Carved Out

  The best part of being back in the shitty part of Ohio that I was in is that I got to see some close friends of mine all the time. The dudes I would hang out with when I was a kid and still living in houses with a band and going to shows non-stop. I still listen to some of the bands those dudes are in (Ringworm, what's up) and it's awesome to see them still putting out music. Two of those friends started a new band called Carved Out that is heavy as fuck. They sort of play crusty tough guy hardcore with metal as fuck vocals. I'd say their biggest influences are Tragedy, cannabis, d-beat hardcore, Cleveland and NY style hardcore beatdown parts. I love that the songs are short, fast and still balls heavy. Absolutely worth checking out.

Who fucking cares?
Scenery

Violence Violence, Not A Post About Ceremony

A good dose of power-violence on this rainy day. Nothing to lift the spirits like grindingly fast power-violencecore. To be totally honest this is probably my favourite PV record or album ever(the Torture 7"). It kind of exemplifies my idea of how the music form is expressed. It's stupid fast hardcore punk with really heavy sludge parts. PV differs from grind and fastcore with the sludge this type of vocals or crazy high screams like in Magrudergrind and Fuck On the Beach. Up until "Unforgivable" these guys also didn't take themselves too seriously, which I appreciate. I feel like this type of music should be about fun, unless you're a political band. Then it's only serious. The song titles and lyrics are simple and straight forward. A lot of times tongue in cheek funny and the rest is fucking angry. The two tones interplay quite well and just pump you the fuck up. I'm either smiling and wanting to run in circles or I'm super vehement from the loathing want to stage dive into people's heads. When the lyrics get dark, they get violent dark. But doesn't everyone feel like ripping out entrails and cutting sternums sometimes? It's acceptable violence.
 Musically it's a sonic whirlwind of blast beats, angry as fuck vocals and lo-fi guitar and bass. Seriously lo-fi, sludged out bass that's angry as it is fast to match the punk as fuck sounding guitar, which unfortunately get sort of lost in the mix a lot of the time. There's some real fast circle pit hardcore parts but a lot of these seventeen songs are just raging fast and all you can do is sit there in awe going "Holy shit".
 Most people into aggressive music are well aware of this band now after being picked up by Relapse. That's super good for most people involved. I've heard the newest full length, "Worthless" a couple times now and production wise it's a good step up, for instance a new vocal mix which is unlike any Weekend Nachos mix I've heard. The music production kind of makes them sound a lot like the band Nails however and I don't think I like that. I hope it's not an actual stylistic change. Nails is a good band, for sure, but we don't need WN sounding like them. Unique music, not cookie cutter music.

"Revenge is sweet, now you're a mess on my floor, you scum sucking mother fucking road whore!"

This Song is Called, My Mom Hits Harder

American Nightmare is kind of one of those hardcore bands you either love to death or just feel indifferent about. Wes' lyrics aren't usually my favourites to read, but listening to them is rather fun. The singing along makes it too enjoyable to care and they wrote a few really fucking catchy songs.
Something that I appreciate about AN/AN/GutG is how original their sound was. An obviously contemporized (for the time) version of classic hardcore punk. Plenty of Black Flag, Minor Threat and Bad Brains influences to go around. This amalgam has become fast, energetic no frills hardcore that's full punk. Lots of punk. Tons and tons of gang vocals, circle pits and stage dives. The crucial stuff.
 Oh, and what about the fucking awesome Cro-Mags cover they do. By far one of the best Cro-Mags covers ever.
Another interesting point to bring up is how Wes has one arm! I'm not talking Rick Allen one arm, but he's missing like a quarter of his arm, mid forearm to hand is gone. Long gone. I have no idea why to be honest, but it didn't stop him from going completely nuts live. 

Full discog here
On a side note, Warwounds(Fuck America) is a fabulous blog with tons and tons of hardcore discographies. You're missing out on some history if you don't read that site.

Fuck Electrons, Protons Are Posi!

 I've already posted their split with The Waste, so here's Crucial Unit's first 7". 
"Premium Iced Tea" starts off with shrieking, wailed, frantic vocals over sick thrash-punk-core. Blast beats and circle pit inducing drums with funny and well written lyrics. Crucial Unit is sort of like crossover and sort of like thrash metal and sort of like fastcore. This style is very much a product of their geographical environment. The Bay Area, Oxnard, LA, Hunington Beach, etc. all have sounds very much regional depending on local culture, economy and the other stuff that makes punx angry. The first song presented is one with old school hardcore mentality, writing a song with the band name in the chorus. Most good hardcore bands end up doing this for some reason.The Unit also uses another hardcore staple that Spazz likes to point out, the use of  "GO!".
The band has all their material available on their website, which is fucking awesome, and DIY and punk and more cool then most bands that aren't Cellgraft. You see all kinds of bands with songs to stream on Myspace, Facebook, Bandcamp and all that cool shit but not many straight up give all their material away. This kind of promotion only gives me desire to actually purchase their albums. "Premium Iced Tea" has an awesome cover for example. Besides the metal text denoting the band name and the required speed to play the 7" it appears to be exactly what the record title tells you it is. Punks being clever? Never happens, certainly not now.

Baby. I don't wanna make out, I just wanna CIRCLE PIT!

Reproach Vol. 666

So if you're unfamiliar with this band, you need another serious lesson music history. This 7" came out way back before I was born, in 1982 and is a preamble to all the bands you love today. Dropdead (their biggest non-Siege influence), Knife Fight, Spazz, Haymaker, Chokehold, XBrainiax etc. Shit NA and the Misfits influenced each other immensely. These guys are one of those super proto bands that you don't even realize the number of bands they influenced. Brannon gave hardcore it's demeanor for Merlin's sake. Bald. ANGRY. Insightful. Powerful. Jamey Jasta ain't got shit on John Brannon. He even uses a lot of tough man talking instead of a yell or scream to get his point across in another fashion instead of just blitzkrieg.
Negative Approach is equal parts Blitz, Sham 69, Black Flag and Misfits. One could cite DC band also, but I hear it less than the Necros or Meatmen. Negative Approach fits the aesthetics(music and lyrics) of the aforementioned bands and not the latter. One could argue this, but why would they? Regional hardcore sounds different for a reason. Besides all the comparisons one uses these guys play fucking fast, pissed hardcore with usual one minute run times. There are some grinding examples("Pressure", "Chaos"(not on this 7")) and some bad examples("Nothing"). And in all honesty "Nothing" is the only song I never listen to as it's the last one on side A right before you flip it and crank up "Fair Warning". This rager starts ripping with the rambunctious jam "Can't Tell No One" which is a fucking anthem. Try to not pile on everyone in sight grabbing the mic. "CAN'T TELL NO ONE! WHAT TO DO! CAN'T TELL NO ONE. WHAT TO DOOOOOOO!!!!!" From the first riff you just want to fly off the hook and circle pit like a mother fucker if you're not singing along. Or do both! "Sick of Talk" has an americanized d-beat rhythm section. "Why Be Something That You're Not" is mostly sick mosh riffs. Try not to mosh if a band ever covers it. I dare you. "Lead Song" is another anthem full of gang vocals and sing alongs. Much more punk then hardcore on this song. "Negative Approach" and "Whatever I Do" are two more anthems with fucktons of singing along. The energy in the last two minutes of this record rivals most full-lengths.
Once again the lyrics here are great. They're simple, emotive, to the point and easily singable. I love the things they had to say. Even at 25 the words of a 19 year old ring more true to me then Dostoyevsky ever could. Sorry Andrew. Well, every song but "Nothing". But really, nine out of ten is perfect for a 7".

"I can't take this,
PRESSURE, PRESSURE, PRESSURE, PRESSURE!"
Too many things are too extreme
There's too much shit, too many schemes
It never makes sense, it's just a hype
Forget about it, live your own life

PRESSURE PRESSURE PRESSURE PRESSURE
PRESSURE PRESSURE PRESSURE PRESSURE!

Still Cyco...After All These Beers

Preface: I've not had any beer today yet. 
Highly regarded, and well deserving of it, Suicidal Tendencies are one of the eptiomes of crossover/thrash. Blending perfectly between metal and hardcore punk they spawned too many bands to name, but here are some big/and or good ones:  Metallica, Anthrax, Thrashin' In the Streets, DRI, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pantera, Cryptic Slaughter. Fuck, the list goes on. Scott Ian once said Anthrax was always trying to sound like ST because if they did then he knew they were an amazing band doing something right. What else is there to say?
This gem was mostly a re-recording of their self titled album released ten years earlier. It has three additional tracks, all of which rule. The songs on almost the whole album are standard length, 2-3.5 minutes, and somehow it's usually fast and enthralling. I pretty don't get bored with any song on here except "I Saw Your Mommy", fuck that song. It's funny or whatever, but too slow and hair metal. Anyway, Rob Trujillo is on here and he fucking rips up the bass riffs. Once again, I point this out because it's crucial. But repeated listens will reveal why he's in the "biggest" metal band around right now. Makes sense though as Muir seems to be the only one invested in the band now. But Trujillo and everyone else shreds on here. Mike Muir and co. invoke cholos stage diving, elbow dropping everywhere, just like the pictures inside my cassette.
 This is for sure one of those bands you wish you could have grown up around, going to their shows. Legend and lore weave tales of insanity in small LA suburbs much like that of Black Flag. Suicidal Tendencies got much more popular however, having two videos made from this album. One for the aforementioned shit song, and one for "Institutionalized". Both the video and song rule. Some other favourites are "War Inside My Head" with it's sick opening and superior singabillity. "Memories of Tomorrow" for....well I'm not going to list these off because I honestly like all but like 1.5 songs on here. Shotgun some beers, smoke a joint and start thrashing to the oldies!


Two Sided Politics!

God Is Fake, Wrestling Is Real

Here's a fucking amazing hardcore band from Cleveland that ISN'T a Holy Terror band. It's mother fucking Gordon Solie Motherfuckers!. These guys are the much better version of the Ultimate Warriors. While UW play power violence with wrestling as their gimmick, GSMF just play awesome fast hardcore. They have ex-members of 9 Shocks Terror and Face Value among others. Tony Erba is obviously the famous guy here. Affiliated with Victory Records scandals, Integrity worship and even featured by other bands, like Charles Bronson. They're also infamous for ridiculously insane live shows known to feature many things that are not bodies flying through the air. I never got to see them live(even though they're doing a re-union show in Clevo soon, sad face) but it's legendary. They like the other great bands from the city of porn and rust they're banned from lots of clubs, have shut down shows and entire festivals and have been escorted by police multiple times.
But how do they sound?"Power Bomb Anthems Vol.1" is fast, shreddy, high energy hardcore with comedic edge and lots of gang vocals. All songs have prevalent bass riffing and popping snare rolls alongside the vocals and guitars. Mosh filled Lo-fi hardcore for the win.There's a Warzone spook on "Ghost Cry of Betray". You'll lol. There's also some OH lingo in "Parma Uber Alles" that most of you won't get, but I find it hilarious. There's a Johnny Moped cover on here too, "No One". But fucking Merlin damn it that song sucks. I hate the original and the cover. Why would they do that to us?
The lyrical matter is top notch of course, and about several subjects of interest. My obvious favourite lyrics being in "Tears of A Clone" and "Bought & Sold". Partially for ripping on Paint It Black and Jello Biafra. No one is safe from chair shots to the head! Erba spits his words sounding sort of like Mike Ski as a reference, but way more awesome. No offense Mike. Erba is just pissed while you're not.

Three chords in a cloud of dust, three chords in cloud of dust, three chords in a cloud of dust! In DIY I fucking trust!

My Love, My Way

The album "Witness" is one of the best hardcore(et al sub-genre associated) records of the 2000's. It's been incredibly acclaimed by everyone under the sun. Someone said it's the "greatest hardcore album of our generation". Think about that. This is my "Damaged" or "Out of Step" or "Dag Nasty" or "Petitioning the Empty Sky". Here's some other quotes from the Wiki of this album:
"Witness breaks boundaries and surpasses dreams hardcore has not even had yet. It is eloquent and beautiful in every way. You will get choked up the first time you hear it."
Reviewers for Punknews.org were the most blunt with their praise, simply stating that "if every album could be like Witness, then maybe music wouldn’t suck as bad is it does right now."
This album is that good. I don't give a fuck if you don't like hardcore, especially more mid-paced, dissonant, expressive and passionate hardcore. Everyone in the band plays incredibly well and once again lyrics reign supreme. Jeffrey Eaton blow Darby Crash out of the water when it comes to poetic lyrics. This guy knows what you're feeling deep down whether you know it or not. Every second I listen to this CD I feel like I'm fifteen at my first shit hole bar or basement show with a bunch of sweaty people screaming every word they can as loud as they can until they go hoarse. I can see the band playing, their singer amping the crowd, sharing the mic, diving. Kids everywhere are climbing on top of each other to get on the stage, stage diving, finger pointing. Tears start streaming down our faces because we all feel the same thing. We have collective empathy. The words pour out like they were our own and everyone lets go of everything inside.
Every time I hear this CD, that's how I feel. It all comes rushing back and gives me goosebumps.
All the albums I mentioned are starting points, I especially feel Dag Nasty is a big one. Jacob Bannon is a great lyricist to compare Jeffery Eaton to but the bands don't find much resemblance beyond that. They do however share another relationship, this record being put out on Deathwish Inc. and Jacob Bannon doing the artwork and layout. Kurt Ballou also recorded this at his Godcity Studio in surprise, Massachusetts. Figures. Even the best bands have to go through MA.
My favourite songs are "Martin Atchet", "D.E.AD. R.A.M.O.N.E.S", "Young Man On A Spree" and "Hair-Raising Accounts of Restless Ghosts (AKA Hell is for Heroes, Part 2)". It's so hard to pick a favourite of those. There really is none since their all such solid song. "D.E.A.D R.A.M.O.N.E.S." is a anthem that demands pile-ons and sing-alongs and finger pointing.

When you're 16 you don't know what forever means.
When you are 23 you couldn't be more sorry to say.
That after all this growing up together all the good has gone away.
Sometimes the boys that should be yours best friends become strangers with familiar faces.

Ello, my name's Bruce.

It's not summer yet but it's time for some kind of pick me up from the cold weather. Shark Attack will easily pump you up into circle pits to get the heat kicking.
These guys are from PA and keep up that area's tradition for raging hardcore. These guys are way more old school then a lot of popular bands from that area. Those other bands are way more metallic and less punk(Earth Crisis, xDisciplex A.D., Brother's Keeper, etc.) Shark Attack have a huge youth crew sound with slightly less positive lyrics. And their singer is fucking pissed. Big surprise there, right? But musically think Youth of Today, Antidote, Negative Approach, Chain of Strength, fast Cro-Mags, Bad Brains. Just good, fast hardcore. An older version of Ceremony is a good reference point. I mean, if Ceremony listened to less Black Flag and only played fast.
Includes a really awesome Antidote cover, though the lyrics are "questionable". I don't really agree with that statement as I don't find this song overtly xenophobic or racist. This is art and about freedom of expression. I don't support overt racism but I will support someone's right to say what they feel.

We're shark attack we're on the attack and we're in your fucking face. WE'RE IN YOU'RE FUCKING FACE!

Scared of Naked People, Not a Post About Weekend Nachos

Ceremony is from California, like a lot of good hardcore bands. Their hardcore is a little more structured and old school feeling on this EP however. This mama jama came out all the way back in 2003 and set them full steam ahead to record with Bridge 9.
There's an alternation in songs. Slow, building, brooding tracks with the strain and tension of Black Flag then a fast d-beat ripper tearing your face for a minute like Discharge. You get three of each, opening with the slow builder. You also get a Negative FX cover which makes sense. Ceremony sounds like the perfect blend of Black Flag, Negative FX and Motorhead and Discharge. One thing to note is how prominent the bass is in the production.
Ceremony has some newer material I haven't really heard any of. I did hear one or two songs off their second full-length and they rip. It's called "Still Nothing Moves You", great title by the way. They put out a LP called "Ronhert Park" last year as well, but I've heard nothing from it. It's apparently named after the city the band resides in.

"Maybe I'll feel like a man, when I do what they tell me to."

Almost Focused

Bones Brigade is a ripping fast hardcore band from Boston, Mass that plays songs about skateboarding, hanging with friends(and all that entails), skating, video games, quandries of life, skateboarding, the scene and what goes with it, skating and getting wasted. My favourite track from their S/T EP is opener "Never Meant Much". It's three minutes long, but still rips and shreds the whole time, much like the shorter songs following it on the EP. Bones Brigade plays fast skate influenced hardcore. The only thing I want to do during the EP is circle pit. Quite fast. It's all circle pitting drums, shredding guitars a la Black Flag and tons of sing alongs parts. This is all very conducive to stage diving and head walking. I would totally love to see these guys live because of all the ridiculous energy they'd put into the crowd for use. The amount of fun had would have to be illegal. I have to warn you there is some melody in the guitar, but it's forgivable for the rest of positives this band has going for them.
I also have their "Focused" 12" LP on Coalition Records(from 2004). It's gray marbled vinyl and contains fourteen more raging tunes from these dudes. Songs are much the same with a slightly longer average run time then the EP. This is one reason EPs, 5-10" and splits are such a good idea. A large portion of a band's fan base prefers less songs with most being of very high quality so they always come back wanting more. Is "World Extermination" a great listen front to back? Yes of course! Are all the individual 7"s comprising it more enjoyable listening experiences individually? Ninety eight percent of the time yes.
They also have at least two more CDs and another LP. One CD is a comp of 7" songs and demos, one is a repress of their 10" and they have a debut full length LP as well.




"There are few certainties in life. You see people losing their jobs, you see people losing their money, and you see very little stability. But, some things never change. Ninjas are awesome and hardcore played at light speed rules."-Bones Brigade

Sunshine and Circle Pits

Another amazing band (ironically from MA, and FSU associated) that gets me stoked it's summer is Colin of Arabia. These guys play stripped down, pissed hardcore that easily gets you raging. And these guys pour their hearts on their sleeve in multiple aspects of the band from the lyrics to the numerous covers they've recorded showcasing their influences. Misfits, Black Flag, Slapshot and Bad Brains which I left off as it's the worst Bad Brains song ever. I mean really, "Regulater"? Come on! Sort of wish they'd have done a Cro-Mags cover considering their use of Cro-Mags riffs, the breakdown in "War On the Poor" being a perfect example. It's the "Crush the Demonic" riff with some different words, but it ends up being sweet. Lots of energy to invoke stage dives and vicious circle pits with kicks to the skull.
No complete albums on this one, just all the random songs that make me rage.

Everyday I walk the same way home
Every walk so fucking alone

Sunshine and Circle Pits

Despite what naysayers think (brutalalex), Bane is to me one of the most relevant and just awesome hardcore bands from the 90's. I guess I still believe some bands have a message, and some of those sXe revival bands are fucking good. Bane, Carry On, Shark Attack. All great stuff. Some of the Bane guys have also been in Converge, but have since moved on to smaller and better things.
Since these guys play hardcore I'm not to going to be eloquent, instead I'll continue using words like energetic, fast, heartfelt, meaningful and I'll mention how fucking incredibly ugly Aaron Bedard is. But man I love that guy anyway, his voice and overall message really get me every time. It's moving stuff. The lyrics fit all of my above adjectives as well, and with hardcore that's usually a big deal since the music churned out gets monotonous easily. And Bane is for sure one of those bands you need to see live because you get to pile on top of kids to point and sing a long. Every memory I have of their songs invoke happiness and fun, which are thoughts one can never have too many of.

REASONS NOT RULES MAKE US STRONG!

Sunshine and Circle PIts

I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same way I do about this time of year. No more cold weather jackets and pants. No stupid hats or gloves. We can wear t-shirts and shorts showing off our tough ankle tattoos. And even more important bands tour during the summer. A lot. The average moderately known touring hardcore band might play 100 shows in 120 days or more depending on how much DIY they have in their veins. Just think of how many stage dives, circle pits, high fives, head walks and finger pointing sing-a-alongs just one band incites over the course of a tour cycle. Then just imagine how a fucking sick, original sounding band like Righteous Jams would turn it up. Hardcore in itself is no frills, so the little bits bands add make it refreshing every time they play. And these dudes play energetic simple hardcore with a rock and roll feel. A lot like Black Flag, but less Sabbath more punk and some truly sick bass riffs. Which is something hardcore is bereft of sometimes. They're also from Boston so the lyrics have those awesome hardcore colloquialisms I love. And the lyrics themselves are straight forward and honest, not full of confusing analogies that can be used for multiple meanings. I can say that I read the lyrics of every band I listen to, and sometimes I don't care what a band is saying but there's something about these lyrics I just really love. I think it's because Joey C writes lyrics just like I would.
Even though Righteous Jams hasn't really done anything since "Business As Usual" in 07/08 which really bums me out. They've always been one of my favourite hardcore bands and I would love to hear all kinds of new output. But I'm posting the first LP they did called "Rage of Discipline" on Lookin Out from 2004.

Here is the full track listing, but I left off a couple of songs in the download because I didn't like them. What now?
1.Rage of Discipline
2.Iron Mind
3.Green Eyes
4.Bust It
5.No Glory
6.Small Fish
7.Invasion
8.Scream and Shout
9.Where It's Due
10.Righteous Jams


"I don't wanna listen to you scream and shout,
I don't give a shit what you've been talking about,
all your little mind games are bummin me out!"

Consider this one of (more than one) posts about summer hardcore happy fun time.