THOUGHT CRUSADE - It's Our War

Location: Chicago, US

Release: Triple B Records, 2009

Continuing the upload of some old neat stuff. THOUGHT CRUSADE never captured many kids's attention despite having a certain LOC Sound in some parts like Free Spirit or Step Forward, the case may be due to their blend of influences shifted on each record.

The singer comes from EXPIRED YOUTH, so the youth crew influence is guaranteed here. Then you can trace some NYHC and melodic punk on the newer stuff. Even though they've taken the name from No For An Answer it wasn't their primary target to draw their sound from.

It's Our War is by far Thought Crusade's best material and represent very well that new batch of bands from that period in hardcore marked by bands in Back To Back Records, Painkiller, Powered and etc. A full-length was being written in 2014 for Triple-B but only 2 songs surfaced.

2008 - Common Man (Organized Crime Records)
2009 - It's Our War (Triple B Records)
2010 - No Remorse (America's Hardcore Compilation - Triple B)
2014 - Two Songs Demo (Mosh World)

PURCHASE 7" HERE and HERE

DOWNLOAD

HUMAN GARBAGE - Die Slow Motherfuckers

Location: San Fernando Valley, US

Release: Criminalized Collective, 2017

Tons of delayed releases to post during my year off, the next postings will be my effort to upload those. A scattered look in recent and distant past of hard music!

This def could not be left out of this blog, HUMAN GARBAGE'S latest EP, out last year. Die Slow Motherfuckers is a smackdown in form of music, 5 tracks under 4 minutes!!

Their first record was featured here in 2015 and although the recording production improvement is evident the filthiness remained. In 2016 they've put out a 6-song Promo with covers from LOS CRUDOS and SHEER TERROR.

Listen loud, listen twice!! Features ex-members of Sleepwalkers.

DOWNLOAD [EP + PROMO]

TENSIÓN - S/T LP

Location: Madrid, España

Release: Radikal 1977 / Nation On Fire, 2018

Got this recently in my inbox, a Madrilenian combo actually!

Firstly, the striking punk act TENSIÓN! They just put out a new debuting LP, which starts beautifully with a dark punk surf-esque riff a la Christian Death, as the record develops it reveals their true essence, mid-to-fast street punk/Oi!, iberic style.

It's 10 tracks that really invites you to dance, from Uri's gritty singering and the constant gang vocals to the cool mixed riffs, a very solid record!

FFO: Dark Thoughts, late The Lillingtons, Traitre and, of couse, Blitz.   

PURCHASE LP
DOWNLOAD

Then we have a newer act, HARD & CHEAP, sharing members with Tensión, but here their sound is strongly reminiscent of almight Slapshot, very direct and straight forward hardcore, zero bulshit! Fav tracks: Relent & regret, Silly Sunday.

DOWNLOAD

DEAD HEAT - Demos

Location: Oxnard, US

Release: Reconsider Records, 2018

From the same school that gave us Retaliate, Absolute Madness and Take Offense to name a few, enters DEAD HEAT. True Nardcore ready to assault the scene with their guns blazin' crossover sound.

Both their demos were pressed into one limited vinyl, a total of 6 tracks recorded by Nick Jett! Before they signed to Edgewood, earlier this year, they did a split with the also exciting MINDFORCE (new album Excalibur to drop soon on Triple B).

PURCHASE LP/MERCH

DOWNLOAD

SAVAGE - Demo 2018

Location: Leipzig, Deutschland

Release: SFR-Hardcore, 2018

More demos on your way, newest release from this cool german label (SFR-Hardcore), it's SAVAGE!

Life isn't pretty, why your music should be different?

Features members from Big Boss and Total Reality. 

DOWNLOAD

REVISION - Demo 2018

Location: San Luis Obispo, US

Release: DIY, 2018

REVISION, was one of those bands I was hoping to hear a sequel release for quite some time now! Their first demo dropped 4 years ago!!

Six more tracks of straight forward Youth Crew revival, reminiscent of The First Step, In My Eyes and of course Internal Affairs. Another solid release by these cali veterans. Fav tracks: The Critic and Go To Hell.

DOWNLOAD

KIDS LIKE US - The Game

Location: Florida, US

Release: Ghetto Josh / Eulogy Recordings, 2009
Artwork: Barf Comics

For me KIDS LIKE US helped shape the 00's Florida hardcore sound and left their mark in the southern underground heavy music.

The band's songwritting evolution path lead from a raw pissed hardcore to a more elaborated metallic sound, taking cues from 80's powerful sound of Corrosion Of Conformity and Prong plus chunks of 90's metalcore in the likes of Morning Again and Chokehold, but remaining frills-free throughout it. KLU's Southern flavor also makes presence in a few tracks. 

The band's strongest quality for me is the irreverence though, together with the brilliant art from J. Callahan (aka Barf Comics) on albums (and some shirt designs - which I own a few) they set free the imagination and shout about skateboarding, wrecking stuff, false punks, comic books and videogames. Something like Bones Brigade and Blind Justice but soundwise they fall right between their usual touring buds in The Warriors and DTN.

Unfortunaly all the labels behind KLU's releases are goners, making these hard to find, and although this style of hardcore is not trendy anymore between the cool kids, there is something about this band that still appeals: attitude + visual identity.

2003 - Demo
2003 - The 80's Are Dead (Reissued in 2008 by Eulogy)
2004 - Down To Nothing Split (Knife Or Death)
2005 - Outta Control (Eulogy)
2008 - Mongoloids Split (Double Or Nothing)
2009 - Mongoloids Split (Ghetto Josh)
2009 - The Game (Ghetto Josh)



The comic book oriented artwork on the covers and inlays on Outta Control and The Game LPS are so mind-blowing that I scanned (poorly) them for y'all, one of them folds out into a board game, crazy stuff! People are going nuts for a copy of the LP on discogs but you can still find them at Revhq.

As you noticed there are 2 Mongoloids splits with different tracklists, the second one (2009) they cover each other songs, great tunes! The first one (2008) features drawings by Barf Comics and you could pick from Ted Bundy to Count Dracula as the front illustration for your 7" copy.

Note#1: The artwork at the top is a collage from the limited edition of The Game LP for the band's last show LP in 2012 (a reunion took place recently tho) and then added Chun One's sweet art for Ghetto Josh Records.

Note#2: In the late 90's a norwegian sxe band used the same name Kids Like Us and released one 7inch on Commitment. 

DOWNLOAD

SABERTOOTH ZOMBIE - Human Performance Collection

Location: North Bay, USA

Release: Twelve Gauge, 2015

A release so rare that even the label doesn't recognize as legit lol! Actually this is a very-limited compilation of SABERTOOTH ZOMBIE's lastest four EPs, the Human Performance parts 1 to 4, a total of 11 songs.

When it comes to STZ is hard to describe their sound as they change from record to record, a true Hardcore chamaleon act, from thrashy punk to ass kickin' stoned jams! Anyhow, they always bring a far fom ordinary and pleasant listening experience, driven by an equally intriguing lyrical content.

Overall STZ have 15 releases and they still play shows ocasionally, so maybe this is not the end of this skillful group. If you are looking to grow an instant badass beard (women included) or a soundtrack for a late night skate session, wonder yourself through their great back catalog, I'd go with Midnight Venom and ..And Your Fathers LP for starters.

FFO: mad riffs, distilled beverages, the great outdoors. 

SUPPORT
DOWNLOAD