Review: Latin for Truth - We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies

Label: Pitfall Records

Released: Summer 2009

Some bands can get by on simply having big, open, honest hearts to fuel their music. They don't have to be particularly creative as their appeal lies more in soul than songwriting. Latin For Truth is like that...except, despite having more than enough in their hearts to make just about anything compelling, they don't rely on that alone. Instead, they fill (and I do mean fill) this three song EP with melodies that wrap their arms around you and proceed blast them out with a wild rhythmic ride beneath. We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies rolls laughter, tears, anger and every other human emotion into what is ultimately the joy of being alive.

You can download the EP for free here.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: One Win Choice - Define/Redefine

Label: Jump Start Records

Released: February 16, 2009

Hardcore has struggled on and off for years with the concept of melody. When bands in late 70s and early 80s first decided to abandon traditional songwriting and simply go for broke at near light speed, a lot was lost despite the opening of a new avenue. Over time, bands began to rediscover that old sense of melody (especially in DC with the likes of Dag Nasty and Rites of Spring), because it is, after all, music, not just random noise. No matter how angry or passionate, the emotion is still being conveyed by song. Otherwise, it's just a lot of yelling, right? This isn't to say that being very melodic is essential, but it helps, particularly in the absence of any musical elements to replace it.

One Win Choice is a band that understands this. Their brand of hardcore can hold its own with the angriest of them. Their raw passion is paralleled by few. Yet, they still realize that these factors mean little unless music is at the core of what they do. These aren't shallow hooks, mind you, and that's what makes these songs special. Their melodic nature makes them digestible, memorable even, yet they avoid any saccharine hooks that might derail their purpose. It is what Dag Nasty's Can I Say proved and yet 25 years later, few bands can do it. One Win Choice just happens to be one of the ones that can.

Define/Redefine is available as a five song CDEP at shows or as a three song clear vinyl 7" from Jump Start (which includes a free mp3 download of all five tracks).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Thursday/Envy - Split

Label: Temporary Residence Limited

Released: November 4, 2008

Few albums start off with the level of frantic energy of Thursday's "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." There are songs with fireworks and there are songs that are like the fireworks factory exploding and this is clearly the latter. Thursday's dense layering walks the fine line between noisy and melodic, without tempering either. On one hand it seems like one lumbering mass of guitar, yet at the same time, the music is intricate, interesting and downright riveting.

Envy makes an interesting pairing for Thursday. On one hand, their ambient textures walk the line between austere beauty and haunting fear in sharp contrast to Thursday's more heavy-handed approach. On the other, they blast out noisecore along the lines of a more musically mature Septic Death. In a sense they've taken the roads to both sides of Thursday's work, giving this split release not only intensity but depth as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Strike First Presents: Earth from Above

Strike First Records is pleased to announce the signing of Southern California's Earth From Above. These guys have been tearing up SoCal for a while now and will be recording their debut full length in January with engineer Chris Eck (Impending Doom, Mirrors of Dead Faces, Oblige) for a spring 09 release. You can hear The Antidote, a brand new pre-production song on their myspace now.

Earth from Above growl and sneer their way through their live sets, with two studied metal vocalists at the helm; and their shows are just a taste of what will come out of Chris Eck's recording studio.

TOUR DATES:
Oct 31 The Paradigm w/ Impending Doom, Yucaipa, CA
Nov 8 The Maac w/ Impending Doom, Chula Vista, CA
Nov 14 The Green Turtle Whitier, CA
Nov 22 PC Paramount w/ Impending Doom, Paramount, CA
Nov 29 Salon Fiesta w/ Impending Doom, Tijuana, Baja CA

My Epic new album and tour info

From Facedown Records:

The soundtrack of a hopeful youth shimmers inside the unassuming three piece that is My Epic; and today marks the release of their Dreamt Music/Facedown Records debut full-length I Am Undone.

My Epic have become the unforeseen antidote to apathy with song after song evoking raw emotion wrapped in a palpable tenderness. Soaring refrains and dynamic vocals breeze in and out of carefully sculpted songs with alternated softness and exuberance.

When inspiration comes from beauty the result is anything but ordinary, and for My Epic the results are unforgettable. You can hear two songs from I Am Undone on the band's myspace profile: "Men In Little Houses" and "The Oil Press."

Myspace

TOUR DATES:
(Aug 20 - Sept 10 (w/ Inked In Blood and Take It Back!)
Aug 20 - Tupelo, MS @ Musicians Playground
Aug 21 - Hot Springs, AR @ The Attic
Aug 22 - Joplin, MO @ The Foundry
Aug 23 - Fayetteville, AR @ The Music Hall
Aug 24 - Burleson, TX @ The Party Barn
Aug 25 - Lubbock, TX @ The Way
Aug 28 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Vertical Venue
Aug 29 - Oceanside, CA @ Generation Church
Aug 30 - Chino, CA @ The Stronghold
Aug 31 - Whittier, CA @ The Green Turtle
Sept 1 - Citrus Heights, CA @ Friend's Church
Sept 4 - Vancouver, WA @ The Pistol
Sept 5 - Richland, WA @ Ray's Golden Lion
Sept 6 - Twin Falls, ID @ River Christian Fellowship
Sept 7 - Hyrum, UT @ The Azteca
Sept 10 - Belton, MO @ Cactus Jacks

Review: New Found Glory - Tip of the Iceberg / International Superheroes of Hardcore - Takin' It Ova

Label: Bridge Nine

Released: April 29, 2008

This release finds the latest EP from pop-punks New Found Glory and a full-length from NFG side-project International Superheroes of Hardcore. Without a doubt, NFG are a band that could use a fresh start and a return to writing meaningful songs rather than the sap that made up their major label years. ISHC had a limited release that preceded this, but this is their first exposure to a broader world. So, both bands have something to prove.

NFG's Tip of the Iceberg EP certainly shows more heart than the band has exhibited since 1999's Nothing Gold Can Stay and for the first time, it's more punk than pop. While NFG members have been in these waters before, the band has never been here on record. Most of the songs still have a heavy dose of pop, but it doesn't drown the punk element like NFG have done for years.

The six songs on Tip of the Iceberg include three covers. NFG lighten up Gorilla Biscuits' "No Reason Why" to something akin to early 7 Seconds, but they're even more at home taking on one of Shelter's more melodic moments on "Here We Go Again." But every track, covers and originals alike, certainly has more substance than the band has had in quite some time.

ISHC waste no time separating themselves from NFG's lighter legacy. With a blistering pace and aggressive vocals, they lay down some serious East Coast hardcore grooves along the lines of Madball. It's not the most original work in the genre, but they could hold their own with all but perhaps the top handful of hardcore bands. It's full of heart-on-the-sleeve songs about the scene and the meaning of hardcore and what it means to really live the life. Still, they also exhibit a sense of humor on songs like "Screamo Gotta Go" and that's always refreshing in the all-too-serious world of hardcore.

Tip of the Iceberg/Takin' It Ova is an interesting packaging with pop-punk that hardcore fans can stomach and hardcore that won't scare the pop out of anyone. Both discs show bands at the top of their game and, for NFG anyway, that's somewhere they haven't been in a long time.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

NFG:
Website

Myspace

ISHC:
Website

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Review: War of Ages - Arise & Conquer

Label: Facedown Records

Released: July 22, 2008

Over the past decade or so, the old notion that Christian rock was just a watered-down attempt to infiltrate youth culture has been dispelled by a new breed of Christian band. Not one that's trying to evangelize by tapping into the latest thing, but one who's intensity is the very expression of their own religious experience. Unlike the Petras and Strypers of the old days, these new bands can reach out to Christians and non-Christians alike, because you can get into the details of the message or just the vibe of their righteous anger and love.

Among this new breed, War of Ages has upped the ante in both aggression and skill, making them a conversion experience unto themselves. That conversion can be anything the listener needs it to be. While their themes are largely religious, they speak in musical terms that anyone can understand. There is a war, between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and lies, and Arise & Conquer brings that war to your stereo. This isn't about out of control anger either. While the whole album just boils over, it is also incredibly tight and uses melody well. The aggression is controlled, but not tempered.

Don't be fooled by the album art either. While it may bring to mind World of Warcraft, this album is not a game. It's the real thing.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Static Radio NJ - An Evening of Bad Decisions

Label: Black Numbers

Released: September 9, 2008

Back in the early 80s, Minor Threat discovered something about hardcore: Melody and intensity aren't mutually exclusive. As seminal as MacKaye and company were, that's still a lesson that's been lost on a lot of bands. But not Static Radio NJ.

An Evening of Bad Decisions finds Static Radio NJ progressing from solid, but common hardcore to the top of the game. They haven't jumped on the metal-core, post-hardcore or (thank God) emo bandwagons. This is hardcore the way it's meant to be played, just a bit more on the melodic side. Sure, songs like "Places" back away from the edge a bit, but even there the emotional level of the record stays high. Unlike so many hardcore albums, this one sings to you, not at you.

The bottom line is the sound is crunchy, the tempo fast and the vocals passionate. All that and you can sing along as well. It's not the next big thing, but it is just about the best thing going.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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War of Ages on tour, Arise and Conquer out today!

From Facedown Records:

Today we are happy to finally announce the release of the highly anticipated War of Ages album Arise and Conquer! War of Ages' collaboration with Tim Lambesis has produced incredible results and now you can hear the album in its entirety. See the Facedown website for more information on where to pick up a copy of Arise and Conquer. High quality DRM-free mp3s are also available directly from the Facedown site.

War of Ages is finishing up the Scream the Prayer tour right now in the northwest and will then play a couple of cd release shows in Erie, PA in August before they head out on the road again with Oh, Sleeper.


TOUR DATES:

July 22 - Portland, OR @ Rock N Roll Pizza
July 23 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
July 24 - Spokane, WA @ Service Station
July 25 - Boise, ID @ The Venue
July 26 - Orangevale, CA @ Club Retro
Aug. 8 – Erie, PA @ Forward Hall
Aug. 9 – Erie, PA @ Forward Hall

(Aug. 11 – 24 w/ Oh Sleeper, A Kiss For Jersey, Agraceful)
Aug. 12 - Chattanooga, TN @ The Warehouse
Aug. 13 - Toledo, OH @ Frankies
Aug. 14 - Westland, MI @ Skateland West
Aug. 15 - Dover, OH @ The Rock Bottom
Aug. 16 - Lewisberry, PA @ Ski Roundtop(Purple Door Festival)
Aug. 17 - Davidisonville, MD @ Riva Trace
Aug. 18 - Fredericksburg, VA @ The Refuge
Aug. 19 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Club Relevant
Aug. 20 - Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery
Aug. 21 - Pilot Mountain,NC @ Downtown Pilot Mountain
Aug. 22 - Danville, VA @ Plan B
Aug. 23 - Jacksonville, NC @ Jacksonville USO
Aug. 24 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
Aug. 25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Fuel Coffeehouse
Aug. 26 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
Aug. 27 - Pensacola, FL @ The Red Door w/ In Fear and Faith
Aug. 28 - Metairie, LA @ The High Ground w/ In Fear and Faith

Review: They and the Children - Home

Label: Kill Normal Records

Released: July 1, 2008

There are angry bands and then there are really angry bands. They and the Children are the latter. Their latest offering, Home, cuts right to the chase, brimming over with outright rage from the very start. The intensity level is so high in fact that it's quite a shock that the whole thing doesn't devolve into an inarticulate mess. Perfectly good bands have cracked under less pressure. TATC, however, become more articulate even as the rage factor goes up.

It starts with mix of speed and drone and slowly, subtly layers add to the music's density. The next thing you know, you're simultaneous drowning in hardcore and swimming in psychedelia. By "Invisible," the album's fourth track, the mind-bending space rock is no surprise and, while it provides a breather from the breakneck pace, it by no means takes it easy. In fact, it has perhaps Home's most burning moments.

TATC have found some strange point where hardcore, drone and psychedelia meet and the
confluence of the three turns out to be something akin to rocket fuel. You might get burned along the way, but it's a healing fire.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

Website

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Review: Means - To Keep Me From Sinking

Label: Facedown Records

Released: May 27, 2008

The metallic hardcore that Means offer on To Keep Me From Sinking has had a lot of practitioners over the last two decades or so and as expected, some do it better than others. The better bands are either tighter, more intense or occasionally even more creative. Means can compete with the best hardcore has to offer on technical skill and they leverage that in a cohesive way. The album may not have non-stop intensity, but when they kick in full force, they're a force to be reckoned with. It's really their creativity that sets them apart though.

Sure, Dylan Johnstone spends a little too much time growling and some of the riffs are common fare for the genre, but a lot of times they break free of the standard hardcore moorings. Their ability to incorporate melodic lines into the hardest hitting sections and to alter the pace seemlessly is remarkable. Even "Steadily," the album's ballad fits perfectly into place. Means manages to add delicacy without compromising (even if it occasionally strays a bit close to emo land) and they make a great case for hardcore being a living, breathing, changing genre.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Take It Back - Can't Fight Robots

Label: Facedown Records

Released: June 24, 2008

Can't Fight Robots, the debut album from Arkansas' Take It Back, finds a good mix between crunch and melody. It draws heavily on bands that defined the punk rock of the 90s like Pennywise and (ironically) Bad Religion and thickens that sound up with more hardcore tendencies. The vocals have a gritty power and the frequent addition of backing vocals outside of the choruses makes for quite a few singalong moments. The guitars might be a little too clean, but their melodic lines are the source of much of the album's catchiness.

Take It Back takes a few chances on the album. The slow churn of "A Struggle to Stay Standing" exhibits their ability to drive home the point just as much as its faster counterparts. The arena-leaning keyboard part in "Together Burning Bright" and a decidedly non-hardcore guitar riff and piano part in "Lights in This Town" both take a stroll outside the walls that have been constructed over the last 20+ years. Often when bands take these little walks, they seem forced, as if they're embarrassed to be who they are, but Take It Back seem to be simply following their muse where it leads them. They keep the energy level high across the album, but these little things provide enough variance to avoid being one-dimensional.

Perhaps Take It Back's biggest strength is their ability to create both hooks and sentiments that stick with you. This isn't fluffy pop-punk by a long stretch, yet the songs are as catchy as they are aggressive and the message is positive. They've created an album that's inviting because of its emotions, not in spite of them. Can't Fight Robots leaves us with these words in the final track, "Fill us with passion and burning desire, hearts that are holy." I think the band's prayers have already been answered.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Spitfire - Cult Fiction

Label: Goodfellow Records

Released: April 29, 2008

There are two kinds of anger: one based on love and one based on hate. I've always found myself more attracted to the former. New Model Army's fury on "I Love the World" has always seemed both fuller and deeper than something along the lines of the Circle Jerks' "World Up My Ass." With that in mind, one look at the cover of Cult Fiction made it clear that it was going to be angry, but what type of anger would it be?

Spitfire convey themselves via a dynamic mix of brutal, churning hardcore and disturbing psychedelic passages. The breaks in heaviness never let up on the album's intensity though. In fact, it is the ability to change the pace and feel and intertwine the the elements (often with guttural screams running through the trippiness) that makes Cult Fiction such an emotional ride. It is an album for a world at war, a war both within ourselves and with others, an epic struggle between good and evil. For all of its extremes, this one is all about love though. The love of one who would lay down his life for his neighbor. The love that's angry about the world gone awry. The love that will fight rather than submit to despair.

Back in 1968, Peter Scholtes wrote a song called "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love" that expresses an ideal that dates back to the earliest days of Christianity. I thought of it when I learned after the fact that Spitfire was a Christian band. So much of the complaint about hypocrisy within Christianity has to do with this ideal being forgotten by many. But Spitfire has not forgotten. Mind you, their love is not nice, it's angry, it's downright furious, but it is indeed love and, on this record, it seems boundless.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: History - Ghosts in the City

Label: 24 Hour Service Station

Released: December 7, 2007

What happens when Fugazi meets Black Sabbath? History. Okay, so time will tell if History the band actually makes history, but there's no denying that the potential is there. Their album, Ghosts in the City, isn't just the result of these influences slapped together in some random fashion, but a natural meeting of the former's mathed up passion and the latter's heavy groove (tempered perhaps into a less sludgy though no less compelling hard rock sound). Add to this the airy effects of two keyboards and their sound finds an even more unique voice for itself. What really makes the album great though is that it provides both the frenzied excitement of calculated hardcore and the pumping, thumping heaviness whose legacy is at the root of pretty much any decent hard rock and heavy metal, all with more than a touch of madness.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Interview: Bad Habit

I recently had a chance to interview Joe Michelizzi, singer for up and coming Maryland hardcore band Bad Habit. For a band that's been together only a short time, their demo was pretty exciting (and even had a touch of the silly). So, here's what Joe had to say:

RnRnMN: How long have you been together?

Joe: We haven't been together for very long. Technically we have been together since about July 2007. That is when we first got together and played music. It was only once though before Daniel, our drummer, went to Boston for about a month for a summer program at Berklee. He came back sometime in August and that is when we began to practice regularly and tried writing our own music. So I guess it has been about seven months or so. I feel, and hopefully others do to, that we have come a long way in that time.

RnRnMN: Do you have experience in previous bands?

Joe: All of us have previous experience in other bands. I have the least experience though, having only sang in one other band called Strange Days, more of a modern hardcore band. We didn't play very many shows and we weren't very good but it was fun nonetheless and definitely very worth the time and effort. Matt, our bassist, and Anthony, our guitarist, have been in and out of bands together since high school. They were also both in Strange Days. They were also in a metalcore band in high school called Ink the Heart. Daniel is the youngest of us all but is easily the best musician out of all of us. He played with a punk band early in high school called Shug Clowns and up until recently a metalcore band called For Better For Worse. We're lucky to have him. It is so hard finding a drummer, and a good one at that.

RnRnMN: What band or album got you into punk/hardcore?

Joe: Integrity and Ten Yard Fight. Nah, I'm gonna be honest, I haven't been in the hardcore community for a very long time, a couple years at most. I remember Dookie by Green Day being the first cd i ever bought, and I picked up Punk In Drublic by NOFX when i was about thirteen or fourteen. I still listen to that album all the time. I have to thank Minor Threat, The Descendents, and my brother though for getting me into hardcore. My brother went to college with some hardcore kids and he played bass so they all formed a band name Bail Out! even though he knew nothing about hardcore and wasn't a fan. I was a junior in high school when they started and that's when I started getting into everything. In early 2005, I took a day off of school and went on a weekend tour with Bail Out!. One of the shows they played was with Ruiner, Van Damage, and The Spark. It was at that show when I realized this shit was for me. I still remember everything about the show. Anyway, enough about me. I asked Anthony for his input on the question and he told me NOFX- Pump Up The Valuum did a lot for him and that My War by Black Flag was the angriest shit he ever heard and loved it. Daniel went with AFI, the Misfits, and Minor Threat. Matt, like always, was indecisive.

RnRnMN: Your sound is strongly rooted in early hardcore. What do you offer that's new?

Joe: I don't really like this question haha. I feel like answering it will force me to have a better opinion of my band than maybe I should, if that makes any sense? Also, I feel were equally influenced by the new as well as the old. Personally, I would say our biggest influences are Minor Threat, Black Flag, the Descendents, Outbreak, and Kid Dynamite. Its hard to bring something completely new and innovative to hardcore, a lot of shit has already been done time and time again and we don't want to just remake an old album. I guess what we are trying to do is bring some intensity back into the scene and play fast as shit, and there are definitely some good bands that are doing something similar.

RnRnMN: From the looks of your schedule, it seems you'll play shows at regular venues as well as basement shows. What are the ups and downs of both?

Joe: We play shows wherever we can get shows. Normally, we will only turn something down if one of the members can't make it to the show or we truly feel we don't fit or belong on a specific show. So far we have played in D.A.V./K.O.C. halls, basements, bars, holes in the wall, and of course Charm City Art Space. In April we are opening a show at the Ottobar on Modern Life Is War's farewell tour. That will probably be our biggest show to date. I don't really like playing on stages, I don't know why. Thats probably the only downside of a bigger venue for me. The only other downs of any show I can think of would just be a lack of kids showing up, and we have definitely played to next to no one before. I would say our basement shows tend to draw less kids than a show at a regular venue. Basement shows are so personal though, it is kind of hard to not get into the bands playing. However, we have also had really fun crowds, and that is what really makes it all worth it. There is no other feeling like seeing kids you don't know and will never meet sing songs that you wrote. But regardless of the crowd, shows are always fun because that is what it is all about. And if nothing else, at least we are getting in some extra practice.

RnRnMN: Have you had the opportunity to tour or are you largely playing fairly local shows?

Joe: As of now, we are a generally local band. We have only played one out of state show and that was at Championship Records in Lemoyne, PA. We would love to play any out of state show and hopefully we can play a lot more in the future. Touring is definitely on our to do list. It is going to be very hard considering most of us have jobs and go to school full-time, but we are going to find a way to make it happen. We actually have a small weekend tour this May, and if we can all get the time off, we will be heading up to Massachusetts in early April. On May 9th we will be in Pittsburgh, PA at the Roboto Project with Pulling Teeth, Gray Ghost, and the Pyramid Scheme. On May 10th we will be in York, PA for a basement show with Pulling Teeth, Gray Ghost, Trapped Under Ice, and a new band Re-Ignition, who will be playing their first show. Nothing is official for May 11th, but there are a couple people looking into something for us, so we should have word on that soon. We also have a one off date in Richmond at Ramakins on May 24 with The Reserve and some other locals. So if anyone sees this, and wants to see us somewhere in VA,PA,NY,NJ or any other area relatively close...we are down.

RnRnMN: What are the upcoming plans for Bad Habit?

Joe: Other than playing shows in and out of state and working on new songs, Bad Habit doesn't really have any official plans. We are going to be making some t-shirts in the very near future. Right now, we are just trying to put the demo into the hands of everyone we can and get noticed. We send them out free to anyone who asks for one, but right now we are out. We should be making some more fairly soon. We're not trying to rush anything. We have only written three new songs since our demo came out, so its not like we are brimming with material for any releases. If a label were to show interest, we would definitely be interested, but we feel we haven't established ourselves enough to be looking into releasing a 7" or anything. I think a split with another band would definitely be awesome and lay the groundwork for our own release. So really, just listen for some new songs live and look for some shirts on the merch table.

RnRnMN: Has Natalie Portman heard "Israeli Girl?"

Joe: Why did I know something about Ms. Portman was going to come up? Yes it is true, I have an enormous crush on Natalie Portman, and unfortunately she has not yet heard the song, at least not to my knowledge. She could be a closet hardcore fan, I dunno...I sure hope so. Everyone keeps telling me to send it to a fan club or something, so if I get some extra time I will probably look into it. I mean, if she hears it, I'm totally in. There is no way the song isn't going to melt her heart, am I right?

RnRnMN: Pick your favorite from each pair:

Joe:
Pick my favorite from each pair...ugh.

• Beatles versus Stones - I am definitely going to go with the Stones on this one, mainly because I cannot get into the Beatles at all. Anthony will be very disappointed when he sees this...he is an enormous Beatles fan. Plus the Stones have "Paint It Black," and that song kills.
• Sex Pistols versus The Clash - Definitely The Clash, mainly because I own "London Calling" and own nothing from the Sex Pistols. To be honest, I'm not really a big fan of either. I'm such a shitty hardcore kid.
• Minor Threat versus Black Flag - This one is hard. I love both bands to death. I'm gonna have to go with Minor Threat though, mainly because like i said earlier, they played a big part in getting me into hardcore. Nothing at all against Black Flag though, they are equally amazing.
• NOFX versus The Descendents - This is my favorite one because both names popped up in the question about what got me into hardcore/punk. While Nofx will always hold a special place in my heart, I am going with The Descendents hands down. They are probably my favorite band ever. The Descendents are just sooooooooo good, you can't dislike them, and if you do...fight me. Also, it would be pretty stupid of me to choose Nofx when I have Descendents tattoos.
• Hot Water Music versus the Draft versus Chuck Ragan - Is it bad that I've never really listened much to any of them? I'm gonna go with Hot Water Music because they're the only one of the group I've heard. I'm not big on folk so I've never really checked out Ragan's solo stuff. Since I was never into HWM I've never even heard of the Draft until now.

Review: A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide

Label:

Released: October 9, 2007

A Wilhelm Scream doesn't exactly break down all the walls on Career Suicide, but they do manage to put forth a solid album that isn't the same old fare over and over again. The album is largely a metally hardcore affair, but its layered sound (particularly the guitar parts) gives it far greater dimension than their average peer in the genre. This layered approach and their melodic moments do give them a bit of an emo feel at times, but they usually attack the songs with rhythms too blistering to be sappy. In the less metal moments, they tend a bit toward the agility, though not the fun, of late Descendants material (which is no surprise as the album was co-produced by Descendants drummer Bill Stevenson). Already a cut above the average hardcore/emocore band out there, A Wilhelm Scream get another step on the competition with lyrics that are a bit more clever than most that deal with the common theme of disillusionment. They may not be on the verge of greatness here, but you could do a whole lot worse than to pick up a copy of Career Suicide. Actually, in hardcore, you couldn't do much better.

Rating: 7/10

Website

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Review: Bad Habit - demo

Label: self-released

Released:

Like many great punk records, this one's almost over before it starts. While this isn't quite great, it does cover all the hardcore bases: fast, loud, aggressive. The four song demo clocks in at just 5:39, but it lets up very little over that time. Bad Habit draws a lot from Minor Threat with just a slightly looser approach a la early Black Flag. They throw in a bit more melody on "Cancer" and it sows the seeds of being more than just another young punk band playing fast and angry. Remembering that this is a demo, a preview of the future so to speak, and that they've only been together about six months, it's an exciting listen. The production is acceptable, but not exceptional and the performance is passionate and honest. Lyrically, they cover the typical topics of frustration, alienation and family breakdown and while the lyrics aren't poetry (c'mon, it's hardcore not folk music), they're heartfelt. To keep things from getting too serious (something so many hardcore bands forget to do), they also throw in "Israeli Girl," an ode to the girl of their dreams, Natalie Portman. I wonder if she's heard it...

The entire demo is available on their Myspace page, but contact the band for a hard copy with lyrics (and a funny drawing of a hot dog).

Rating: 7/10

Myspace

Review: Seizure Crypt - Hello My Name Is Madness

Label: 316 Productions

Released: 2007

At their best, Seizure Crypt is a rehash of 80s New York hardcore, wavering between its earlier thin punk and later more metallic veins. Those high points are energetic, aggressive songs with the typical trappings of the genre: unbridled speed alternating with slow churning grooves, metallic riffs, growls, infectious anger. Both "The Deadend" and "Thankless" channel at least a little bit of Age of Quarrel-era Cro-Mags, but these are the exception. Most of Seizure Crypt's songs are mediocre hardcore tunes that fall well short of those they are emulating. Their dual vocal approach should serve to add some depth and color, but frankly, it's hardly noticeable. Sure, there are two voices, but they don't work together as a sum greater than its parts. There's just two separate singers, but nothing dynamic that results from them. To make matters worse, they throw in a bit Black Sabbath heaviness on "Herein the Problem Lies," but the song is so flat that it's stagnant next to the fast pace of the rest of the album rather than being a successful change-up. Inexplicably poor production courtesy of Don Fury, who's worked with a hardcore who's who from Agnostic Front to Youth of Today, may have hidden some strengths, but not likely enough to make this a must hear album even within the purist hardcore community. If Seizure Crypt were just a small scene local hardcore band, they might be a stand out, but not on the NYC or national stage. There's just too much competition and Hello My Name Is Madness doesn't offer enough to compete at that level.

Rating: 4/10

Website

Review: Agnostic Front - Warriors

Label: Nuclear Blast

Released: November 6, 2007

One of the earliest NYHC bands, Agnostic Front was also one of the first to cross over into metal back in the mid 80s. The 90s found them getting away from the heavy riffs and more into the singalong Oi! that influenced hardcore in the first place. Their latest release finds them returning to their early hardcore and crossover roots.

Warriors actually finds itself somewhere between the pure hardcore of Victim in Pain and its metallic follow-up, Cause for Alarm. Despite being almost 25 years since they first got together, Miret, Stigma and company are relentless on this album. Driving rhythms, chunky power chords and Miret's now deeper growl unleash AF's positive force. Their strength is still their self-reliance which came from the streets and stays with them to this day. Production courtesy of Miret's brother, Madball vocalist Freddy Cricien is crisp without toning down the raw power.

Agnostic Front has been able to pull off just about everything they've tried over the years from hardcore to metal to Oi! without raising questions about their conviction. Warriors finds them coming full circle back to their hardcore roots with a dash of metal to account for the other side of their early sound. They do it without missing a beat.

Rating: 7/10

Website

Myspace

Review: Chain Shot - Black September

Label: Irish Voodoo Records

Released: October 31, 2007

Chain Shot plays hardcore like they don't often make it anymore. It isn't overly metally or technical, just fast, hard and angry. They forgo the indulgent solos and the now dime-a-dozen growls. Instead, they stick to the raw passion that made hardcore exciting in the first place. The sons aren't complex, but they have a structure that holds them together and keeps them from falling into chaos. Chain Shot does have a tough time getting a groove going and that's the biggest thing that separates them from top tier old school hardcore like Madball. They end being fairly one-dimensional as a result, but that isn't exactly the cardinal sin of hardcore.

Unfortunately, the production on Black September leaves a lot to be desired. The minor success it has in getting a generally good hardcore guitar sound is more than canceled out by overbearing drums. It's never good to be bludgeoned by the snare (yeah, I did say the snare, not the kick drum or the toms).

All in all, Black September is a visceral album that is meant to be a release of anger and energy. It isn't meant to be over-analyzed. While it won't change the face of hardcore, it is a healthy escape from the riffs, growls and breakdowns that dominate the genre today. Using Thomas Tew's pirate flag for the cover doesn't hurt either. Arghhh!

Rating: 7/10

Myspace

Review: A Plea for Purging - A Critique of Mind and Thought

Label: Facedown Records

Released: October 2, 2007

Twenty years or so ago, most hardcore bands relied on raw aggression rather than technical prowess to drive their point home. Over the intervening years however, likely under the influence of metal as much as anything, many hardcore bands developed more and more chops. The result has been a mixed blessing, with some bands pulling it off and others failing dismally, but no one has upped the technical ante like A Plea for Purging does on A Critique of Mind and Thought.

From the start, there is little question that the album will be brutal. Wailing guitars, bludgeoning rhythms and growling vocals make it clear that this is not to be taken lightly. However, all elements throw themselves into the mix without direction and the result has no sense of cohesiveness or structure.

A Plea for Purging are trying to merge the musicianship of prog-metal with the raw energy of hardcore. It seems like a noble effort, but never comes together. Andrew Atkins is not a particularly gifted singer (or growler rather), but he throws everything he's got into each song. The dual guitar approach from Blake Martin and Lyle Paschal on the other hand sounds like it was recorded for an instructional video. The transitions between the Maiden-esque guitar passages and the hardcore substance of the songs is often clumsy, adding to the troubles.

Occasionally, especially over the second half of the album, they do manage to bring the pieces together into a singular vision, where the riffing is scaled back and the songs don't seem so forced and awkward. These are the moments that offer hope that A Plea For Purging's vision of super-technical hardcore can be a reality. At this point though, there isn't enough tangible evidence that they already have the answers.

Rating: 5/10

Myspace

Review: Inked in Blood - Sometimes We Are Beautiful

Label: Facedown Records

Released: October 2, 2007

If I had to make up a name for Inked in Blood's music, it would be "pop-punk-core." They play a brand of hardcore that is a strange marriage of the Descendants and Gorilla Biscuits and they have varying success with it.

On one hand, Sometimes We Are Beautiful is typical of hardcore over the last decade or so. The growling vocals and choppy, chunky music with churning rhythms and metallic riffs is nothing new. However, Inked in Blood do a better job than most of their peers of incorporating melody. The trade-off however is a lack of punch. Some of that can be blamed on mediocre production which takes some of the crispness out of their sound, but a lot of it falls in their lap. They haven't quite brought the two sounds together. They clearly nail the melodic side as evidenced on the indie rock delicacy of "Instrumental" and the sappy emo of "This Moment" and they have moments of unbridled hardcore as well, but the two never seem to quite meet. Of course, even the near misses aren't without merit and the album overall is listenable. Better yet, it's very nature is hopeful and that positivity is contagious. Lyrically, it's open and honest without being dramatic, which further buoys its optimism.

Sometimes We Are Beautiful might not be the answer to the future of hardcore, but it could be standing at the first steps on that road. It clearly lays groundwork for growth which makes Inked in Blood a band to watch.

Rating: 6/10

Myspace

Review: Static Radio NJ - One for the Good Guys

Label: CD on Black Numbers Records and 7" on Chunksaah Records

Released: August 2007

Oddly enough, even hardcore can over think itself and often enough it ends up getting away from is visceral core as a result. That makes a band like Static Radio NJ refreshing. They aren't rewriting the genre by any means, but they play straightforward East coast hardcore at a blistering pace with just enough melody to keep you on board for the ride (having All/Descendants guitarist Stephen Egerton produce certainly didn't hurt them on the melody front). In classic fashion, Static Radio NJ fit seven bursts of adrenalin in less than 10 minutes. It may not be long, but you'll need the breather when it's over before you play it again.

Rating: 6/10

Myspace

Review: Giving Chase - A Cheap Print of a Masterpiece

Label: Jump Start Records

Released: June 19, 2007

My first reaction to Giving Chase's A Cheap Print of a Masterpiece was that it was appropriately named. A cursory listen to the first few tracks seemed like just another band traveling down that worn and rutted road of screamo. Certainly they have all the elements, but a better listen also showed that they had much more. While the road may have ruts, Giving Chase isn't caught in them.

The first thing that's apparent with Giving Chase versus the many other bands that seem to be going their way is the sheer energy of the album. With few breaks, this album maintains a breakneck pace that few could maintain. There are a few points where they try to be quiet and delicate and those moments don't really succeed in providing anything other than a breather. When at full speed though, they are tight and intricate with melodic flashes. With vocals contributed by four fifths of the band, the call and response shows a lot more breadth than the typical sensitive-versus-enraged that now seems so contrived. Often the vocal arrangements are layered adding tension in the detail that is evident in ways you can't quite put your finger on. The guitars provide both hardcore crunch and metallic riffs with parts both dissonant and melodic and it all rides on the back of a relentless rhythm section. The bass lines are the punch while the crisp drumming is alternately straightforward and complex as a perfect traveling companion to the guitar approach.

While the album occasionally falls into a standard hardcore rut, they don't stay in it for long. It is the interplay of all the parts, four singers, two guitars, bass and drums, that keeps Giving Chase on the unworn part of this road well traveled. It is on this part of the road that the few bands willing to tread there find even more dangerous pitfalls, disorganization, lack of focus, trying to play over their heads; but on A Cheap Print of a Masterpiece, Giving Chase avoids them all.

Rating: 8/10

Website

Myspace

Review: War of Ages - Fire from the Tomb

Label: Facedown Records

Released: July 24, 2007

This is not an entirely new album, nor is it a re-issue. Rather, it's a re-recording of War of Ages' first album with a bonus track. I hadn't heard the original recording, but the band felt it didn't do the songs justice and opted to take another shot. If the recording quality was truly an issue, then they certainly had reason to release this, because the sound quality is excellent and the songs for the most part are intricate enough to warrant good production.

Fire from the Tomb doesn't rewrite the rules of hardcore, but they do put a particularly technical spin on it. While the vocals stick to the standard guttoral growl, the rest of the music carries War of Ages at times into the realm of the hardcore elite. The tight, brutal rhythm section sets a pace varied and creative enough to keep the songs fresh. The two-guitar attack provides both chunky rhythm as well as some downright beautiful melodic leads. Occasionally, the album does get bogged down with a song that can't seem to rise above generic, flat hardcore, but those instances are clearly an exception.

Lyrically, the band relies on many of the stalwarts of hardcore imagery: battle, strength, solitude, pride, brotherhood; but they also express a more personal (though by no means emo) side related particularly to their Christian faith. Many "positive" bands have a tendency to become preachy, expressing a black and white, fundamentalist view of the world. War of Ages steers clear of this, dealing more with their struggles and, when they do point the finger, it's at other "Christians" who fail to be true and thereby fuel anti-Christian arguments. This resonates with me as a Christian, but also has the potential to do the same with non-Christians and that's something that few bands with these intense feelings (on any side in the spectrum of religion, atheist to devout) can accomplish.

Fire from the Tomb puts War of Ages very close to the top of the hardcore game and gives them enough crossover appeal that they should have a significant fan base in the metal camp as well. With their second shot at these songs, they've created a record that is brutal and occasionally even beautiful.

Rating: 7/10

Purevolume

Myspace

Review: Spider Rockets - Ever After

Label: Screaming Ferret Wreckords

Released: July 17, 2007

The opening track of Spider Rockets' Ever After kicks right in with that churning metalcore sound that is a dime a dozen these days. It doesn't raise any hopes for the album even if the song itself is listenable enough. Don't stop listening there though unless metal or hardcore just isn't your thing, because it does get a little better.

As it turns out, the album's best offerings are its simplest ones. The hardcore leaning "Simple" and the more straightforward metal of "Hate" both stay fairly basic and capitalize on the band's biggest strength, Helena Cos' perfectly imperfect vocals. Her voice isn't crisp and clean, but it's raw, pleading passion is always a step above the less vivid music that backs it up.

When Spider Rockets get away from this simplicity in either songwriting or production, they go from being a little above average to a little below. The dull and over-processed "Facing Fear" relies more on effects than it does on songwriting. The pace changes in "Names" are clumsy and should have been worked out better before recording. The cover of "Helter Skelter" is the album's big disaster. Their attempt to use vocal harmonies for tension falls flat on its face and their seeming indecision as to whether they wanted to mix it up or play it straight robs the song of it's punch. Throughout the album their are some hints that they're fond of Prong's Tommy Victor, but they don't have the chops to pull it off and knowing their limitations would turn into a strength for them, because the album's basic energy is good.

They do stretch themselves a few times and pull it off though. The vocals in "What I Want" alters the cadence of the album for a nice change-up. The closer, "Whispers," gets a little off-track, but they nail enough of what they try to make it an interesting end, leaving some curiosity for the next album.

Spider Rockets have been around awhile, so they should have a better sense of themselves than they do on Ever After. However, they have some definite points that that keep their footing on solid ground and the final track leaves a lot of hope out there for the future.

Rating: 5/10

Myspace: All Ships at Sea

Hardcore is a genre in which it is really difficult for a band to distinguish itself. You have be heavy, you have to be fast, you have to be agressive. There aren't that many ways to break that mold and stand out, musically or philosophically. Nonetheless, All Ships at Sea is a young hardcore band from Middletown, CT that is struggling to do just that.

All Ships at Sea have four songs up on their page (two of them downloadable). All fit the hardcore mold, being downtuned and angry with growling vocals. Yet they also break the songs up with some slower parts, some more melodic parts and some attempts to be more technical. The recordings are raw and the ideas seem to still be forming, but they do seem somewhat fresh and could develop into a sound that sets them apart. Philosophically, they aren't necessarily breaking new ground, but they could as they develop. Christian hardcore isn't new territory and most of those bands can be pretty overbearing. Because hardcore lyrics are so difficult to discern, I can't tell if All Ships at Sea fall into this trap. I'm a churchgoer myself, but I prefer to be shown the path of righteousness (no matter what the religion), not told it. I hope All Ships at Sea tend more toward showing than telling.

They have four songs up on Myspace. "Plagued by Visions of Confederate Horsemen" is the kind of title that certainly piques my interest. Unfortunately, it's a fairly standard piece that stays within the hardcore box. It does have decent raw energy, but could benefit from a tightening up of their sound. "Invocation and Doxology" does a better job with pace changes and the result is a more interesting song without any decrease in the band's punch. "Darling Hollywood..." shows potential for the band to get a bit more technical and also breaks out some of their best straightforward writing. The more technical parts include some stuttering rhythms that work very well and contrast nicely with some of the more basic punk parts. Everything isn't quite in place, but this track shows the most potential. Their final song, "Kids Play With," is another step forward in both production and playing. They seem to have developed a feel for the power of pauses, but not full mastery of it.

All Ships at Sea are not a great hardcore band yet, but they show some promise to develop into something special in the sea of typical. It looks like they'll be coming to Baltimore on June 26 and I'd like to catch them. Maybe I'll be able to say, "I saw them when..." or maybe not. Time will tell, but they're still young and time is on their side.