ZERO TOLERANCE - Buffalo Hardcore

Location: Buffalo, NY 

Release: The Essence / Reaper Records, 1989-1991

ZERO TOLERANCE was active for a brief moment but left a major influence in the Buffalo scene with spiritual/ecological themed lyrics and a heavy mid-paced old school sound, all this with only 2 demos out.

The first one Bad Blood came out in 1989 on Hi-Impact Records (pre-Jaded Tree label that only released 2 records, this one and the Turning Point EP) and the last album Fuel The Fire, that was actually a promo tape, was primarily released in limited cassette back in 1991 by a local label for only to receive a proper release 3 decades later in 2010 by Reaper Records and in 2011 by The Essence, both on 7" EP.

 ZT was re-introduced to me by Johny Chow a few years back. I probably heard something when the 2010 version of Fuel The Fire came out but didn't pay the deserved attention, then when I met Chow during his tour with Cavalera Conspiracy in Brazil he revealed to me he played in the first formation of ZT and showed me a tattoo with the initials. As we want for a walk in São Paulo City putting bomb stickers on traffic signs he also told me he was going to replace the bass player of a certain famous masked band for their next tour and it would be the first time in his life he would sustain his family solely through music.

In 1993 two members of ZT formed THIS WORLD REJECTED another short-lived project with only one EP out through Initial Records (home of Slugfest and others). Their sound became more new school and even more Pantera-oriented, still worth a spin.

DOWNLOAD [these records]:

ZERO TOLERANCE - Bad Blood EP (Hi-Impact, 1989)

ZERO TOLERANCE -  Fuel The Fire EP (Reaper, 2010)

THIS WORLD REJECTED - S/T EP (Initial, 1993)

WEIGHT - Violence Of The Divine

Location: Oslo, Norge

Release: The Essence / Control Records, 2022

I can finally check this one out of my "please release a damn LP already" list of bands I wanted to hear in 2022. Norwegian WEIGHT presented last week their debut full-length after 3 years teasing us with singles.

Started in 2019 with ex-members from some of my all-time favorite nordic hardcore groups like Common Cause, Shipwrecked and Eyeball, WEIGHT kept up with the highest expectations in Violence Of The Divine with that NYHC groovy formula inspired by the likes of True Blue and The Icemen.

This is one of those albums that demands a repeat after you go through it, the recording production turns everything into a silky smooth bang! into your ears.

DOWNLOAD

BUY LP Belgium / United Kingdom / Spain

ABSOLUTION - Juxtaposition

Location: New York City

Release: Wardance Records, 2017

Age Of Quarantine, day # 361 - As I lay the final touches on the blog's next (special) entry here's one hell of an EP by legendary ABSOLUTION for free download, all thanks to Wardance Records and the band!

Juxtaposition EP is comprised of 4 re-recorded songs: two from the 88's DEMO, one from the New Breed Tape Compilation and the last one "In Though" was a live track they never came around to record it.

DOWNLOAD

photo:jammi_york

ALL FOR ONE - Discography (1988-1989)

Location: New York City

Release: Vitality Records, 1989

Age of Quarantine, day # 341 - Straight from the vault, ALL FOR ONE hailing from Brooklyn, NY and their discography "1988-1989", consisting of one cassette demo and one 7" EP.

For those who weren't around at that time will probably know them from the NEW BREED TAPE Compilation, as they were later added in the 2011 vinyl re-edition featuring 2 tracks Rise Up and Return, both taken from their '89 EP A New Way Of Expression.

Guitar player Richie D. (aka SHOE) was a local graffiti artist and his work can be seen in many flyers, cover arts (e.g. X-Marks The Spot 7") and tags spread through NYC walls, including on the cover photo of the New Breed Tape. Freddy Alva also picked him to be featured on his iconic book Urban Styles.

I honestly don't know who came up with this discography (including the artwork) otherwise it would be nearly impossible to get hold of the 8-song demo, if you know please get in touch to give proper credit!

Fun note: Vitality Records is somewhat of a mystery to me but in recent years Powered Records from Belgium did one of those famous "homage/rip-offs" (a common practice in the hardcore community) using the same label art.

DOWNLOAD [+ photos]

THE LIMIT - Demo + Promo

Location: Florida, USA

Release: DIY, 2019

Atwork: Gil Sayfan

Age of Quarantine, day # 121 - THE LIMIT in tha house! Fresh new group from Tampa, playin' NYHC inspired hardcore, they already offered a 4-song Demo (2018) and two more tracks in the Promo from last year. Since I can't remember how I got to know them it will be hard to keep track of upcoming stuff, no websites no labels and maaan they have the right sound for IOU Records, Edgewood and even Triple-B!

I feel it won't take long for us to hear more from THE LIMIT!!

DOWNLOAD

TERMINAL CONFUSION - The Mangler Years

Location: New York, USA

Release: Mangler Records, 1990-1995

TERMINAL CONFUSION, another group taken from the URBAN STYLES Tape Compilation to be featured here. A band based in Queens from 1986 with deep connections in Graffiti and N.Y.H.C. Besides paiting walls and doing mad flyers -- led by VOYER -- they were consistently recording music until 1995 (most of which were recorded by legendary producer Don Fury), the year they released their best effort in my opinion, the 8-song "Earth. Evolution. Extiction" CD.

During the late 80's and early 90's TERMINAL CONFUSION put out half a dozen demo tapes which I couldn't find all the audio files for, just for the albums released on CD or 7" during the 90's that are complete for download here and on average quality, for quite some time now I've been looking for better material but even with the creation of a bandcamp I remain hopeless of ever achieving that, as they are ultra rare.

Also this may or may not have been featured on Blogged and Quartered before, if new stuff appears I will update the download link here. Along the way this band shared members with other dope acts like SECOND 2 NONE, UNHOLY ALLIANCE and SEIZURE CRYPT until they got back together in 2003 and disbanded for the second time not long after the release of their final CD "Scenes From Acts Of Violence".

UNHOLY ALLIANCE was a short lived NYHC band with only a self titled 6-song EP out in 1989, supposably they recorded a demo which sounds way cooler but I only found the EP.

SECOND 2 NONE (thanks to Fred who cleared things out) was another short lived Hardcore group from Queens, active in the late 80's with at least one demo out. I tracked down 4 songs from their 1990 Demo.

Then there was SECOND TO NONE (with no relation to Terminal Confusion whatsover) based in New Jersey, they were playing that 90's metallic beatdown sound not unlike FURY OF FIVE and later formed Shattered Realm. In 2009 they reunited for the Black N Blue Bowl and put out a compilation CD entitled Demo-ography 1995-1998 with all their early stuff.

SEIZURE CRYPT was just plain crazy, in a good way, a mix of No Reedeming Social Value and Sloppy Seconds, hardcore punk wild style. Pay a visit to their bandcamp as all their records are for free download.

Bonus: UNCLE AL is actually Alex Morris, one of the fouding members of NY legends in MURPHY'S LAW! Back in 1998 he recorded the album "Gangway, Stupid" and released it on CD the next year by the same label who released the Unholy Alliance EP, where Alex also played guitar, in 2014 it was re-released with a different artwork and made available as digital and on streaming platforms.

DOWNLOAD I contains:
Terminal Confusion - Pursuit Of Solutions EP (1990, Self-Released)
Terminal Confusion - Terminal Confusion 7" (1994, Mangler Records)
Terminal Confusion - Earth. Evolution. Extinction CD (1995, Mangler Records)
+ scattered demo songs

DOWNLOAD II contains:
Unholy Alliance - Unholy Alliance 7" (1989, Something Else Records)
Uncle Al - Gangwan, Stupid CD (1999, Something Else Records)
Second To None - Defeat CD (2002, Cartel Records)
Second To None - Demo-ography CD (2009, Self-Released)

DOWNLOAD III contains:
SECOND 2 NONE - 1990 DEMO

Credits: Freddy Alva, Hardcoreshowflyers.net and this blog.

PROMO TAPES & STAGE DIVES

Sorry for the lack of updates, to compensate here's some cool PROMO tapes of upcoming and recent released records.

DOMINANT FORCE - Promo 2018 (Triple B)

The long awaited sequel to their demo, 2 of the 3 tracks on this Promo are now available in the LP Cosmic Denial!


SPIRIT CRUSHER - LP Promo Tape (The Essence)

Another very antecipated album, crossover still ruling in 2019! The 2 tracks featured here are available in the smashing new LP Whispers Against The Roar Of The World.


EXPOSURE - Atonement Promo (Power & Equality)

Another great act from Germany, new LP holds promising. Metallic hardcore Clevo style!


CHOICE TO MAKE - Promo 2019 (Streets Of Hate)

New joint from Wilkes Barre, powerful hardcore properly delivered in this 2-track promo!


WEIGHT - Crushed By The Weight (The Essence)

Not a real release yet but, representing OSLO, Weight is here to do some damage. Check these 2 amazing tracks they've just put out, to be featured on their debut EP!

DOWNLOAD

Credit: Spirit Crusher tape photo by Ricky Lions

PRISON RIOT - Rehearsal Tape

Location: Örebro, Sverige

Release: Dollar Grin, 2016

It's the PRISON RIOT Rehearsal Tape Suckers!

Caught myself jammin' these songs the other day, a pretty solid first release by these swedish rockers. The whole concept, visuals + music is Old School to the smallest degree! Including the band members who appears that they came out from The Warriors movie, which is dope.

Last year they offered a new 7-song EP "Unity Now", same great vibe, check that! Hope they put out more stuff in the near future, Sweden (and the world) needs more bands like this. 

DOWNLOAD

STIGMATISM - Tour Tape

Location: NYC/Montreal

Release: DIY, 2019

Yo! Back with another exclusive, STIGMATISM new 3-song tape, made specially for their Euro Tour. 2 devastating minutes of streetwise hardcore.

Remaining copies of these are still available in Spolier's Laundry Room webstore, too bad he only ships to north-america.

GET A COPY

DOWNLOAD

MASTERMIND - Demo

Location: London, UK

Release: Cold Comfort Records, 2019

New South London joint MASTERMIND, playin that brand of NYHC you're used to on this blog, no gimmicks, only the true stuff! Fav track: TIME HAS RUN OOOOOUT!

This Demo was initially released last year but Cold Comfort came forward and put it on limited Cassette, long goners.

DOWNLOAD

HOTHEADS - Promotional Heat

Location: NYC

Release: Just A Audial, 2016-2018
Artwork: Emma Hendry

With members playing in NYC Headhunter and Krimewatch you can't expect anything soft coming from a side-project by them.

Short-lived projects like HOTHEADS very often appeals to me, especially if they play obscure 80's styled hardcore, so it was an easy pick to be featured here on the blog, even though is not fresh news anymore.

They formed in 2016, released 3 tapes, recording a total of 10 tracks (including a Rolling Stones cover) and then broke up last year. Some merch are still available in their bandcamp, don't sleep!

Members can now be found on Super Natural Psycho and Born Sinner.

DOWNLOAD [+ bonus]

🔥🔥🔥

It's bonus time!! Both NYC Headhunters releases added in the download link fellas, mosh to the Piece of Crap Stomp!

 

NO DENIAL - Soundtrack Of Decline

Location: Netherlands

Release: Crucial Response, 2001-2004

Finally the discography by NO DENIAL! At first I was going to make a profile post on Lord Bigma (aka Radha Ramana das) as I did with Eric Ozenne, but that would be too overwhelming to do. He made a great impact on the Dutch and European hardcore scene for decades. From playing guitar in Manliftingbanner in 1991, to fronting MAINSTRIKE in 1994 (one of my fav european bands ever) his positive message and powerful music are things I will cherish for life.

No Denial emerged not long after the demise of Mainstrike, initially comprised of 2/3 of that same band plus Jigs who would later play in Abusive Action. On this project Bigma was looking for a Cro-Mags sound and approach, putting in check human flaws under a khrisna perspective.



Then in 2004 Piet and Norbert from Spirit 84 came along to record their sophomore and final record Crossing Beyond Illusions Currents which I feel is slightly better than the first album, loaded with crushing breakdowns. But that was not the end for Bigma as he gathered some long time friends the next year to form BIRDS OF A FEATHER, comprised of ex-members in Manliftingbanner, Crivits, Betray, etc.. The result was an amazing Youthcrew unit with 2 EPs and 1 LP out. I added the audio files for their oustanding first album "OUR AIM" with 2 extra tracks [from the In Defence split].



Please visit Crucial Response and Commitment Records for these band's records as they're going for very low prices and get your hands on a piece of hardcore history.

PURCHASE CD/VINYL/MERCH

DOWNLOAD Includes:
NO DENIAL - Soundtrack Of Decline CD (2002, Crucial Response)
Bonus: NO DENIAL "No Fear" from One Track Mind Compilation LP (2003, Crucial Response)
Extra bonus: BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Our Aim CD (2005, Crucial Response)

for NO DENIAL - Crossing Beyond Illusions.. please visit this post!
  

no passing phase

VICTIM - Electrocutioner

Location: Virgina Beach, USA

Release: Collapse Records, 2006
Artwork: Spoiler

Nothing new here.. buuut I had a couple of reasons to upload this "new era Old-School hardcore classic" record: I noticed most blogs has dead links of it, none of them had high-quality audio files and it got re-pressed on CASSETTE just recently.

For some reason I got the CD version of Electrocutioner a year after it came out, was trying to save on shipping probably, which I regret heavily since the LP was quite limited. What I was not aware is that in 2016, the german label OPEN YOUR EYES-fanzine pressed a tape version limited to a 100 copies.

For VICTIM it all began sometime in 2004, sharing members with many other hardcore projects that rose (almost at the same time) around VB and Richmond areas, from my understanding this is how it all started in chrological order:

2001 - AMMUNITION >>> 2003 - NOTHING PERSONAL >>> 2004 - IRON BOOTS / VICTIM / TARPIT >>> 2009 - FIRE & ICE >>> 2010 - NO VALUES

Ammunition was very short lived and will be uploaded very soon on a special post. Nothing Personal, due to some really screwed-up lyrics, won't show up here. Tarpit split 7" with Victim was featured HERE 9 years ago but I got my hands on better quality files for this occasion, all the other gnarly TARPIT records (Demo, 2x EPs and LP), also on Collapse Records, are up for grabs! ..And the rest is history.

PURCHASE TAPE
DOWNLOAD
[Electrocutioner + Split EP]
DOWNLOAD
[Tarpit discography]



RevHQ gave the coolest review on VICTIM back in the day, check it:

 Hailing from the burgeoning hardcore mecca of Virginia Beach, Victim arrive with their distinct brand of NYHC to destroy everything in its path. Featuring members of Iron Boots, Victim is the last gasp of the sound that made the average man on the street cringe - throaty vocals, blazing guitar riffs and enough energy and power to drive anyone off their couch and into the streets. Taking two parts Agnostic Front and heavy doses of Carnivore, Krakdown, and Altercation, Victim's sound is not for the weak. Look for these guys to be canvassing the northeast with their destructive brand of hardcore and see why if Iron Boots put Virginia Beach on the map, Victim takes it off the wall and knocks you over the head with it!

UPPERCUT - Four Walls

Location: New York City

Release: Blackout! Records, 1989

I had a hard time tracking this one down, so I imagine many others may be after as well. Bronx' own UPPERCUT 7-song 12" out by one of the most classic labels for NYHC out there.

While hunting this crucial release on a proper audio quality I ended up finding that the extra songs on the CD version of Four Walls are actually from a band called MIND'S EYE, a side project with Carl Porcaro and 2/5 of UPPERCUT, as it is better explained here.

UPPERCUT also put a Demo in 1988 and were featured in two must have comps, NEW BREED Tape Compilation and NYHC: Where The Wild Things Are, which can be found on the best blog out there, Blogged and Quartered.

At the same year this mini-LP came out, guitarist Lars Weis and drummer Rob where doing ALONE IN A CROWD with Jules and Porcaro, coincidentally they are playing their second show EVER this saturday (Feb 16th) in benefit for their guitarist Howie.

Also Blackout! is preparing some reissues for this year, the insane OUTBURST EP on 12" format with unreleased material and KILLING TIME'S third LP "The Method". One could hope for a reissue of Four Walls with the demo tracks (instead of Mindseye) in the near future. 

DOWNLOAD

PS: There was also a dutch hardcore group with the same name around mid 2000's, which can be found here.

BORN SINNER - Demo

Location: NYC

Release: Just A Audial, 2018

Well, if you haven't yet, check this out! Ex and current players in Xibalba, Hotheads, NYC Headhunters, Outskirts got together to form a crossover project, NY style of course, BORN SINNER. Adding more weight to this new wave of NYHC alongside Illusion, Krimewatch, Combust and The Fight. 

DOWNLOAD



Some due posts from stuff that I got in my inbox recently are up next!

ILLUSION - Magic With A Smile

Location: NYC

Release: Streets Of Hate / Lockin' Out, 2018

It took a while but it's finally here, ILLUSION's debut EP, one year after their tremendous Demo! NYHC at its finest, all the best 80's influences, spine chilling hardcore.

7" is already being shipped, Streets of Hate is handling the tape version, get it while its hot.

DOWNLOAD (zipped files) or Unzipped HERE (new link!)



 start 2019 with a smile!
ϹӀӀӀ 

CRAZY EDDIE - Urban Styles

Location: NYC

Release: Wardance, 2018
Artwork: Orlando Arce

Freddy Alva's incredible book is about to hit the shelves for a second time, enhanced with extra pages and an exclusive flexi-disc featuring the Urban Styles Theme song by CRAZY EDDIE!

Krylon and Doc Martens, URBAN STYLES
Sick hands and heavy chords, URBAN STYLES

Frontline, Adam 12, paved the way
Absolution, Outburst, pushed along the way
Madball and Crown Of Thorz, rep it til today

Subculture waves remain, UNITED & STRONG
Doc Marten Stomp, URBAN STYLES
The Mob Rules, URBAN STYLES 



Those dudes put out a classic of an album earlier this year "Eddie Drops Out Of College", the first record since its inception in 2016, old school hardcore true to the roots. If you checked them already on Urban Styles Mix Tape you know what Im talking about, legit stuff! During the 90's they were busy busting out jams in Fahrenheit 451, District 9, Downlow, Without A Cause and more recently in Abject!. All pieces of the NYHC and DMS history.   

DOWNLOAD
[Eddie drops out of college LP]




As a x-mas bonus I'm leaving a link for those aforementioned bands first recordings (demos, etc..), enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

STIGMATISM - Stigmatism EP

Location: NYC + Montreal

Release: Beach Impediment / Static Shock, 2018

Beach Impediment never ceases to amaze me, releases by Blood Pressure, Long Knife, Omegas, Concealed Blade, Battering Ram and now STIGMATISM!

This new north american joint is fronted by none other than SPOILER paying homage to early AF and Madball. Just wild!

PURCHASE USA or EUROPE

DOWNLOAD

stigmaaaaaaa

Urban Styles Mix Tape - Compilation

Location: New York

Release: Wardance Records, 2017
Artwork: STAK TFP

Exactly 1 year ago the sold-out DiWulf's book "Urban Styles: Graffiti in New York Hardcore" was released along with this limited 25-track compilation on tape format. Now it's getting a revamped 2nd edition already on pre-order.

This compilation features bands whose members are/were part of the NY graffiti scene, a few of the tracks are unreleased like the ones by Crazy Eddie (one of the comp's highlights).

SIDE A

Frontline: Formed in 1981 and featured HYPE, ME 62, RATE 5, RAGE, and NOAH. Members would later go on to the Cro-Mags, Bad Brains, The Icemen, and others. RATE 5 and ME 62 formed Stimulated Dummies and went on to produce golden era hip-hop classics in the '90s.

Adam 12: Early '80s NYHC band that featured REVS, FRIPP, and ENO. REVS went on to release a solo LP in the '90s, as well as playing in God Squad, all the while becoming one of the more notorious graffiti writers NYC has ever seen.

Terminal Confusion: Formed out of the ashes of STD (Skinheads Til Death). Terminal Confusion released their first demo in 1986 and featured VOYER, NIM, MAR, BUNK; all writers affiliated with northern Queens crew TMR (The Mob Rules). Members would go on to Unholy Alliance, Second 2 None, and Seizure Crypt.

Loud and Boisterous: Brooklyn band formed in 1985 featuring MANOR and SATYR. MANOR would go on to play in Warzone, Project X, and Gorilla Biscuits.

SIDE B

DIE 116: Named after an alternate tagging name by legendary writers SANE SMITH, featuring NATZ and CREEP. NATZ had played in NY Hoods, Side By Side, Absolution, and went on to Burn, Pry, and Big Collapse in the '90s.

Second 2 None: Another TMR crew related band featuring BUNK, ZZ, ACID, and TRETAL. BUNK published two of the earliest NYHC fanzines that included graffiti: The Village Noize and Yes Zista zines.

Crazy Eddie: A new band featuring Chucky Brown (CB) with members of past NYHC outfits Fahrenheit 451, Abject!, Downlow, Dominican Day Parade, and others.

Scoundrel: Featuring Brooklyn writer HESA from all-city crew STAFF (Satanic Teens Attacking for Fame). HESA has played in various underground outfits throughout the past three decades and continues to churn out uncompromising sounds.

Last Cause: Featuring NOW, WOES, and YOURS 174. NOW played in Fit of Anger in the late '80s and went on to Everybody Gets Hurt. WOES played in Taste of Fear and continues to perform under the Woe Is Me name. YOURS 174 is a toy from Jackson Heights, Queens.

DOWNLOAD

Also the 89's infamous NEW BREED Tape Compilation, which was published originally by Urban Styles Records, has a documentary being screened on selected theaters since 2016, still not available in any other way. Wardance records is taking care of its memorabilia sales.