STEP IT UP - Party Time EP

Location: San Diego, USA

Release: District Records, 2006

Age Of Quarantine, day # 98 - San Diego based STEP IT UP has that peculiar "Posi-Numbers" sound from the first half of the 2000's decade, a type of modern and fast Youth Crew hardcore music.

Party Time EP is probably their last record, which also came out as a split release with HEAD HIGH on CD. Before that they recorded 2 other EPs: Lace Your Kicks! (2004) and What A Joke (2005).

That first EP was going to be the first international release on the label I used to co-own, Last Drop Recordings around 2004, but that never happened, we just put out very few local releases on CD-R.

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WHERE FEAR AND WEAPONS MEET - The Discography

Location: Florida, USA

Release: Revelation Records, 1998-2003

Age of Quarantine, day #92 - 1998 was a dope year for hardcore punk, a time we witnessed the release of seminal or inaugural albums by bands such as Floorpunch, Carry On, Sportswear, True Blue... to name a few, bands that shaped the sound for the new millenium. That was also the year we saw the emergence of Miami's own WHERE FEAR AND WEAPONS MEET.

The band came about when John Wylie (Culture, Morning Again, Tension) got together with Jason Lederman (Beyond Reason, Until The End) right after the demise of Morning Again to start a fast and straight up hardcore project, they recruited Ryan Primack (Poison The Well) and after a few trials the singer chosen was Alex "Wall Street Justice" Flores. Then, quickly this unit put together 5 songs that debuted on a 7" by Revelation Records, how many bands does that? Thankfully they put aside all that metalcore shenanigan and delivered nothing but fast and energetic hardcore. The next year (1999) they presented what is considered to many their best work, THE WEAPON!

The Weapon LP caught me off guarded back then "who are these dudes?" such a cool record despite the weird band name. The album is full of hit songs and a great message, simple yet very effective. Unfortunately Alex and Ryan quit the band the following year but that was not the end of WFAWM as they kept going with Larry Scott (Think Fast! Records) on vocals and Chad Kishick (On Bodies) taking over the bass, as a result the band lost a bit of its tightness and speed.

[Update] As I later learned Jason Lederman remained as the only original bandmenber in the 2000 and 2001 recordings with dudes from Miami's Powerhouse and Backlash filling in, but for the 2003 release CONTROL they got back together with the original line-up, including Alex on vocals. 

I went through my record collection and my network to gather virtually everything they recorded on studio in 320kbps audio quality, with the exception for the SSD tribute 7" that I found a clearer audio rip in VBR. (what an amazing tribute by the way!) The weirdest track here is that The Cure cover which I gladly didn't know existed prior to this post, a hardcore punk tribute album to them! The original band is fine but this is a odd bunch, the only other ok song there is by Voice Of Reason. Also WFAWM were featured in several compilations out there, including in The Rebirth Of Hardcore: 1999, but none of them with exclusive songs.  

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DOWNLOAD the following:

1998 - Where Fear and Weapons Meet EP (Revelation Records)

1999 - The Weapon (Revelation Records)

1999 - Under The Influence - A Tribute To SS Decontrol (Vicious Circle Records)

2000 - Split w/ Comin' Correct (Temperance Records)

2000 - Disintegrated - A Cure Tribute Compilation (Too Damn Hype Records) - just the WFAWM track! 

2001 - Unstoppable (Triple Crown Records)

2003 - Control (Eulogy Recordings / Think Fast! Records)

Today, as a bonus, we have these early 90's sxe hardcore bands from South Florida, check it out!

Download these:

TENSION - In Our Time (First Street Records, 1993)

BEYOND REASON - It's Just Begun (Youth Bus Records, 1991)

VA - Notes From The South (Youth Bus Records, 1991)

KNOW THE SCORE - Delay Of Game EP "Promo"

Location: Florida, USA

Release: Eighty-Sixed Records, 2020

Age Of Quarantine, day # 82 - KNOW THE SCORE, back to the studio after 14 years, since their sophomore release on Eulogy Recordings. A discography LP "All Or Nothing" was issued in 2008 comprised of songs recorded in 2005 and 2006, after that they were laying low playing shows occasionally throughout the years into the new decade.

They play a blend of INFEST and Cleveland Hardcore, pissed off short songs filled with blast beats and break stomps. Recommended for fans of Negative Approach and State Of Conviction. Hence I have a soft spot for all things fastcore, I follow these dudes since they signed to Eulogy and got myself a copy of that discography LP.

Smash Racism is the new single for an upcoming EP on Eighty-Sixed entitled Delay Of Game, perfect timing for a song like this, a moment we all must show our true colors, either you're part of the solution or part of the problem, NO TOLERANCE FOR IGNORANCE! It's maddening to think in 2020 people are still experiencing this kind of despicable attitude and police brutality taking lives, they are a disease that must be wiped out together with covid-19.

The band is also running a donation through the sales of shirts with all proceeds going to the NATIONAL BAIL FUND NETWORK, pre-orders ends this friday!

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Thanks to the European initiative HARDCORE CREW for the heads-up!