MIND X CONTROL / HARDOUT - From the Alleys to the Valleys Split EP

Location: Cardiff / Eastbourne, UK

Release: Rites Of Passage / Speedowax, 2015
Artwork: Woody Troják

One of the last realeases of this year came out as a big surprise because I thought both bands were dead but was hoping to hear new material from them. 2 new songs each, MIND X CONTROL continues where they left off from their killer demo and HARDOUT shows improvements in music writing/recording and sounds much better than their previous stuff. Overall a solid split with plenty of dance parts to bust some moves and hard edge!

Speedowax together with a new label (Rites Of Passage) delivered a vinyl piece to feast your eyes on, super cool choice of colors, labels and artwork, nice job as usual Rich!

PRE-ORDER 7"

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VOICE OF REASON - Looking Back To The Way Things Were

Location: Connecticut, US

Release: Ear One Productions, 2014

VOICE OF REASON was a melodic youth crew band that was active between 1995 to 2001, influenced by the likes of Turning Point, Gorilla Biscuits and 7 Seconds. Back then they used to share the stage with other cool melodic acts such as Fastbreak, Saves The Day and Grey Area.

This discography album comes as digipack CD and it compiles 33 heartfelt, positive, west coast influenced youthcrew songs, including demos, compilation, unreleased tracks, and their full length album all remastered! After the band's demise, Jay Reason (vocals) started The Distance.

PURCHASE CD

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BELIEF - Two Songs Demo

Location: Dresden, Deutschland

Release: DIY, 2015

BELIEF is a new band that share members with other german hardcore acts such as Risk It! and The Heist. Two songs were uploaded yesterday as a teaser for the upcoming EP on Farewell Records! Already plenty of positive feedback, it's classic bursting energy youth crew in ya face!

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REFLECT - Demo

Location: Machester, UK

Release: DIY, 2015

REFLECT is a new project from the same dudes who brought us Survival and Insist but this time around with more melodies and intensity not unlike Battery, Outspoken and Have Heart. Recordings came out pretty solid, making it a very enjoyable 4-song demo that leaves you asking for more.

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[link provided by the band]

CORRECTIVE MEASURE - Demo 2015

Location: Maine, US

Release: Broke & Infamous Records, 2015
Artwork: Chris X

Fresh straight edge band hailing from the City of Bangor, playing that classic 80's hardcore in the vein of Straight Ahead, no frills! Braden (vocals) sent me the link a few weeks ago and now the Germany based label Broke & Infamous has the european version of this tape that sold fast on US soil. 

PURCHASE TAPE/MERCH

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Also be sure to check the small yet increasing Broke & Infamous' catalog, a label that is run by my buddy Athos (DisXease)!

HIGHER GIANT - The First Five + Al's Moustache

Location: New York

Release: Black Numbers/ Creep Records, 2009

I was just listening to Black Train Jack and started to remember about Ernie Parada's bands, one in special is somewhat underrated: HIGHER GIANT. This short lived super group produced 2 EPs and a total of 9 pop punk tracks in the vein of CIV and Black Train Jack.

The band was comprised of David W. (Kid Dynamite, Paint It Black), J-Sin (Warzone, Grey Area), Alex (The Arsons) and of course Ernie Parada (Token Entry, In Your Face,...). When it comes to melodic shit I'm very specific, there are only a few dudes that can lay down this kind of solid melodic punk and these heavywheights are definetely amongst them.

DOWNLOAD (both EPs)

HIGHER GIANT - Al's Moustache (Black Numbers Records, August 2009)

HIGHER GIANT - The First Five EP (Runner Up/ Creep Records, March 2009)