rest... UNTIL NOW (or actually, just last year)! It looks like Terrorizer has decided to get back together and released an album in 2008, which I haven't heard yet. I hope they haven't forgotten how to make eardrums bleed.

Hellnation - Cheerleaders For Imperialism

Hellnation

"Cheerleads for Imperialsm" (2000)
Hardcore

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Ok... This is straight up some of the fastest punk-style shit you'll find. Hellnation's first release was in 1990, so they know what they're doing, and they do it fucking well. Ten years after their conception, they came out with this 29 track warp-speed nuke of an album on Slap-A-Ham that will obliterate damn near anything you previously considered "high speed" or "high intensity." Punk-ass hyper guitars, blasting drums, hateful sociopolitical lyrics, throat-destroying screeching vocals served up by the drummer, and (in this recording) Chris Dodge (you know who he is) filling in on bass duties. You just can't go wrong. "This is punk rock not the Boy Scouts."

The Gate Crashers - Are A Bunch Of Motherfuckers

The Gate Crashers
"Are A Bunch Of Motherfuckers" (2004)
Hardcore
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Thirteen tracks of fast, punk-ass hardcore from Lehigh Valley, PA. There is nothing wrong here: Superbly executed song writing, spiteful lyrics, and a solid recording. I think Ebullition got it right when they compared them to Uniform Choice... Sans Edge. You can pick up the 7'' for a listen over at Mosh Eisley, though I like the LP better.

Running For Cover - Human Ruins EP

Running For Cover
"Human Ruins EP" (2005)
Hardcore
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Unrelenting Power Violence quartet from Buffalo, NY (basing their location solely on the address in the insert). The lyrics range from misanthropic anger to suicidal gloom and include a track "based on an ancient Irish myth" called "Bricriu." Listen to this when things are not going your way. For fans of Crossed Out.

Crime Desire - We Hate All Life

Crime Desire

"We Hate All Life" (2005)
Hardcore
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The first Crime Desire LP, shortly after which they switched out the guitarist and bassist for some other dudes. These guys from San Diego, CA have come out with with some great PV / Hardcore Punk material over the past few years. I don't think I could ever mistake this band's sound for anyone else... Taking cues from who the fuck knows how much shit, "We Hate All Life" rips. They've got two other LPs and a 7'' that I know of. Note: Some people hate the vocals, but I like them.

Man Is The Bastard - Mancruel

Man Is The Bastard
"Mancruel" (2000)
Hardcore / Noise
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Here we have another release by legendary Man Is The Bastard! This comp features shit recorded in '92, '93, and some unreleased stuff. The tracks have been remastered to kick your ears in... This is probably my most listened to MITB release, despite Power Electronics not really being my cup of tea. Either way, prepare to be pulverized.

Discarga - Happy Night Electric Experience

Discarga

"Happy Night Electric Experience" (2001)
Hardcore

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A furious Fastcore punk attack from Sao Paulo, Brazil. These dudes have a way of writing 30-60 seconds songs that are memorable, diverse, and way fast. The vocals fit in perfectly with the writing and, if I was better with Portuguese, would be understandable. I was floored the first time I heard this album, and it continues to be in my regular rotation after so many years. A solid partial-compilation record of a great band that I'd do sick and disgusting things to see live, and it's not because "eu sou Brasilairo."

Knuckle Scraper - Max Isn't The Bastard

Knuckle Scraper
"Max Isn't The Bastard" (2006)
Hardcore
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In a little over 5 minutes, Knuckle Scraper pump out 12 tracks of spastic Power Violence that will tear you a new asshole. This release has made it's way around a few of the blogs, but I thought it deserved a place on mine as one of my favorite 7'' releases in the past few years. This band was essentially Machine Gun Romantics sans lead vocalist. The MITB rip-off cover art (look a few posts down) should tip you off to the band's early 90's PV worship sound. They put out another 7'' called R.I.P. that was just recently released, I picked up a copy but haven't gotten a chance to rip it... It will hopefully be up shortly. For fans of No Comment, Infest, Spazz, MITB, and every band that is/was built on the West Coast PV sound.

Mind Eraser - Glacial Reign

Mind Eraser
"Glacial Reign" (2006)
Hardcore
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As promised, here is the next installment of the Mind Eraser catalog: 2006's "Glacial Reign." Compared to "Cave," the vocals are harsher, the whole album sounds a bit more Metal-tinged, and they really worked the slow/fast contrasts to fuck your day up. Feel the hate, motherfuckers.

Man Is The Bastard - Sum Of The Men / The Brutality Continues

Man Is The Bastard
"Sum Of The Men - The Brutality Continues" (1996)

Hardcore / Noise

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Heavy bass-driven sociopolitical first-wave Power Violence. You've got your 10G gutwrenching sludge to fast-paced punk and occasional blast-bursts... Add some harsh noise and sweet Jazzy bass riffs to top it all off. This is a Comp. with the "Sum Of The Men" LP, their "A Call For Consciousness" 7'' and a few splits. If you haven't heard these guys, you should. Right now.

Mind Eraser - Cave

Mind Eraser

"Cave" (2005)

Hardcore
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One of my favorite Power Violence albums to come out in recent years. They take pretty blatant queues from Crossed Out, and I love them for it. Barking vocals, depressing/pissed ass lyrics, mid-paced hardcore, sludgy riffing, start-and-stops, and peppered in blasts make for a fantastic listen. I'll up these Boston boys' 2006 album "Glacial Reign" later on.

Machine Gun Romantics - Everything So Far...

Machine Gun Romantics

"Everything So Far..." (2005)

Hardcore
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Although this doesn't include what I consider their best material (their side of the S.S.E. split), this stuff should not be missed. Four dudes from the Houston, Texas area that love Infest and Crossed Out tearing it up with fun, catchy, adrenaline-soaked Fastcore / Power Violence! Damn, this stuff gets me pumped!! If you were lucky enough to see them at the 625 Barbaric Detonation Thrash Festival in 2005 @ Gilman, you would know what I'm talking about. Get ready for tri-vocals, head lock pits, Olympic-worthy stagedives, scream alongs, and to wish they were still together. MGR fucked it up. Check out the member's newer stuff: Knuckle Scraper, Insect Warfare, Hatred Surge, 50/50, and Dark Forces.

Dystrophy - Nice Kids

Dystrophy

"Nice Kids" (2004)
Hardcore

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From the Bay Area, these kids loved Charles Bronson and Satan... So from the get-go we have that in common. Some good, fast, and relatively simple Charley-inspired Fastcore with catchy breakdowns and no copyright infringement. Check 'em out! Unfortunately, they didn't release anything else that I know of.

Edit: Apparently they released a few tracks on some comps... But I don't have them.