ULTIMATE GUIDE To Old School Hardcore (From 1980s to 2010s)

I've said over the years "this bands sounds like (insert old school band name)" a thousand times, but what the heck IS the old school hardcore sound? The fast and angrier cousin of punk rock. I'm gonna leave this article for future generations as a statement of some of the realest groups that ever played this sub-genre in this very tiny corner of the internet, dedicated to the old school.

For the 13th and final anniversary of ALL THINGS OLD SCHOOL I came up with the Ultimate Guide To Old School Hardcore (or Old School HC for dummies) picking up my favorite 13 songs (+2 bonus) by decade, naming the best and second best from each. First of all, I know the correct measure of a decade is year 1 to 10 (i.e. 1981-1990) but I'll be using the "usual" wrong measure (1980-1989) because it made things easier for me to make decisions. Secondly, I kept the metal influence to a bare minimum (especially the Crossover Thrash thing) on my selections. Also, in my view, lots of bands dubbed as hardcore are actually early Cali-punk rock (i.e. Black Flag, Circle Jerks and TSOL). Hardcore IS punk but not the other way around. 

With that clear I also used the system of match-ups between bands to make my critical decisions, as the slots were quite limited, based on my personal tastes and the general impact on the sub-genre at the time of release. Enough with the bs, let's check the damn list:

1980's (1st - BAD BRAINS / 2nd - Straight Ahead)

The blueprint of hardcore for me is called Black Dots (aka The Zientara Sessions) whose material was written by BAD BRAINS between 1978-1979. This selection could as well end here, the rest are just following along. But.. that wouldn't be much fun, would be? For second I picked the almighty STRAIGHT AHEAD with members having passed in some of the main names of NYHC including Youth Of Today that would be my third option.

The match-ups I had to do for the 80's were insane, like Patrick Dubar's bands Uniform Choice vs UNITY (win), I can't have both on the list. But the one I will get burned the most is probably leaving off Minor Threat out of the selection, not to mention Cro-Mags which lost to Leeway (win). The fact is that I was never a Ian Mackaye (teenie weenie beanie) type of guy and JJ blew it during the pandemic, I'm team Flanagan... whatever that means.

Also props to DK and Misfits for picking up, at the time, the new hardcore trend and releasing one HC album each and with that they blew the competition away (i.e. S.O.A. and Void) in my humble opinion.

1 - LEEWAY - Rise & Fall (1988)

2 - BAD BRAINS - The Regulator (1982)

3 - NEGATIVE APPROACH - Ready To Fight (1982)

4 - AGNOSTIC FRONT - Last Warning (1983)

5 - THE MISFITS - Wolfsblood (1983)

6 - DEAD KENNEDYS - Moral Majority (1981)

7 - SIDE BY SIDE - Side By Side (1988)

8 - KILLING TIME - Wall Of Hate (1989)

9 - STRAIGHT AHEAD - My Problem (1986)

10 - OUTBURST - No Choice (1989)

11 - BROTHERHOOD - The Deal (1989)

12 - YOUTH OF TODAY - Slow Down (1988)

13 - UNITY - PMA (1989)

(Bonus #1) AGRESSION - Intense Energy (1983)

(Bonus #2) SIEGE - Conform (1984)

1990's (1st - FLOORPUNCH / 2nd - Proclamation)

What's to say here? Even crust punks like Floorpunch, the kings of revival old school of the 90's, speaking of it, here we can notice a huge gap between the beginning and end of the decade as the old school production fade out, so all the props to bands like Redemption 87 and Better Than A Thousand for giving it a push.

Also worth mentioning is the addition of Warzone here in not before (in the 80s), the re-recorded version of Lower East Side always blew my mind but then again, the so-called experts that say hardcore died in '84 and the best Warzone album is the demo without Raybeez, not here!

1 - PROCLAMATION - What Is True (1999)

2 - CHAIN OF STRENGTH - Too Deep Until Now (1990)

3 - INSIDE OUT - Burning Fight (1990)

4 - BATTERY - I Won't Fall (1993)

5 - SHELTER - Enough (1990)

6 - CONFRONT - Wrong Choice (1994)

7 - FLOORPUNCH - Not For Me (1998)

8 - COMMITTED - Arbitration (1999)

9 - MAINSTRIKE - Hopefull Days (1999)

10 - TIME FLIES - Ultra! (1999)

11 - SICK OF IT ALL - What's Going On (1991)

12 - WARZONE - Will You Ever Come Back (1996)

13 - REDEMPTION 87 - About Face (1996)

(Bonus #1) BETTER THAN A THOUSAND - Self Worth (1998)

(Bonus #2) NO REDEEMING SOCIAL VALUE - No Regrets (1994)

2000's (1st - BONES BRIGADE / 2nd - Carry On)

Bones Brigade has always been the perfect hardcore band for me, great lyrics, great attitude and shit. I used to visit the drummer's (Mullet) website a lot in the late 90's and early 00's where I got to know lots of cool stuff, including Carry On.

1 - WHAT HAPPEN NEXT? - Those Who Own The Streets (2000)

2 - A.N.S. - Down The Habbit Hole (2009)

3 - SHARK ATTACK - Enough Of You (2001)

4 - DESPERATE MEASURES - Never Enough Time (2004)

5 - LIGHTS OUT - Get a Life (2005)

6 - BONES BRIGADE - Each Waking Hour (2003)

7 - VICTIM - Revenge (2006)

8 - INTERNAL AFFAIRS - No Good Game in HC (2007)

9 - IRON BOOTS - Who Laughs Last (2004)

10 - RAMPAGE - Physical Therapy (2007)

11 - RESTLESS YOUTH - Make It Burn (2005) 

12 - TRUE COLORS - Focus On The Light (2007)

13 - CARRY ON - Set The Pace (2000)

(Bonus #1) NO JUSTICE - Political Scheme (2000)

(Bonus #2) SSS - Warhose (2006)

2010's (1st - THE RIVAL MOB / 2nd - Wardogs)

That's where it all began for this blog, exactly in 2010, without doubt it was a lot of fun to be a part of. I started doing this so I could offer my spare merch and records that I bough in doubles to save on shipping and stuff like that, 13 years has passed and here we are, it's time to leave for the next generation to pick it up and keep it alive... on instagram or whatever mind buggin social media they will come up with next.

1 - DEAL WITH IT - Eyjafjallajokull I... Dark Skies (2010)

2 - TRUE VISION - Morality (2016)

3 - THE RIVAL MOB - Fake Big (2013)

4 - FREEDOM - Cut You Down (2014)

5 - THE FLEX - Bad Faith (2014)

6 - FIREWALKER - Barking Up The Wrong Tree (2017)

7 - WILD SIDE - Then & Now (2019)

8 - VIOLENT REACTION - Disorder (2015)

9 - UNIFIED RIGHT - When Will You Learn (2015)

10 - BIG TAKEOVER - Selfish (2016)

11 - CONTROLLED - Afraid To Change (2014)

12 - MINORITY UNIT - Unsure (2011)

13 - WARDOGS - The Wrong Way (2011)

(Bonus #1) SELECTIVE AGRESSION - Uniform Thought (2017)

(Bonus #2) CORLD WORLD - Cracks Of Hate (2014)

DOWNLOAD [all decades]  - NEW LINK!!

I had a lot more stored to post before I called it a day but that's how it goes, I'm moving to Dublin and if you're in the area give a shout in the FB page, I will leave it active for a while. THANK YOU FOR READING/SHARING stay true to yourself!

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR MOTHER MADALENA

I will miss you until my last breath

March.1949 ~ April.2023

ACT LIKE A MANIAC - An Underground Thrash Metal Compilation (1986 - 1993)

12th anniversary of All Things Old School compilation edition (originally due out in 2022) - We have quite a handful bands in the hardcore punk nowadays surfing the Thrash wave, which is dope (and they should keep that way) but their sound were most likely not solely based on the so-called Big Four of Thrash. A lot happened so that we can now stage dive to Dead Heat, High Command and Foreseen. My aim for this compilation is to shed light on the GOLDEN ERA of underground Thrash Metal scene which, in my humble opinion, lasted from 1986 to 1993.

In a time without proper internet, when tape trading was king, new releases surely took some time to reach out the audience in a global scale. Making copies and shipping tapes, digging after the stuff you liked, hearing that Thrashy sound that ignited the desire to start your own project. It's safe to say a new dawn for Thrash Metal was about to happen after 1986, the year albums like Reign In Blood, Master Of Puppets and Peace Sells were released. New acts from all over started to pop up like a wet Gizmo, from Chile to Canada and from Spain to Japan, the following years saw a tsunami of underground releases flooding the planet's ghettoblasters, headbangers united by Thrash.

From there you get 2 types of metal bands: the serious (often satanic) type and the well-humored (sometimes goofy) type of groups, regardless of the approach most of them tackle social issues in their lyrics and for some reason dental problems were a common concern. Either way I tried to mix a bit of everything in this comp, just by checking the song titles you'll know what I mean. Also another key element here for me to pick bands was that they were all under 2000 listeners (or close to that!) according to last.fm, they use that tag there and I never found use for it until now. Note: a fair amount of these recordings were recovered straight the cassette demo tapes and they sound rough. >

With that in mind I ended up leaving out many underground cult groups as the idea was really to spot the underrated and the obscure, lost gems of the shredding technique. This may sound way to familiar with that write up I did about the 80's Crossover but I guarantee these are no punk related groups, except maybe by EVOL, Sacrilege B.C. and Tyrranicide but then again the best metal bands for me are usually the ones whose members do listen to punk! Act like a maniac, whiplash!!

Tracklist - CD1:

ACROPHET - Corrupt Minds [USA, 1988]

FALLEN ANGEL - Dental Surgery [Sweden, 1992]

AFTERMATH - Going No Place [Greece/USA, 1987]

BLOODCUM - Death By A Clothes Hanger [USA, 1988]

STYGIAN - Seconds 'Til Death [USA, 1990]

ARMOROS - Autopsy (Dementia) [Canada, 1987]

NECROSIS - Prayer (Demo) [Chile, 1987]

FORCED ENTRY - We're Dicks [USA, 1991]

DECADENCE - Deadly Dreams [Belgium, 1989]

AGONY - Madness Reigns [Sweden, 1988]

FATAL AGGRESSION - Words Unreal [USA, 1991]

PRESTIGE - Force Of My Hate [Finland, 1989]

CHARGED - Inquisition [Finland, 1989]

FUCK OFF - Another Sacrifice [Spain, 1988]

DEATH SQUAD - Mind Fuck [USA, 1991]

POISON - Requiem / Alive (Undead) [Germany, 1987]

EXPLICIT HATE - From The Jungle [Brazil, 1990]

QUICK CHANGE - Plowed [USA, 1988]

RE-ANIMATOR - Re-Animator [UK, 1989]

AFFLICTION - Peace Through Violence [USA, 1992]

CD2:

TYRRANICIDE - Pull The Plug (USA, 1989)

SLAUGHTERED GRACE - Twins of Sin [USA, 1990]

HEADCRASHER - Sk8 Life [Italy, 1989]

DEAD SERIOUS - It's a Nice Day [Belgium, 1991]

PROTECTED ILLUSION - Swimming in the Moonlight [Finland, 1990]

ACID STORM - Scourge Of The Gods [Brazil, 1989]

DOMINANCE - This Is Only A Test [USA, 1990]

MORFEUS - Humam Degradation [Brazil, 1993]

EVOL - Cyco-Self [USA, 1990]

SILENCE - Vision [USA, 1991]

OBLIVION - D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival) [USA, 1990]

SACRILEGE B.C. - Victimized [USA, 1986]

MANDATOR - An Invisible Disease Strikes [Holland, 1989]

ASPHYXIA - One Big Family [Belgium, 1991]

LAWSHED - Don't Urge Disorder [Japan, 1991]

MEZZROW - Prevention Necessary [Sweden, 1990]

WITCHHAMMER - On My Own [Norway, 1991]

OPPRESSION - Parasites [Finland, 1988]

OBLIVEON - Fiction Of Veracity [Canada, 1989]

DENIAL - The Awakening [USA, 1990]

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Which one was your favorite? Drop me a line in the comments if you're having a hard time trying to find the whole album of a specific release. This compilation title was also inspired in the 2007's iconic comp THRASHING LIKE A MANIAC.

ALL THINGS OLD SCHOOL AWARDS - The Best Of 2022

The All Things Old School Awards is back one last time! Yes sir, set up your living room, it's time for some serious slam dancing and couch diving as this year gave us plenty of heavy music to mosh by, as old school as this website can be, these are the 2022's highlights plus the BEST OF playlist at the end. For that, I had to move back to Spotify because YouTube has been deleting my ass ruthlessly.

SKULLCRACK - ADDICTED TO THE UNDERGROUND (Indecision Records)

Hats off to Indecision Recs for their continued work with old and fresh new bands! Here they've teamed-up once again with Californian SKULLCRACK to deliver an insanse 11-track album, fast as hell! If you haven't heard about them begin by the art cover, it's the labor of love, very appealing.

They've been on my radar for awhile but Addicted To The Underground made me do several elbow drops from the couch and had me going to the nearest skatepark to steam off some of that heat entering my nervous system. Redbull can suck it go with SKULLCRACK anyday! FFO: Vitamin X, Second Opinion, WWF.

WEIGHT - VIOLENCE OF THE DIVINE (The Essence/Control Records)

Ohh yeah, NYHC hardcore by the way of OLSO CITY. The dudes in the WEIGHT got their shit together and finally brought us this masterpiece in late 2022, read more about it here.

COMBUST - ANOTHER LIFE (Cash Only Records)

COMBUST is the synthesis of All Thing Old School the difference is that they only get better with time this blog don't. Another Life is probably the hardcore album I listened the most last year.

FIREWALKER - DEMO 2022 (Self-Released)

Why everyone wasn't talking about this? I feel most people totally missed this one. Anyway, if this is the demo, whatever comes next will rule the galaxy! Sick SUBZERO cover btw.

BLOODSUCKER - SELF TITLED EP (Blindsided Records)

BLOODSUCKER (formerly known as Vexation) is the perfect breed between Best Wishes' era Cro-Mags and Only Living Witness, this is exactly the type of sound of why I still do this blog shit. Dutch hardcore represented big time in this short and sweet EP. Its release year is blurry to me, similar to the DEAD LAST album but I decided to add both in '22.

FORESEEN - UNTAMED FORCE (Quality Control HQ)

If you look through new releases with persistence you will find A LOT of great stuff, so to even make one last highlight of the year is tough but for those who are checking this blog for a few years or less may have a hint that I have a soft spot for Thrash and these Finnish guys do it with mastery. Being a trendy style or not I've been following FORESEEN's work for over 10 years already and after catching them live in Europe moshing to S.O.D. (plus the fact that recently they received the seal of approval from Max Cavalera for their previous stuff) Untamed Force was a natural choice to be featured here. Mosh like it was 1986!!

Worth mentioning here also is the consistent work of UK based Quality Control HQ, 12 years in activity never compromising with killer releases this past year i.e. TS WARSPITE, ANTAGONIZM, MASTERMIND, ARMA X... the list is long. The Queen may have passed away but I hope this label go full strength for another decade at least! One of the best in the game right now, if not THE best.

--------------------------

My final considerations are regarding the damn streaming playlist which consolidates thousands of hours of listening (again), this edition ended up being the most comprehensive, diverse and lengthiest while trying to make it cohesive to what this blog represents: bullshit-free underground music made from the chest. From heavy tunes to melodic ones reaching the dirtiest alleys of the planet, including even some hardcore-related Traditional Heavy Metal by the likes of ETERNAL CHAMPION (ex-Iron Age/Powertrip) and SUMERLANDS (ex-War Hungry). Other fun aspect while reviewing 2022 was seeing the girls stepping in in the Crossover zone which seems more male dominated than hardcore, bands like PEST CONTROL, S.O.H. and DENIAL OF LIFE are repping the gender with prime!

The biggest Honorable Mentions here goes to HIGH COMMAND (which seems to be present in almost every edition), the chilean Crossover act INSECURTY that brought a truly late 80's nostalgic sound, the australian OUTRIGHT that came back with the boldest album yet Keep You Warm, THE FLEX and BURNING LORD for keeping it real and EXHIBITION and HEAVY DISCIPLINE for the sickest promos. Also, props to many big names in the Thrash scene for putting new music out this last year, namely TANKARD, KREATOR, VIO-LENCE, TOXIK, XENTRIX, RAZOR, SODOM and even VOIVOD. Be sure to give a listen, Thrash till death.  

V/A - Welcome To Pittsburgh... Don't Move Here

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Release: Cruel Noise Records, 2021

Yo check out this killer compilation that came out last year which I became aware just recently while visiting NO TIME's bandcamp. Welcome To Pittsburgh is one of those cool still photographies in form of a musical compilation, showcasing some of the best punk acts of a specific location and time. Also nothing like an off-the-radar compilation to get to know more bands, 2/3 were new to me here and the ones I already knew (i.e. Loose Nukes, S.L.I.P. and Heavy Discipline) were convincing enough for me to go after the whole LP.

Physical copies of this comp are nowhere to be found any longer, a second press would be more than welcome. All 14 tracks are supposedly exclusive to this release but the NO TIME track was also featured in their rare 2017 Tour Tape. Also HEAVY DISCIPLINE is back with a new frills-free 2022 promo.... and in case you missed, Sorry State Records did a similar thing with the North Carolina scene back in 2019 with the comp American Iddlys and just recently Feral Kid Records covered up the Hattiesburg (MS) scene in Big Big Wave, both filled with obscure local punk acts. 

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V/A - FLUBBER WORLD - The Ultimate Swedish Hardcore Compilation

Location: Sverige

Release: Flubber Zine, 2022

Y'all been expecting new SPEEDWAY material since that Revelation promo cassette came out last year, wait no more cuz FLUBBER is here for the rescue with a bunch more Swedish goodies!

This cool online Zine put together in january 15 exclusive tracks showcasing the country's up-and-coming hardcore groups and that's always a great idea, it makes a lot easier for those eager to hear new stuff and follow those which appealed the most (and there's plenty here).

Despite the usual suspects in Speedway and Existence that were on my radar for a while, newcomers like Bulls Shitt and Better Than You really made it for me, expect some primitive hardcore moshin', neanderthal style.

From what I could check on FLUBBER's page they are primarily focused on doing interviews and I already can tell that whoever's follow All Things Old School will certainly dig their stuff, starting by the WILD-SIDE interview or one of the hilarious A Voice of Reason (a normal person reviewing classic and newly released hardcore songs).

  

BUY LP/MERCH

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Hungry for more newer Sweden Hardcore breeds? Then visit QUARANTINED HC Fanzine/Records.

ALL THINGS OLD SCHOOL AWARDS - The Best Of 2021

Ugly music for an ugly year... yet a very prolific one for many bands despite all the shitstorm pouring non-stop onto our heads through 2021 and that transpires very well in the music you will hear here, a selection of 47 rabid tracks that will drill your ears and melt any old wax that has been stuck for who knows how long!

This edition won't be featured on Spotify, there are too many bozos doing it already there, besides who needs another damn playlist? Back to what's important, this selection features bands hailing from all over (Indonesia, Morocco, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Norway, Spain, Greece, Australia...) with a decent variety concerning the Hardcore Punk and Metal spheres. The highlight goes to The Chisel, Arm's Reach, GAME, Tower 7, Jalang and, once again, DEAD HEAT.

To make your quarantine experience moshier, you can stream on YOUTUBE or download (below) to meet all your offline needs... and now, without further ado, the "winners" are:

SIDE PUNK (Total time 1h05m)

01. HEADCOUNT - Stolen Time

02. ARM'S REACH - Time

03. FIREWALKER - Forever

04. INTERNAL - Terminate

05. HACKER - MDK

06. GAME - Shard

07. STIFF MEDS - Under The Boot

08. SCOWL - Trophy Hunter

09. THE CHISEL - So Do I

10. OCCUPATION - Beware Of The Light

11. CRUCIAL RESPONSE - S.K.I.P.

12. HEADCHEESE - Kick The Bucket

13. DESCENDENTS - Nightage

14. STINGRAY - Feeding Time

15. GOODBYE WORLD - At The Graveyard

16. C4 - Health Freak HeadStomp

17. FANTASY WORLD - Rules Of The Game

18. XCELERATE - Life's a Risk

19. WRECKAGE - Face In The Crowd

20. STEDFAST - Wrong & Right

21. TIDES DENIED - When Worlds Collide

22. METHOD OF DOUBT - One Million Copies Sold

23. AGE OF APOCALYPSE - Ghost (Hart Island)

24. LIFE'S QUESTION - A Prayer For My Old Man

25. BIG BOY - A/X

26. DARE - Hard To Cope

27. THE OTHERS - Living In Fear

28. COMBUST - Pull The Hammer

29. EXHIBITION - Adapt Or Die

30. JALANG - Cops N Klan

31. SPY - Negative Mind Power

32. ACADEMY ORDER - The Glow

33. CHAIN CULT - Always A Mess

34. TAQBIR - Aisha Qandisha

SIDE METAL (Total time 47min)

35. TOWER 7 - Green Piece

36. SKOURGE - Metal Up Your Ass

37. EKULU - World Of Uncertainty

38. PEST CONTROL - Rat Race

39. FACE FIRST - Visions In Hell

40. CERBERUS ATTACK - Combatir Al Fascismo

41. KILLING FROST - Midsummers Eve

42. HEAVY SENTENCE - Capitoline Hill

43 . HITTER - Hitter

44. WRAITH - Gatemaster

45. NEKROMANTHEON - Seven Rules Of Fate

46. ANGELUS APATRIDA - Indoctrinate

47. DEAD HEAT - AGE OF DH

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Shoegazin' On a Sunday Afternoon (Sampler)

Age Of Quarantine, day # 424 - As I turn 40 this month, one day before Fiddlehead releases their newest effort to be more precise, I came up with a song collection of very recent stuff from the Post-hardcore/Shoegaze world scene.

Post-hardcore was always something I had a hard time enjoying and wondered if I got older that would change, like I witnessed my whole life: near 30's scene dudes going "soft" (aka loafer shoes, lattes and Bauhaus). Absolutely nothing wrong with that and even though it feels like a natural path to follow I couldn't see myself fitting that cliché... but, as you age, you learn to appreciate other forms of music.

The fact is this transition isn't new to anyone, blaming on Hüsker Dü or not, how many cool Post-whatever projects were born after Hardcore Punk bands? Besides all those 90's Revelation Records and Dischord bands it were groups like GYPSY and Westpoint that really got the ball rolling for me and planted the seed of "            " (fill the gap with either 80's Emo, Indie Rock, Grunge, Shoegaze, Power Pop, Post-punk,...) in my brain.

The following is a suggested soundtrack for those longing for a summer trip or for those blue moments because I feel post music is about both:

A-side  "fresh releases"

01. WORLD VIEW - What's There To Do (from What A Trip EP, 2019)

02. GLITTERER - Bodies (from Life Is Not A Lesson, 2021)

03. GUMM - Swallowed Whole (from Piece It Together, 2020)

04. PINWHEEL - Stone Heart (Single, 2020)

05. MAGIC GHRELIN - Magic Ensues (from Drye Eyes, 2020)

06. UTMOST - Big Dose (Single, 2021)

07. STAGES IN FAITH - Keep My Name Clean (Single, 2020)

08. FIDDLEHEAD - The Years (from Between The Richness, 2021)

09. SOUVENIRS - Ribbon (from Love For The Lack Of It, 2020) 

10. GLARE - Passing Dream (Single, 2021)

11. RAW PLASTIC - Car Parks and Recreation (from Waiting Till Summer EP, 2021)

12. DRUG CHURCH - Tawny (from Tawny EP, 2021)

13. SWEET SOUL - Some Nerve (from So Far No Further, 2021)

14. MOTHER - Dillydallying (from Dillydallying EP, 2021)

B-side  "mini tribute"

15. ONE STEP CLOSER - Broken (Turning Point)

16. WESTPOINT - Undead (Memorial Day)

17. SUNTITLE - As Your Ghost Takes Flight (Saves The Day)

18. ANXIOUS - Bled White (Elliott Smith)

19. MOONKISSER - Kid Candy (Seaweed)

20. SUNSTROKE - Under Your Influence (Dag Nasty)

21. GENERATION - By a Thread (Inside Out)

22. NARROW HEAD - Holy Snappers (Beastie Boys)

 

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Two (relatively) new labels that are rockin' the underground scene lately are New Morality Zine and Sunday Drive Records, pay them a visit to fill your urge for more quality melodic music.

Floorpunch's mosh guy art used in the cover was originally made for UTMOST, order their merch here.

TIME FOR LIVIN' - A Hardcore & Thrash Tribute To Beastie Boys

Photo: Brian Rasic (London '87)

March 2021 marks this page's 11th anniversary but also one dreadful year of quarantine due Covid-19. My first thought was to make a virus-themed compilation but screw that, with Brazil and many other countries facing its darkest moment right now, our minds need to find relief anytime we can.

Instead here's a Hardcore & Thrash Tribute to one of the most legenday groups of our generation, the BEASTIE BOYS. From its humble beginning as a teenage punk band paying homage to BAD BRAINS (hence the BB initials) to later enter the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. The more-than-skilled trio -- Mike D, Ad-Rock, MCA (RIP) -- gave us dope hip hop, soothing instrumentals and full-fledged hardcore that many other groups covered.

This goes out to all my good friends, wherever they are, who (like me) grew up listening to Rap Music, Punk and Metal with BEASTIE BOYS being right in the center of it all! Also, as all previous compilations posted here, this is a non-profit and digital only "release". Stay safe and love one another.

01. Beastie Boys - An Open Letter To NYC (Remix by Rocky Gio)

02. Brain Slug - Ode To...

03. Snøb - Heart Attack Man

04. Scouts - Sure Shot

05. Buggin' - Gratitude

06. Bid D And The Kids Table - Brand New

07. Pro-Pain - Egg Raid On Mojo

08. Doggy Style - She's On It

09. Illstie Boys - Beastie Boys

10. Incendiary - Sabotage

11. Sniffing Glue - Time For Livin'

12. 96 - Believe Me

13. L.E.A.R.N. - Tough Guy

14. The Dead Walk! - (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party

Bonus: 15. Jacuzzi Boys - Song For The Man

DOWNLOAD [+ bonus disc]

Since there's plenty of bands covering them, especially on the Fight For Your Right song, here's the second Bonus part of the tribute with some extras (repeated songs), plus the FRONTLINE original track which served as "inspiration" for Time For Livin' and, of course, the Thrash metal covers which for some weird (and fun) reason are very close to the original versions.

01. Common Enemy - Egg Raid On Mojo

02. My Own Lies - Tough Guy

03. Frontline - Feel Like A King

04. Refused - Gratitude

05. Water For Buffalo - Intergalatic

06. Fullminator - Fight For Your Right

07. Abnegate - No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn

08. Anthrax - Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun

ALL THINGS OLD SCHOOL AWARDS - The Best of 2020

Later than usual The 2020 All Things Old School Awards is here (despite what was said in 2019) highlighting the best in hardcore, punk and thrash. I will skip the part where I'd comment what a lousy this year was for a lot of people (me included) and go straight to music productions, which surprisingly didn't slow down and helped us cope through 2020.

First I'd like point out the increased (and needed) partake of women in the underground/DIY scene, they can be seeing not just holding the mic speaking their minds but also picking any instrument and hammering it down in any given style, after all this is not just boys fun.

In 2020, besides the usual newcomers arriving each year, a great deal of veteran bands put out something this year, both in metal and hardcore punk. The problem is most of them lack the excitement and criativity it once had, more suitable for diehard fans, these are some of the big names that didn't make the list: Terror, Subzero, Cro-Mags, D.I., No Redeeming Social Value, Stalag 13, Adolescents, The Spits, Cruel Hand, Testament, Buried Alive, Field Day... There was also these slick throwback compilations, featuring new tracks by a bunch of first-wave Oi!/Street-Punk bands released by Pirate Press.

The full list of some of the finest releases from Youth Crew to Crossover Thrash to Street Punk can be listened on another damn streaming playlist, tons of tracks were heard and filtered down to a minimun, even so it passed the 100th mark, check it to see if you slept on something:

All Things Old School is a webzine about the pioneers of raw, fast and aggro music and those who carry on this sonic force through the decades. A new decade just started and somehow this blog survived an entire one, inevitably it will cease to get updates eventually, thanks to the few (and proud) dozens who stood along all these years, stay safe!

RATED X - UNITED FRONT (Painkiller Records)

It goes without saying "I told you so" but T.Pimlott did it again and United Front was the album with the most rotations here this year and most likely in other boomboxes out there. It's as old school as you could possibly get, mosh for days in a brute and vibrant soundtrack back to back! Shouts to Heavy Discipline and their obliterating new LP also on Painkiller Records.

INSIGHT - REFLECTION (Mission Two Entertainment)

Technically a reissue but it also features 4 glorious new songs plus a few extras. Reflection was one of the biggest (positive) surprises of 2020, bringing back such a crucial band that was INSIGHT.

CHANGE - CLOSER STILL (React! Records)

LegitimateBros are 4ever! This supergroup brings the best from the 00's Youth Crew revival era while managing to keep Closer Still with a contemporary feel rather than just another copycat, the same goes for the Swedish in Speedway and their killer debut EP.

FUSE - THIS SEGREGATION WILL END (Quality Control HQ)

These girls (and guy) bust hard and they are here to stay! More and more asian countries like Singapore are offering new hardcore acts that are reaching ears all over the planet, now with FUSE they've put Lion City Hardcore on the map for good. The impressive "classic" sound of This Segregation Will End comes from their conjunct work with both Howard (Obstruct, Insist) and Killingsworth behind the soundboard, the result brings you back to the late 80's dirty streets of NY boosted with stomps of modern era hardcore and defiant lyrics.

CONQUEST FOR DEATH - A MAELSTROM OF RESENTMENT & REMORSE (Refuse Records)

Another welcome surprise from 2020, the multinational group CONQUEST FOR DEATH, led by Devon from What Happens Next? brings their trademarked infectious thrashcore back to the studio after a long hiatus with over a dozen new slabs of self-described "sporadic bursts of intense activity". On a close tie, the Hungarian in Crippled Fox represented the thrashcore nation at the highest level with their new LP In The Name Of Trash.

EXPOSURE - ATONEMENT (Street Survival Records)

Mannheim was the birthplace of one of the illest crossover albums out in 2020, EXPOSURE stepped up the ugly game by blending UK82 with Thrash/Death Metal, more than 2 years on the making, the Atonement!

THRASHWALL - THRASHWALL (Firecum Records)

Boombastic Thrash Metal heading your way straight outta Portugal, courtesy of THRASHWALL debuting at maximum outpout, I'm still trying to figure out how they got to this level right out of the gate, this album is the autobahn of Thrash, no speed limit!! For more Portuguese assault check Mindtaker.

ETERNAL CHAMPION - RAVENING IRON (No Remorse Records)

The moment the album starts you realize the 4 year wait was damn worth it, the prodigal son of Irong Age and Power Trip returns fully charged in Ravening Iron with 8 epic tracks of NWOTHM finest.

CUERO - CABEZABOTA (Mendeku Diskak)

Black Metal Skinheads baby, CUERO proved that more bands other than Battle Ruins can mix Metal and Oi! and come out with amazing results. This is a band you should pay a closer attention to in 2021!

*               SPECIAL MENTIONS             *

Big Laugh - Maniac Revision (11PM)

Honey - Nightmare Come To Life (Self-Released)

Peace Test - Uniform Repression (To Live A Lie)

Weight - Weight EP (The Essence)

Pillars Of Ivory - Genesis Demo Twenty-Twenty (Streets Of Hate)

Sanity Control - War On Life (Seeing Red)

Big Cheese - Punishment Park (Quality Control HQ)

Decimator - Alienist (Thrash Or Death)

Dregs - Built To Rot (Refuse)

Sand And Salt - Thrive! (Drone Attack)