First record reviews post of '09

Hi, welcome to 2009. Here's some records I got between the last reviews post and now. Been strapped for cash lately, plus the record budget has been tightened due to my new toy customizing hobby.

7"s:

Obliteration- s/t
I had heard from some friends that this was good, so I tracked it down w/o really knowing anything about this MA band. It may be a side project of people in other bands, and as far as I know they never played a show. It's real good crust influenced hardcore w/ echoey vocal effects. There's an intro that sorta reminds me of early Metallica (that's a compliment). It's similar to a heavier Crucifix kinda. Real cool cut and paste style art w/ a foldout poster cover too.


Cold Shoulder- Patriot
I liked Cold Shoulder's songs on the Punx Don't Drink comp, so I picked up their debut 7". I like this a lot, it reminds me a lot of Blank Stare in that it's fast, but at the same time heavy I guess. Cold Shoulder is part of the current crop of sXe bands that are more influenced by the early 80's hardcore scene, than the typical varsity jacket and Nike wearing sXe scene. Great debut, I'm looking forward to seeing them live.


Groinoids- Radiobeat Sessions
You may know the Groinoids from the classic This Is Boston Not LA and Unsafe At Any Speed comps. This is a legit (as far as I know) reissue of the entire session. A lost treasure if you will... The Groinoids were very different and much more unusual compared to most of the Boston bands. Probably more similar to bands like United Mutation or Void, but not as fast.


NN- s/t
A pretty unassuming cover, but it houses a monster of a debut E.P. In case you didn't know, this is Martin's (Los Crudos/ Limp Wrist/ Needles) new band. In this I'd say there's a much more Crudos sound since the vocals are in Spanish. Not a rehash of worn territory by any means though. The music is more on the punk side, but still fast and definitely won't disappoint.


Guilty Faces- Nightmares
I was a big fan of Guilty Faces' demo, and from seeing them a lot, I knew what to expect from the new record. They seem to have slowed down a bit, but still retain the good elements from their demo. The music is sort of a cross between Dangerhouse Records style punk and some Revolution Summer style guitar leads. One of the songs even give me a Samiam feel to it. However the vocals are real raspy, which make it way more punk sounding. Modern bands I might compare them to would be Libyans and Pedestrians.


God Fodder- No Sleep
Godfodder was band I came across on Myspace, and did a show for them in NJ. They pull off the early 80's stripped down hardcore punk sound better than a lot of better known current bands. The guitar tone is very reminiscent of the early Dischord bands. This is real good, give it a shot.


Alarmed- s/t
Pretty cool record by this MD band, who seems to take the more modern HC sound of MLIW and Ruiner, but infuse more rock styled guitar solos and leads. One of the songs reminds me of a Suicide File song. The cover is full color and 3 panels, which gives it a real slick look, but doesn't look like a typical HC record (that could be good or bad I suppose). While it's not usually my style, it's a pretty solid record.


V/A- Punx Don't Drink
This is a compilation of straight edge bands who are more punk influenced than your average edge bands, and features 2 new tracks by Poison Planet, Boiling Over, Coke Bust and Cold Shoulder. Poison Planet kicks things off w/ 2 re-recorded demo tracks, which sound great. This was my first exposure to Boiling Over, and it's pretty good, worthy of taking their name from and SSD song. Coke Bust bring 2 tracks from their demo tape they had over the summer. These songs are a great improvement from their 7" last year, and I'm sure their new LP will turn some heads. Cold Shoulder was another band I wasn't familiar with, and was really impressed. So much so that I bought their 7" (one of their songs is also on that). Overall, compilations and good straight edge bands are a rare commodity these days, so if you like good hardcore (and don't drink) you need to check this out!


Out Cold/ For The Worse
These 2 long running "Massholes" team up for a vicious split EP. Both bands have many records out, so I feel like I'd be repeating myself by describing either band. All you gotta know is both bands bring their A game to this split. check it out.
*FUN FACT* I did the FTW insert layout


12"s:

Blank Stare- s/t
After some delays on the US pressing, the Blank Stare LP finally comes out. I'd be so bold as to say it was worth the wait! Being a big fan of the previous recorded output, this was certainly no let down. There sound is somewhere along the lines of SSD meets Uniform Choice, with some heavier post-Damaged era Black Flag parts. As good as this band is on record, they're even more over the top live. Probably one of the most under appreciated current bands.


Hjertestop- Vi Ses i Helvede
I loved their 7" on Kick and Punch from a few years back, so I was super pumped on this new record. I'll be honest, I couldn't wait for the US press, and downloaded it. I finally have the real deal now, and it sounds great! Musically it's similar to a lot of the recent crop of Danish early 80's inspired bands. "Steroid Rage" is catchy as hell, as well as a bunch of the others that aren't in English. I've heard a comparison to early Bad Religion for these guys before, which I'd somewhat agree with (minus the "oozin ahhs"). I'm real excited about their US tour coming up.


Total Abuse- s/t
I loved Total Abuse's demo and 7", so naturally I was pumped to get this new LP. They boost the weirdness factor a lot on this record, but in a good way. The songs are a bit more distorted and frantic, and stray a bit from the sound of the previous recordings. "Banned in Austin" is a cool slow dirge, but there's some other longer songs on this record that aren't as interesting. Definitely different from the previous records (most songs on the demo barely topped a minute). I'd say it's still good, just not what you'd expect.


Failures- s/t
Failures is a new band w/ members of Das Oath, Ampere, Cut The Shit, Charles Bronson, among others. Musically, I would say it's similar to Das Oath, but maybe a bit faster and not as weird. The guitar riffs aren't standard power chords, which is kinda weird. It's fast and weird, but overall not very interesting. Like other Youth Attack releases it's overpriced and annoying (the lyric sheet comes in a sealed envelope). It's not bad, I like it a lot more than Das Oath and Ampere, but still overall nothing special.


Socialcide- Unapproachable
I was a big fan of Socialcide's demo and I liked their 7" as well. After a few listens to the LP, I'm not as into it. Maybe there were some lineup changes, but it's not as interesting. The drumming is real simple, and the guitar tone isn't very good. It's still the same fast hardcore punk, but it's lacking in hooks. There's a lot more slower parts on here, which isn't a bad thing, but kinda slows the pace of the record I guess. It's not bad, but compared tot he few times I saw them live, I think I was expecting more.

demos:
Draize (tape)
I had the privilege to play with Draize a few times on tour, and they were always good. Their sound is like a combination of Left For Dead and early Integrity meets some crusty influences like Dropdead. The music goes from heavy and slow to fast as hell. I like the fast parts better, but there's a nice balance. They also get huge points for covering Slapshot live.

Draize- Long Knives (tape)
This is basically Draize's 2nd demo (unless it's going to be a 7" in the future), and it continues in the same vein as the first. I think this stuff is more fast, and has a somewhat power violence influence to it's heaviness. If you liked the demo, you're gonna like this more.

Plague Bearers (CDr)
Plague Bearers is a new band from NJ, which I'm real excited about. Musically it's similar to the Degenerics, but with a lot less guitar noodling. The vocals are real raspy, sorta like Filth. The last song has some alternating vocal parts which I'd like to see more of on the next record, since it provides a nice balance. Great demo, probably one of the more promising local bands.

Kill Andrade (CDr)
Got this in the mail, so I don't know much about these guys. There are parts that are fast, but the vocals are more of a melodic almost Husker Du style. It seems like there's some emo influenced parts to the songs as well, but the drumming is more interesting. I kinda get a Glassjaw vibe.

Not that it's really a review, but I recently heard the Chain of Strength 7" versions with the original mix. I had only been familiar w/ the reissue that Revelation Records put out, and always thought it was just ok, but too polished sounding. This however was not always the case, as the original mixes were more raw sounding. You can download them HERE!

NYCC '09- freebies and sweet hauls!

So rather than just taking pictures of the new products or the crowds like everyone else, I decided to highlight the real reason people go to NY Comic Con- FREE STUFF! You can view the pictures on my Flickr site.
FRIDAY

Obviously there's going to be tons of free comics at Comic Con. DC had a reprint of issue 1 of the Watchmen, which is some essential reading. Another table was giving away X-Force #1 and had original art from the comic on display. I actually saw Rob Liefeld at another booth doing sketches, which was unannounced and kinda surprising to see. The Comic Con magazine is a pretty good guide to navigating the massive Javits Center. Most of the rest of the picture are promo post cards. I do want to point out that the Angry Penguin card was a 2 sided screen print, and looks great.

Here's a pile of business cards and stickers. More importantly check out that foam Wolverine hand! These were given out after viewing the video game trailer and some game play of the new Wolverine Origins game. I don't own a video game system, but the game looked ridiculously good. The other foam item is a Dead Like Me toilet seat. I'm a fan of the series, and in the first episode the main character gets killed by a toilet seat that fell from a space station. Kind of an inside reference, but I am interested to see the movie they have coming out.

There were a lot of posters to be had, especially Fox, who had some good promos. I also got an S. Darko shirt free from them, but I gave it away since it was too big for me. Nice shirt though...

While wandering around I swung by the NerdCore table and saw some sweet Jim Mahfood comics. Little did I know that the dude selling me the comics was the man himself. I've been a huge fan of his work for a while, and had I known he was going to be there, I would've brought more stuff for him to sign. He did sign his new Carl book, which is amazing. I also came across a pretty adorable vinyl figure by Jeff Pidgeon, the Happy Beaver. That is one happy little beaver! The McDonald figure is part of the new Ron English blind box series by Secret Base. I thought it was going to be much bigger based on the box size, but it's still pretty cool. The panda is the NYCC Chinese New Year version of the Yoka character, who looks equally good standing or sitting. I picked up a Labbit for a friend who smokes, but when I opened it, it turned out to have a mustache. I was excited for the Ugly Doll action figures, so I made sure to go there early in the day. David Horvath was there, and was nice enough to sign it then, instead of making me wait for signing hours! The red cat is by RealXHead, which i got from Giant Robot. I like the lucky cat, and seeing it w/ one eye makes it much cooler. I was glad to get the Frozen Empire MAD*L and print by Andrew Bell. He was also there to sign the back of him. The MAD*L is made of a translucent light blue vinyl, which makes it look icy. Definitely my favorite of the series!

I also was able to get Mark Texeira to sign the Wolverine comic that i have tattoo'd on my leg. I really wanted to go on Saturday for the Pushead signing, but I'm sure the line was crazy anyway, and I had to work. I decided late Saturday night that I would go on Sunday since I didn't have SPG practice this week.
SUNDAY

Of course there were pretty much the same freebies as Friday on Sunday, butt here were a few things I guess I missed. I got a bunch of comics from DC's Vertigo table, and some cool stickers from My Plastic Heart. The cooler freebie was the Fishing Master video game sweatband. I did miss out on the inflatable He-Man sword from the Mattel booth unfortunately. I forgot to bring my Goon comics, but Eric Powell was cool enough to sign the poster they were giving out for me.

I picked up another MAD*L today after having a day to enjoy the Frozen Empire version. I decided I wanted to customize one, but didn't want to pay the $50 for the blank. I got the abominal snowman since it's mostly white already. The white MiniMate was a freebie, but I took a pic of it with the toys because it was so cool. Lou Pimentel was cool enough to draw on a House of Liu- Di Di figure for me. It looks great! I got the GlyosXSucklord piece, which they apparently just painted that day and was limited to 20. When I went by the UglyDolls booth, David Horvath was doing a signing, so I took the opportunity to get another figure signed. Got a Babo this time, gotta keep trying for an Ox... I also picked up another RealXHead cat figure as a gift for someone, this time in gray.

I wandered past Jacob Chabot's table in Artist's Alley, and his Skullboy character caught my eye, so I picked up one of his mini comics. He was nice enough to sign it and do a little doodle. Bummer he was out of the Skullboy vinyl toys though. I also got The X-Men: Deadly Genesis and X-Men: Fall Of Mutants from a table that had all graphic novels for $5. I really didn't get very many comics at all surprisingly.

This is by far the coolest autograph I got. I got Peter Laird and Steve Lavigne to sign my old TMNT graphic novel, and do little sketches. I heard later that day that Kevin Eastman was at the con also... dang!

Zines Suck!

Not Really, but it really caught your attention I'm betting. I made these flyers to have on tour. My regular website is still not online, but the blog has been thriving lately, so I figured people might care about its content. The photo is a photo I took of Government Warning at Pointless Fest, and I did the rest in Photoshop (not cut and pasted).
I think zines in the past have been a viable part of hardcore punk, but there's been fewer and fewer good zines. A lot of the zine scene has been overrun with dumb poetry and diary writing zines. If I'm grabbing a zine I want photos, reviews, interviews that just talk about HARDCORE. A lot of people are flying the cut and paste only flag, and I mean it's all well and good, but when you're typing everything up on a computer anyway you may as well just design it on one. What my site lacks in punk look, I feel it makes up for in content. I haven't had any interviews yet, but that's only because I hate social interaction. I think a lot of fly by night zines just start because people try to get free records out of labels. 99% of the stuff I review I bought because it's what I like. Some may say it accounts for the lack of diversity... oh well.
In short, zines still rule, there just aren't enough good ones. The internet rules because it's easily accessible, and nowadays anyone can share their opinions for free. And hey, if you don't like it, there's an X at the top of your screen to make it go away.

*I should note that I have had a subscription to MRR for a while... what else am I gonna read on the toilet?

Gorilla Biscuits Vinyl Toy review

There's been some buzz lately about the Gorilla Biscuits x Super 7 vinyl toy collaboration. Gorilla Biscuits were one of the first hardcore bands I got into, and it was really what sparked my interest to dig deeper. When I heard about the toy, I was kind of on the fence. I know a lot of people were put off by the $50 price tag, but being a fan of vinyl toys I knew that was about the going rate. Honestly I think they could have charged more since the quality is pretty good, and a bit more involved than some of their other toys. I made sure to order it as soon as I could since I knew it would sell out fast (It wound up selling out in like 5 hours).
A lot of the toy blogs were bashing the sculpt, and I somewhat agree. The gorilla looks similar to the classic record cover, but lacks some of the attitude in the pose. It looks like the knees should have a little bend to them in the original, and the feet should be a lot bigger. I had read somewhere that Civ worked with them on this, so if it's got Civ's blessing then it's ok with me. The blue paint job was made to reference the first pressing blue of the GB 7" cover. I'm not sure how I feel about a gray gorilla, since I imagined it being more tan colored from my old "Hold Your Ground" shirt. They also did a solid black and solid clear vinyl versions, both with no paint. I'm sure the banana yellow vinyl (2nd press) won't be far behind. The back of the header card has a background taken from the B-side label, proving this was a labor of love.
The minimalist packaging should appeal to environmentalists, as well as people who don't like saving packaging. I've got a box full of empty Dunny boxes in my room for some reason, so the bag and header card is much more simple. I should also note that I also ordered a Ghost Land figure and magazine w/ my order, and wound up getting 6 Ghost Land figures (they were apparently giving them away as promos w/ the GB figures), and 3 magazines. Super 7 gets a big thumbs up in my book. If they decide to do a Minor Threat toy or a Bad Religion (actually a "Suffer" boy toy would be fucking incredible) or any of my favorite punk rock heroes, I'd buy it!

*In case any record collector nerds were wondering, that GB 7" in the picture is from the 3rd pressing*

Best Records of 2008

"It's the end of a fucked up year," so here's some records that I really enjoyed that were released over the past 12 months. Obviously these are just my personal opinions, so most people would probably disagree. Like they say, opinions are like assholes...

Best 7"s of 2008

1. Reprobates- Stress
2. Inmates- Now We Talkin Hardcore
3. Needles- s/t
4. Sacred Shock- s/t
5. Violent Arrest- Criminal Record

It was a tough one. Inmates release their first new record in like 9 years, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. However, Reprobates debut release (and only release, since they're done now) is a fucking scorcher. Needles is another one that came out of nowhere and is amazing. It seemed to go out of print immediately, so hopefully it'll be re-pressed or you luck out and find one. Sacred Shock made good on the potential that their demo showed, and put out a damn good 7". Violent Arrest released an LP's worth of material on a 2x7" set that shows that the old dudes still know how to rock.

Best 12"s of 2008

1. Devour- s/t
2. Gauze -Binbou Yusuri No Rizumu Ni Notte
3. Blank Stare- s/t
4. Chronic Seizure- Ancient World
5. Straight Jacket Nation- Cheap Kicks

Devour is better than Gauze? Let me explain, you know Gauze's LP is gonna be good... IT'S FUCKING GAUZE! Devour on the other hand is a band nobody's heard of that went straight to LP. The surprise factor alone is why it's my #1. Blank Stare's LP squeaked in at the end of 08, despite being out in Europe since this summer. I'll have a more thorough review next time, but it's good, pretty much what you'd expect from Blank Stare. Chronic Seizure put out 2 pretty good 7"s, then really came into their own on this LP. I had the pleasure of seeing Straight Jacket Nation a few times on their US tour this summer, and they scorched each time. Total 9 Shocks worship from Australia of all places.

Honorable Mentions
Poison Planet- Normally I do a top 5 demos section, but there weren't too many that really grabbed me this year. Poison Planet's demo on the other hand is fucking fantastic; the 7" should be dropping in early 09, and it's good.
Libyans- they released 2 great records this year, and "Welcome to the Neighborhood" is probably one of the best songs this year. It was definitely stuck in my head for weeks.
Reissues: Systematic Death, Paintbox, Die Kreuzen, Mob 47, Unseen Force
Repercussions- their 7" that came out was a top contender for the 5, but I went w/ the new blood. Consider it 5.5 due to the fact that i knew it was gonna rule, and it did.
the Repos- broke up this year, but released an album where they cover Youth of Today's "We're Not In This Alone" LP. It's played much more raw than the original, but was limited to 300 and sold out at their last shows. I'd like to own a real copy, but I'm not paying eBay prices.

Post X-Mas show

Friday, December 26th

DRAIZE- http://www.myspace.com/draizeband
from Boston, Sorta like a crusty version of Left For Dead

RIPSHIT- http://www.myspace.com/ripshitct
from CT, Female fronted political thrash

I HATE THIS- http://www.myspace.com/wehatethis
Members of SPG, Female fronted/Man backed herbal thrash

SPG- http://www.myspace.com/spgspecialpatrolgroup
members of I Hate This, raging hardcore- new song from E.P. online

@ the Bread Box
New Brunswick, NJ

7pm (show will end by 10) / $5-$6
e-mail- bleedingXedges@gmail.com for more info

don't show up late/ bring money/ support the touring band/ respect the house
you know the drill...

IHT and SPG will be splitting a set, since we share members anyway...

Q: Reviews? A: Reviews!

Some really great releases this time around. The Devour LP is a top contender for LP of the year for sure. There's some great reissues from Mob 47, Paintbox and Die Kreuzen, and a bunch of new demos. Thanks to Josh from Barbarossa Records for hooking me up with the Culture Shock and Daggers Rule records. The next reviews post will most likely be the Best of 2008 post... get psyched!

7"s:

Violent Arrest- Criminal Record
A double 7" release from these old dudes. At first I wondered why they didn't just make another LP, but the 7"s flow real well as 2 separate records. If you've been sleeping on VA as just another "old dudes trying to relive their glory days" band, you're an asshole because this record is fucking awesome. I like this way more than the LP they did. It's like buying an LP, but it's cheaper and you have to flip it more.


Mob 47- s/t
What can really be said about this classic record other than Havoc rules for reissuing it, and making it much more widely available. Seriously, anyone into raw full speed d-beat thrash needs this. Now you have no excuse.


Retainers- Lose It
In the realm of current bands doing garage punk, the Retainers are one of the best in my opinion. There's the right balance of rock and roll guitar, punk and shitty recording quality. I'm eagerly waiting for their LP to come out.


Libyans- Welcome to the Neighborhood
I guess I'll start off by saying "Welcome to the Neighborhood" is one damn catchy song that definitely got stuck in my head for a few days. This record is sorta like a single for that one song, which I'm totally fine with. It reminds me of Tilt, if Tilt was a halfway decent band. The B-side is 2 much faster songs that are also really good, but very different from the mid-paced punk of the A-side. Also you can apparently play "Welcome to the Neighborhood" in Rock Band 2, but I don't play video games.


Born Bad- s/t
I thought the second Born Bad EP was ok, so I picked up the first. I'd say the second is a bit better, but that makes sense. Still the same fast/pissed hardcore, kinda like a more stripped down Under Pressure. It's ok.


Middle America- s/t
After a solid demo, I was excited to finally get an EP from these boys. It's definitely a lot more raw (in a good way) and has some weird parts. Reminds me of Die Kreuzen a bit, though not nearly as tight. Pretty good debut EP.


No Peace?- Zombie Brains
I was expecting something a little more crazy seeing as it's coming from Cleveland. This sounds a lot like Disclose though, which is pretty cool at any rate. Ugly maniacal d-beat.


Sinks- Beat Out My Brains
Some more low-fi garage rock w/ members of the Retainers. Only 3 songs on this one, but a little better recording quality than their first 7". "Beat out my Brains" is pretty catchy. There's also 3 different covers for this, but I got mine from the label and got all 3 on 1 record.


Homostupids- the Edge
If you read this blog, I've reviewed all the other Homostupids records before, so you should know what you're getting into. Sounds like their other EPs: loud, poorly recorded, and awesome. You're not getting anything different with this one.


Black Mark- Wrecked
Solid debut 1 sided 7". They play some 80's style hardcore punk with a more brutal/ tough sound, similar to Life's Blood or Violent Minds. It's loud and angry, the way hardcore should be played. Hardware Records does it again...


Civil Victim- Mehr Krieg!
First of all the only place that says "Civil Victim" is the A-side label, which is kinda a dumb idea. Anyway, this record is pretty cool, reminds me of D.S.-13 a little. Real fast full speed thrashy hardcore.


Culture Shock-s/t
Don't know too much about Culture Shock other than they 're from upstate NY. There seems to be a heavy Infest/ Lack of Interest influence, but this definitely stays more on the hardcore side of things. I'm even hearing some early Born Against influence in there too. Pretty cool thrash with heavy parts that straddles the line between more traditional HC/punk, crust and powerviolence.


Daggers Rule- Gleaming the 'Cuse
Well they sold me with the name, since it's a reference to the best movie ever- THRASHIN'. What it looks like is that you get 2 recording sessions (1 on each side) by an now defunct band from Syracuse. The music reminds me of the earlier eras of Bones Brigade and Municipal Waste before they turned into shitty metal bands. The vocals however are a lot more brutal and NYHC influenced.


The No Jons
Found this in a used bin, and I had read that it was like Descendents/ Screeching Weasel styled pop-punk. I was real into that stuff in high school, so I figured I would give it a chance. It's more like Crimpshrine, but I'm not really into it. Maybe I've just gotten too old and grumpy to listen to pop-punk anymore... or maybe this just stinks.


Violent Arrest- s/t
Finally picked this up right before posting this (that's why it's so far down). Fucking great EP from these old dudes. Awesome Fix cover as well. Definitely get this one too.


For The Worse/ Kids of Carnage
For the Worse is back again with 2 new songs. The first one is standard FTW fare or Boston style hardcore with high pitched vocals. The second track however is almost Bouncing Souls sounding. Kinda weird, but cool. Kids of Carnage play a more riff heavy style of hardcore, that's I guess more NYHC influenced.
Fun Fact: I did the cover design/layout on this one!

12"s:

Devour- s/t
HOL-E-SHIT! Going straight to LP without a demo is risky maneuver, but I'll be damned if Devour don't prove that theory wrong. This really reminds me of Animosity era Corrosion of conformity mixed with some Totalitar styled D-beat, and some Japanese hardcore rage. After listening to this it inspired me to listen to Judgement if that gives you any indication of where they're coming from. The packaging is also top notch, BIG fold out poster insert, and you get a CD of the whole LP (plus a 46 minute bonus track). GET THIS!


Libyans- s/t
The Libyans LP picks up where Side 2 of their 7" left off- fast early 80's style punk. I would imagine that a lot of people compare them to The Avengers. "Empty Mornings" is the only real mid paced song on here, but the rest of the record speeds by. The cover art is interesting, the sleeve is just a brick wall, and there's a piece of acetate w/ the artwork spray painted on it. Plus it comes with a wooden airplane!


Die Kreuzen- s/t
Another hardcore classic reissued. I don't think this record gets the respect it deserves. It's just as good as Cows and Beer, and there's even a few songs from that record re-recorded here. Touch and Go even gives you a coupon to download mp3s of the record when you buy it. This is a classic hardcore LP which I highly recommend.


Nightstick Justice- s/t
After 3 raging 7"s (one of them being their demo though), it's about time NJ released their 7". When playing fast early 80's styled hardcore punk, it's sometimes hard to make the leap from 7" to LP. Nightstick Justice pull it off, and I think the recording quality is a bit more raw than their last 7", Claustrophobic. That's a good thing. If it matters, I'm reviewing the European pressing. I hear the US pressing will be re-mixed/mastered or something.


Loser Life- I Have Ghosts and I Have Ghosts
A pretty interesting record here. I hadn't heard any other Loser Life releases before this one, and was pleasantly surprised. There's elements of Husker Du styled punk, or maybe you'd call that melodic hardcore. I even get a slight emo vibe, kinda like Boy Sets Fire's earlier material. It's way too fast to be considered emo, and it's too dirty to be pop-punk. I'm gonna stick with the Husker Du comparison, fast tempos with occasional screamed vocals.


Paintbox- Earth Ball Sports Tournament
The fine folks at Prank have reissued this spectacular LP by one of Japan's greats. I've had this in mp3 form for years, but it's great to see it get an awesome vinyl treatment. Gatefold cover, colored vinyl and English translated lyrics make this a great package. I had no Idea that the cover art even wrapped around. This LP is great because it combines the Burning Spirits Japanese styled hardcore with rock and roll elements. There's trumpets, recorders, harmonica and some other non-conventional punk instruments. Normally I'd think that would be a bad idea, but damnit if Paintbox don't make it work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! (RIP Chelsea)

demos:
Poison Planet (tape)
Maybe I'm just biased, but any non-jock meathead straight edge band always gets high marks in my book. Poison Planet definitely fits in with modern sXe bands such as Blank Stare and Coke Bust. Their sound is more influenced by Negative Approach, but with some slight youth crew influence. I even get a little bit of fellow Chicago dwellers, the Repos. The lyrics cover more interesting topics. Easily the best demo of 2008, even my non-edge friends like it.
Fun Fact: I play bass on their upcoming 7" and comp releases.

Video Disease (tape)
A pretty good demo, though real short it packs a punch. You get 3 songs and a sloppy DYS cover (if they're actually a straight edge band I'd be psyched). Really raw chaotic early 80s styled hardcore similar to Koro. I really hope they named their band after the Beaver song.

Black Kites- Advancement to Ruins (3 song sampler) (CDr)
Normally this isn't my bag, but I'm friends w/ some of these guys so I snagged their demo/sampler. This reminds me of some of the metal-core I heard in the late 90's, kinda like Converge and Cave In. The music doesn't have the things I hate about metal hardcore though- double bass drums and cookie monster vocals, so that's good. These 3 songs will be on their upcoming LP, which should be out in January I think.

Transitions (CDr)
While I normally hate CDs, this has a real interesting package of the lyric sheet folded to surround the CD with the band's name stamped on the outside. Transitions plays what I guess people would call "modern hardcore," similar to bands like MLIW and Ruiner or B9 bands. For that style, it's pretty good, though usually not my thing. The recording quality is really good for a demo too.

No Illusions (CDr)
Being named after a State song is a good way to get my attention. Musically I get a vibe similar to Career Suicide (but without the annoying vocals) and Government Warning mixed with the classic Boston HC style. Real solid demo, I'd like to hear more from these guys.

Bad Habit (CDr)
We played with these guys on tour. They sound like a more ballsy Kid Dynamite, but a lot faster. I don't know what any of the songs are called since this was just a CDr that said "Bad Habit" in a clear sleeve. One of the songs fades out though, which is a no-no. They have a split 7" coming out soon.

Four Fingers- 69 Dudes (tape)
It's kinda hard to pinpoint the sound on this one, it's like a mix between pop-punk and alternative I guess. Seems kinda like everyone's into something different in the band, so the sound's being thrown in all different directions. The best song on here is probably "Monster Headache," but they get bonus points for doing a cassette.

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Also since I'm talkin music, my band WORMEATERS just released our second E.P. entitled Cattle Cannot Choose. You can get it from us or American Waste Records.
SPG is about 75% done recording our first 7", it's gonna be GOOD.
Video Nasty has been playing some shows lately. Hopefully recording a demo in early December.
I Hate This has been busy writing a new EP, and will be touring down to FL for TIFY fest at the end of the year.
I'm starting 2 more bands, but nothing solid to report yet. No job or girlfriend leaves me plenty of time for hardcore.

Wormeaters record release show

Tuesday, December 9th

BLACK KITES- http://www.myspace.com/weareblackkites
Metallicly heavy but not heavily metallic

WORMEATERS- http://www.myspace.com/wormeaters
"100% absolutely rough and ready northeastern USA hardcore!"-BR
record release show for the "Cattle Cannot Choose" E.P.

GOD FODDER- http://www.myspace.com/fodgodder
on tour from St. Louis, MO- early Dischord style hardcore punk

PLAGUE BEARERS- http://www.myspace.com/plaguebearers
Filth inspired fascist steamrollers
first show, ex-Crippler Crossface

@ the Bread Box
New Brunswick, NJ

7pm (show will end by 10) / $5-$6
e-mail- bleedingXedges@gmail.com for more info

don't show up late/ bring money/ support the touring band/ respect the house
you know the drill...

Question I've always had...

After watching Back to School and Weekend and Bernie's today (life is hard), I had an important question:
Why was "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boing used in Back to School and not Weekend at Bernie's?
There was a party at a dead man's house in the fucking movie...

I'm a published writer!

I sent in a letter to MRR about Minneapolis band In Defence and their anti-pizza stance a few months ago, and it was actually published in issue #307.

Ball's in your court now Ben Defence!


Ain't I a stinker...

Classic Comps vol. 2- We Got Power: Party or Go Home

I could have gone a more obvious route with my Classic Comps posts, but I really think the We Got Power: Party or Go Home comp is great. Fortunately it's available from the We Got Power website in the mp3s section. This comp was put out on Mystic Records, which people seem to have some poor opinions of. However, you can't deny that they put out some really great records for a while. It was compiled by the people who did the We Got Power zine. It's great that this comp has bands from all over the USA, and not just a certain area.
Unfortunately I don't own an actual copy of this, so I apologize if any info is incorrect.

1. THE AUTHORITIES "I Hate Cops"
Couldn't have picked a better song to start a comp in my opinion. This song is catchy as hell, and who doesn't hate cops? I could probably do entire post about how much I love the Authorities, if you want I can send you their entire discography. Great california style hardcore punk, similar to the Adolescents.

2. THE NIP DRIVERS "Tang"
Don't know much about the Nip Drivers, but this song is great. Probably considered offensive by today's standards, but a great song. This song makes me wanna pogo.

3. JFA "Middle America"
JFA rules, you know that. I wouldn't really say this is one of their best songs. It's got elements of the JFA sound, but overall not that interesting.

4. DR. KNOW "Savior"
Dr. Know was one of the more heavy Nardcore bands, and this is probably one of their faster songs. They later went on to add a little metal crossover sound, but this is real fast. More blasphemous hardcore punk.

5. WHITE FLAG "Celabate/ Hoppity Hooper"
Don't know much about White Cross, but Celibate is fucking great. Fast hardcore, chorus is the title of the song repeated over and over again. Fucking rules. Hoppity Hooper isn't as good.

6. WHITE CROSS "Nuke Attack"
White Cross deliver a song that's just as great as their 7"s songs. Probably my favorite band from VA; just good raw fast hardcore punk.

7. FUCK-UPS "Bacon and Eggs"
This song should be called "Short and Sweet," not only because it is, but they say it a bunch in the song. Pretty much perfect by the books short fast hardcore song.

8. PUTRID GIRLS "1 2 3 4"
Pretty catchy number from these ladies. I could do without the saxophone solo, but the chorus will get stuck in your head.

9. ILL REPUTE "Count the Odds"
FUCK, Ill Repute is so good. This is them at their peak, this song is fast as fuck and fucking rules. They repeat the phrase so many times...

10. STALAG 13 "Selfish"
Stalag 13 was always one of the weaker Nardcore bands, but still pretty decent. This song's ok, but not a real standout.

11. REBEL TRUTH "Monkey's Paw"
Rebel Truth is probably the most underrated band. This song was later re-recorded for their amazing 7", but with the words changed to "Child Holds a Parasite." I like this version better, but it could be since I heard this version first.

12. WILLFUL NEGLECT "E.M.S. & D."
Great track here, fast fucking hardcore. "Eat My Shit & Die!"

13. TAR BABIES "Confused"
Tar Babies were an OK band, and this song is probably one of their better ones.

14. MECHT MENSCH "Might Makes Right"
Another extremely underrated band, who for some reason get written off as at Tar Babies side project, but are so much better. This song is just as good as the ones on their 7", which is amazing.

15. GRAVEN IMAGE "My World"
Another underrated band from the VA/DC scene. Again, just as good as the songs on their 7", which I would highly recommend.

16. THE VACANT "Caught by the Mafia"
I'll be damned if the Vacant ever recorded anything else, and if they didn't that's fine. When you write a song like this, it doesn't matter. This is probably my favorite song on this comp. The guitar seemingly has no tone at all, and it's way too fast to understand the verses. Perfect aw dirty hardcore punk.

17. ADRENALIN OD "World War 4"
From my home state of NJ, A.O.D. hold it down w/ their signature fast hc sound. There's even a little "Pop Goes the Weasel" instrumental at the end.

18. THE CLONES "Conform to the Norm"
A kinda weird DEVO-style song, but still pretty solid.

19. THE BIG BOYS "Brick Walls"
I was always kinda on the fence about the Big Boys since you can't listen to any of their albums all the way through w/o skipping some crummy funk songs. I feel the same way about the Bad Brains too. Either way, this is definitely NOT a song to skip. This is probably my favorite song by them.

20. SIN 34 "Not"
Sin 34 is probably my favorite 80's hc/punk band w/ a female vocalist (up there w/ No Thanks). This is a short one, but it's real good. Apparently their discography will finally be available, and I highly recommend it.

21. MINUTEMEN "Party With Me Punker"
I know the Minutemen did a lot, but this is really all I have by them. It's a pretty slow, but short catchy number. Not bad...

22. DAYGLO ABORTIONS "Scared of People"
God, the block clicks on this song are so weird/great. This song is awesome, it's your standard hardcore punk, but with a lot of weird percussion which makes it really stand out.

23. CAUSTIC CAUSE "Look to the Left"
Solid song here, short fast hardcore. I'm into it, don't know what else they did.

24. DON'T NO "Blind Ambition"
Starts off a little slow, but picks up, then gets slow again in the breakdown. Not great, but not bad.

25. S.V.D.B. "Flames of Hell"
With a song called "Flames of Hell," you'd probably expect some dumb metal. NOPE, it sounds like some classic CA style skate punk. Don't know if they're from CA, but this song sounds like they are. Awesome!

26. PATRIOTS "Cavity"
Real raw one here with lots of cool start/stop parts. It's a cool song, but would be better if the stops were tighter.

27. HATED PRINCIPLES "Survival At All Costs"
Hated Principles offer a mid paced punk rock song; not too great.

28. CRANKSHAFT "New Wave Homos"
Another seemingly offensive one here, not very interesting though.

29. URBAN ASSAULT (S.F.) "Night on the Town"
It's kinda interesting that they have 2 bands w/ the same name right after each other. Kinda interesting song that's very bass driven. Pretty good, but all the breaks kinda make me lose interest.

30. URBAN ASSAULT (Tahoe) "Rock'n'Roll Burnout"
This Urban Assault song is much more raw and fast. I'd say the better Urban Assault.

31. 7 SECONDS "Wasted Life Ain't No Crime"
Damn, 7 Seconds doing one of their future classics. It's more raw than the later versions of this song, but it's a great song from an awesome band.

32. JACK SHIT "Follow the Leader"
This is another awesome band who I don't know anything else about, but this is a great song! I like how his voice cracks, and there's an unnecessary saxophone solo in the end. Still rules.

33. 7 Seconds "Definite Choice"
Don't know why they broke up the 2 7 Seconds songs. Either way, this song rules, same as the other, just a more raw recording of a future classic.

34. ROMULANS "Judgement Day"
This song is boring.

35. NO LABELS "Ego"
Not bad, not great. Has slow verses and fast choruses. eh...

36. ARMED RESPONSE "Too Gross for Comfort"
Ok, this is a good one. A song about the actor Ted Knight (Caddyshack/ Too Close For Comfort), which is kinda cool I guess. I like it.

37. DERANGED DICTION "Crooning"
Starts off with the singer yelling something I can't understand in a real raspy voice. I really like the singer's voice since it matches the raw distorted music. I'd like to hear more from them.

38. FALSE CONFESSION
Nobody seems to know what this song is called, unless it's like a theme song of some sort. An ok song.

39. MANIMALS "Things Under My Bed"
Pretty good mid-paced song with an odd structure. It does like 3 verses before getting to the chorus, then it ends. The chorus is pretty melodic, but I like it.

40. RED CROSS "Pseudo Intellectual"
This song kinda sucks. It's real slow and just kinda sounds like 70's style rock. Not very interesting though.

* I was listening to the comp as I typed this up in order to get some off the cuff opinions down. If anyone knows anything about the bands that I said I don't, please get in touch.