FOUR HUNDRED YEARS-Transmit Failure-LP Why do the records that one really enjoy seem to fly by so quickly? Herky-jerky song structures that allow for a song to take a 180 degree turn at any time in the song. Quiet and raging, not as flat out fast as the Suture EP, this is good, but a bit more challenging. The cover is beautiful and the lyrics are as well.
(Lovitt Records)

L.E.S STICHES-STAJA98L.E.S.-CD I kinda' like this. Yer basic streetpunk stuff ala RANCID (although I'm sure they hate that comparison, it's sooo fucking true). Lyrics are pretty basic, along the lines of life sucks and the variations on that theme. OK stuff, not ground breaking or earth shattering, but I don't think that was this band's point. Apparently ex-Radicts.
(Ng Records)

THREE PENNY OPERA-2GTEG25H2G4503344-7" Ex-SHOTMAKER, makes this an immediate buy dammit. It is great. Low end a la SHOTMAKER, fuzzed out guitars and a snare drum that sounds like someone is playing ping-pong on it. The cover is great looking, too. Lyrics are great, too. Do you have it yet? This is great. A sign of greatness to come! This sounds like SHOTMAKER and it sounds great! Enough already...
(Spectra Sonic Sound )

THE IN/HUMANITY-Your Future lies Smoldering At The Feet Of The Robots-7" Slightly off kilter hardcore, kind of dirge, with all out screamed vocals. An interesting mix of styles. The package is amazing, absolutely goregeous. In fact, it upstages the music on the single. When I pull this out to listen to it, I end up spending more time looking at the package.
(Coalition Records)

CHRIST ON A CRUTCH-Spread Your Filth, The Doughnut And Bourbon Years--Shit Edge And Other Songs For The Young And Sentimental-2XLP Unfortunalty, CHRIST ON A CRUTCH did not age well with time. Most of these songs seem dated, far too long and just generally lacking in energy. And I really wanted to like it. Too bad. Green and red vinyl.
(New Red Archives)

THIRTY SECOND MOTION PICTURE-Can't Kill Time-LP More goodies from ex-SHOTMAKER folks. The first side really threw me for a loop, it just sounded off. The second side, on the other hand, really, really, rocked. Again, another posthumous release, but part of this band currently resides in THREE PENNY OPERA. By the way the LP looks really nice.
(Spectra Sonic Sound )

FOUR HUNDRED YEARS/SLEEPY TIME TRIO-7" The SLEEPY TIME TRIO side started out quiet and emo, but eventually burst out into a upbeat, punchy, almost math-rock-esque number, shades of MAXIMILLIAN COLBY. FOUR HUNDRED YEARS play their herky-jerky style of hardcore with shouted vocals that match the song perfectly. Currently one of the very best bands alive. The bad part about this is that there are two songs total, no lyric sheet, the cover is a folded color copy and I paid $4 for it in a store, who don't mark up their singles all that much. Hmmm.
(Smooth Lips Record Company )

SALVO RAIN-LP This band reminds me of a more emo ASSFACTOR 4. That isn't bad. It's good. ASSFACTOR 4 with quiet parts. Nice. Angry. Inexpensive. Get it. Not just for the handmade covers, or the very astute and intelligent lyrics. Don't get it because it's cheap. Get it because these folks could be the next best thing that you never heard of.
(Wishful Thinking)

HAIL MARY-My Will To Die Is Dead-7" Thank God HAIL MARY have changed their sound. Now at least no one can say that this sounds exactly like BORN AGAINST. Even though, it is on Vermiform (the old label for the aforementioned band). And they do have that sound down pat. But they have heeded the words written for every review of the band so far, and adjusted the sound so that it doesn't seem so...BORN AGAINST influenced. Thank you. Angry voicings and fuzzed out guitars.
(Vermiform)

ENGINE DOWN-7" I was worried. And scared. A two song, 33 rpm, seven inch. Ex-SLEEPYTIMETRIO and some other emo-rock bands. And then I put it on. A long, really long build up to what amounts to a relatively satisfying end of a song that should be about a minute shorter. The other song was a little better, and seemed to go by a little quicker. Still, not an everyday listen, but maybe on Sunday when I get up late and need a little something to kick start the day before a shower.
(Lovitt Records )

MY LAI-learn...forget...re-learn-CD These guys play too fast to enjoy. I really liked the first 7" (which is included on this CD) but this just goes in too many different directions at once in too quick a time span. I will admit it has grown on me a bit, but maybe I was expecting too much of the first 7" to enjoy what this is. VICTIMS FAMILY on speed with a good dose of political criticism. With some grindy-emo thrown in. And a healthy dose of SWING KIDS added to the mix.
(Divot)

TALK IS POISON-Control-7" Plainly said, this is why I still listen to hardcore-punk-rock-whatever-this-subgenre-is-today. This is what hardcore sounded like when I got involved. Four songs, 45 RPM; shut up go purchase this now.
(Prank via Mordam Records)

COMBATWOUNDEDVETERAN-I Know A Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos-LP With all the scenster hype surrounding this, I thought I might like it. Unfortunatly, I don't. Despite the fact that this is better than 95% of all of hardcore today, and punk rock in general; it doesn't break enough new ground or sound all that different from most power violence bands today to reel me in. So if you liked MAN IS THE BASTARD at their peak, and need to own and hear more of that power violence groove, this will do it for you. The layout of the sleeve and lyric booklet are top notch for sure. My record also is green swirly opaque vinyl, for you record collector nerds. Oh yeah, it's at 45 RPM. Maybe I'm a stupid fuck who doesn't get it.
(No Idea)

THE RYE COALITION-The Lipstick Game-LP This rocks. As in classic rock riffs. But somehow, RYE COALITION pull it off and make it seem new and a little bit fresh. I'm not sure why I like this, it certainly sounds like a lot of shit that I hated in high school. I guess I'll chalk it up to guilty pleasure.
(Gern Blandsten)

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN TRAITORS/ORCHID split 7" EP Holy shit! This packaging is fucking amazing; an excellent use of acetate and clear vinyl. ENCYCLOPEDIA strike me as a band that could've been great if they knocked off the metal. I really appreciate their outspoken progressive political stance, and they don't sound like a DISCHARGE band. ORCHID are one of the new prolific power violence bands. Their rhythm section sounds like a clothes dryer full of rocks. I hope that's taken as a compliment, because that's how it was intended. Interesting wall of noise/screamo.
(Witching Hour)

THE SWARM-Parasitic Skies-10" THE SWARM are ex-member of LEFT FOR DEAD and members of GRADE (or were on this recording). This is a little too metally for me, especially in the metal noodling mode. But the swift and crunchy hardcore that exists besides the noodly bits is actually real good. Nice packaging, as can be expected from No Idea. Mine is on grey swirly vinyl, o record collector nerd.

(No Idea)

BREAD AND CIRCUITS-s/t-LP Yet another LP at 45 RPM. If you liked TORCHES TO ROME, this band will do it for you. Of course, this is Mike Kirsch's follow up to TORCHES TO ROME, with an even more impressive membership of musicians. I liked it, not as much as TORCHES TO ROME, but it is speedy, poignant, political and interesting musically.
(Ebullition Records)

HIS HERO IS GONE-The Plot Sickens...-LP The final output of HIS HERO IS GONE as we know them. Amazing heavy, thick hardcore from a band destined to be a "classic" someday when I am actually an old fart as opposed to just feeling like one. Their anti-technology stance is mildly alarmist, and in my opinion, a waste of time. Time that could be better spent learning how the technology worked and working it to ones advantage rather than letting it abuse you. 45 RPM for those who are still familiar with 12" records that play at 33.
(Great American Steak Religion, try Ebullition Records)

KWISATZ HADERACH-untitled-7" Sadly, good metallic hardcore wrapped up in a bullshit package. For the $4 Canadian I paid, the fucking people that put out this record should have at least put their address on the record somewhere. I know it's not stuck inside the jacket, the record came in a plastic bag with stickers on either side (probably costing about $60 for 2000 stickers from Sticker Guy). Lame packaging. The music is not as good as the split with ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN TRAITORS and seems to be a bit more metallic rather than anthematic (which also had better packaging).
(???)

PALATKA-The End Of Irony one sided LP The first songs I heard from this band about three years ago, I thought that they were going to replace ASSFACTOR 4 in my all time favourite band list. Then I bought their split with END OF THE CENTURY PARTY and thought, what artistic bullshit. Maybe I was wrong, and need to go back and listen to that single again. Anyway, I will debate the worth of half an album, knowing full well that it costs the same to print one side as two (almost, there is a minimal charge difference as you still have to essentially press the other side as well), and to think that I could've had (maybe) two sides of music would've made my day. Oh yeah the review. PALATKA are a band much like MY LAI, speedy almost grinding blastbeats with lots of screaming, but enough musicianship to make a song out of it, which gets them tagged with the dreaded "emo" tag. Where PALTKA makes its mark is with very accurate observations in life and "the scene" and hardcore in general and expressing those opinions in a fashion that doesn't talk down to me. In fact, the lyrics are challenging and literate in a way that is accessible and understandable. The packaging is a two sheet insert, which is two sheets more than the average record. Maybe the best record since the last best record a column or three ago. The vinyl is an opaque pink, if that is your only reason for buying records this season.
(No Idea/PO Box 14636/Gainesville, FL/32604/USA)

PANKRATION/THE RED SCARE split 7" EP PANKRATION's song, "Your Ugliness Becomes You" could be an outake from HIS HERO IS GONE, oops wrong speed. OK, the best thing about the song is the title. I don't know if the guitars are not recorded well, are too thin, not heavy enough, but something is wrong with the guitar(s). It's bad enough for it to overshadow the rest of the song. RED SCARE's song on this split is probably my favourite of all their songs. It is a little like SHOTMAKER in the drums and bass interaction, maybe it's the rhythm heavy mix. Guaranteed to rock your house if you like exactly what I do.
(Donut Friends)

THE RED SCARE-Capillary Lockdown-LP As I scanned the record credits I noticed that it was recorded at Inner Ear (where a lot of DC hardcore was recorded). Well, no wonder it sounds good. There is a certain consistency of sound throughout the entire LP, equal parts SHOTMAKER, FOUR HUNDRED YEARS and early post-hardcore/screamo. And throw in some DC hardcore.
(Hand.Held.Heart/24445 Lisa Kelton Pl./ Newhall, CA/91321/USA)

HAIL MARY-All Aboard The Sinking Ship-LP HAIL MARY, many claim, are a BORN AGAINST derivative, down to style, substance and sound. The first song does own up to that description, at least in the sound category, but the rest of this LP can lay the claim to rest. HAIL MARY is no longer the poor upstate cousin to the city slicker BORN AGAINST. For fuck's sake, this band has already put together an impressive repetoire of their own material. And being heavily influenced by BORN AGAINST isn't such a crime against originality (as if the human race has much of it anyway), it's a fucking good thing. At least HAIL MARY is playing hardcore because there aren't many bands left playing it. The lyrical content surveys the range of how fucked up humans are to a rather pessimistic view of the future. Not exactly your (or your parents) disco records.
(Vermiform/PO Box 603050/Providnce, RI/02906/USA)

THE SWARM-Old Blue Eyes Is Dead 7" EP And so is this band. How to describe this - heavy and plucky. Now this is metallic, it fits here, it's not overpowering nor in an 80's poodle metal way. Ex-BASKETCASE and BURST OF SILENCE (and if you know those bands, I pity you for your knowledge of useless Hamilton hardcore facts). The packaging job on this is the best I've seen in years. Die cut cover, multiple fold-outs, gorgeous. And a GO cover.
(No Idea/PO Box 14636/Gainseville, FL/32604-4636/USA)

POINT OF FEW-Beneath The Surface 7" EP This is going to be a cookie cutter review. What else can be said for the consistency, or the quality that Coalition puts out? Honestly, you can go back to when this label was actually two labels and still find good and relevant hardcore. OK, this is the sound of hardcore today. Screaming vocals, heavy but not exactly repetative guitars, a bass line that goes somewhere and overall it's fast. The packaging again, is wonderful. I feel like I haven't said enough about it.
(Coalition Records/Hugo de Grootstraat 25/2518 EB/Den Haag/Holland)