D2C RECORDS - Discography

Location: Badlands, California

Throwback to 7 or so years, the California-based DOWN 2 THE CORE (D2C) label existed briefly (2014-2016) but they were on it, always in touch with promising new west coast groups of that period, filling the void left by labels like 6131 Records that quit dealing with hardcore punk bands around that same time.

They often partened with another small independent Cali label Outlast Records throwing gigs and co-releasing stuff. Some of the bands under the D2C hoster were already featured here before and some were just affiliated bands. I will list first the ones that are already on All Things Old School and follow with the remaining titles with extras.

HIGHER LEARNING - Triumph Of Innocence (Outlast - 2014)

REVISION - Demo (D2C - 2014)

NO AUTHORITY - Hard Times (D2C - 2015)

LOST CAUSE - The World Is Yours (Outlast - 2015)

COOLSIDE - Be Cool EP (D2C/Outlast - 2015)

One of the bands that really made me do this discography was ELEPHANT SKIN from Tehachapi, possibly named under the Belgium's Justice song/album? They clearly had that 2-step sound Justice were known for but with a more Right Brigade feel to it. After a demo and a promo ELEPHANT SKIN quit and left behind a very promising unreleased EP, it never got mastered or properly mixed so it sounds a tad muffed down. What you can hear next is the 2-song promo for that EP with proper production.

The other highlights of this discography are probably COOLSIDE with their debut EP and the first demos from STEP FOR CHANGE and SOUL POWER that later signed with React! Records.

ELEPHANT SKIN - Demo (D2C - 2014)

COLD TRUTH - No Rules EP (D2C - 2014)

OUTRAGED - Demo (D2C - 2014)

STEP 4 CHANGE - Demo #1 (D2C - 2014)

SURPLUS - Demo ((D2C - 2016)

SOUL POWER - S.D. Straight Edge Demo (D2C - 2016)

DRUG CONTROL - Promo Tape (Outlast - 2016)

BONUS TIME! The following are unsigned bands that shared the stage with D2C/Outlast groups and didn't have a label to call home (from the exception of OVERSIGHT that later released a promo on IOU Records).

DOWNLOAD [D2C Discography + Extras]

HARDCORE NEWS 15.5 "Demo Zone II"

More demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos demos more demos more demos more demos more demos... from the year 2021

BURNING LORD - Demo #1 (Tribe Dream)

Unsurprisingly, once again a huge amount of newer bands are being drawn by 90's metalcore and the beaten ol' path TERROR/Hatebreed formula, kids holding guns in the usual gang photo cover, the whole shenanigan repeating itself, like it was widely discussed in Zack Nelson's podcast: in the end of the day, it's a fun and easy to be attracted to style. So when bands like BURNING LORD come along and keep it raw and simple, in the true old school hardcore essence, not unlike that LAYBACK band featured here last time, they usually stand out from the pack. Demo #2 scheduled for 2022 with already a certain anticipation building.

S.M.I.L.E. - Just S.M.I.L.E. (Delayed Gratification)

These dudes, reppin' Rubber City hardcore (Ohio), also tried something slightly different in their sound and boom, I got hooked! Got me thinking of 2010's Detroit hardcore and the whole Ghoul Gang collective. Tapes can be ordered here.

BIG SHOT - Demo (Tambores De Guerra)

Hudson Valley group bringing the right amount of metal in their hardcore, rooted in the 80's, almost Crossover Thrash like Dead Heat. It would be a shame if they stopped here, more please!

SMASH N' GRAB - Buffalo Hardcore (Edgewood)

Edgewood Records managed to build a name around them with not many but steady solid releases over the years and their newest signing by these newcomers from Buffalo keeps it going strong, demo tape out now.

STEDFAST - Willing To Give (Core Club)

Crunchy guitars check, mean Mike Judge-ish vocals check, gang/sing-a-longs check, you moshing check, hooded edgeman drawing check, Tampa Youth Crew into 2022 and beyond check. 

DOWNLOAD [all demos]

NO LONGER AT EASE - Demo

Location: Charlotte, USA

Release: Self-Released, 2021

Artwork: Haleigh Cunningham

More demos coming your way! This one was suggested by Devin from Rejection Pact, I'm talking about North Carolina's NO LONGER AT EASE and their 4-song debut work.

As the first track progress my expectations about the band's main influence (due to name choice) were confirmed, you get strong vibes of late BEYOND and BATTERY.

Their background consist of 2 bands: the youthcrew band Substance and the fast and pissed Fading Signal. They took a bit of that rage out and added some melodic riffs, a formula that had a secure home in labels like Rivalry Records, thus bringing a lot memories back.

Such a strong start always raise the bar for whatever comes next, let the folks at React! hear it to see it skyrocket!

DOWNLOAD

WRECKAGE - Both Demos

Location: Connecticut, USA

Release: Scheme Hardcore, 2021

Representing Connecticut Hardcore into the new decade comes WRECKAGE and their second demo playing fast and to-the-point hardcore with strong Youth Crew influences! The good stuff are starting to pop up in 2021.

Tape out on Scheme Hardcore, first demo got a limited run by Dead At Birth Fanzine.

DOWNLOAD

WISH TO DREAM - Demo 2021

Location: Seattle, USA

Release: DIY, 2021

Age of Quarantine, day # 432 - Just got this little nice surprice in my inbox, the 4-song demo from Seattle's newest HC act WISH TO DREAM. Named after the coolest song in Uniform Choice's second album Staring Into The sun.

The reference is sick, sort of underrated album by Uniform Choice, which translates musically as having fair amounts of melodic hardcore into the Youth Crew formula. Either way this is a solid kick off by WISH TO DREAM and got me wondering what the future holds for them, a very promising project! Fav track "Strength In Anger".

Also representing the US-Northwest Hardcore and, from what I believe, has members of Wish To Dream in it, comes REAL and their debut album "2019", very well produced straight forward hardcore, mastering signed by Killingsworth.

 

DOWNLOAD

THE DIVIDING LINE - Edge Day 2020

Location: New Jersey, USA

Release: Self-Released, 2020

Age of Quarantine, day # 334 - New Age Records has quite a few exciting releases to be out in 2021, one of them is most definetely the Owe You Nothing 12" by THE DIVING LINE.

Their 2017 demo already left one hell of a good impression and in the following year the EP Turn My Back On The World just confirmed they are the real deal, Jersadelphiaware Youth Crew represented! Last year they dropped a 3-song Promo (with 2 great covers) and as you can hear in the track Glory Hound they are even faster and tight as a unit, bands like Floorpunch, Focused Minds and Rated X came to mind.

DOWNLOAD [Promo+]

For the Youth Crew maniacs out there, today's bonus are about 2 other great projects that THE DIVING LINE members are/were involved with: 

Outlast - Demo (2009, Life To Live Records)

Outlast - Take Control (2010, Bottled Up Records)

Outlast - Outlast EP (2011, Harvcore Records)

New Heart - Time Is Runnig Out (2015, Blood & Ink Records)

New Heart - Feel The Change (2018, Blood & Ink Records)

DOWNLOAD [Outlast/New Heart]

STAND HARD RECORDS - Discography

Age of Quarantine, day # 243 - Another early 00's (or so) US full label discography or in this case, semi-full. The situation here is that STANDHARD RECORDS was as DIY as you could get, from extremely limited 7" EPs to handmade cassette releases, it became pretty hard to track down everything they put out. STAND HARD served more as an outlet to promote their friend's bands as opposed to a more traditional label with webstore, street team, merch and whatnot.

It all started in 1996 with Jesse Standhard and Neal St. Clair, both playing in the Connecticut sxe band TENFOLD and their EP Vengeance Will Be Ours... which was the label's first release (or second, lol). The fun aspect about STAND HARD is that their history is entangled with other more estabilished hardcore labels since day one. From there TENFOLD went to BRIDGE 9 RECORDS to become their first ever release, two years later the same happened to RIGHT BRIGADE, the band Jesse was the frontman.

They also put stuff out by FOLLOW THROUGH another Connecticut mainstay Jesse took part playing bass after they did the 1996's Not This Time EP and shortly before that a demo cassette version was also released.

To close up the label's first chapter, still in the late 90's, they got to work with FASTBREAK and IN MY EYES, both ending up on Relevation Records. The Fastbreak release was a weird one, comprised of soon-to-be compilation tracks, since I couldn't find the audio files for it I put together those comp tracks. The In My Eyes demo cassette was a game-changer as we all know by now, one hell of a demo!

In the new millenium STAND HARD remained as a launch base for a few more but crucial early 00's US hardcore acts, working with bands that later closed deals with labels such as LOCKIN' OUT, TRIPLE-B and PAINKILLER RECORDS. Two infamous bootleg tapes came out from that era, the LOUD AND CLEAR USA (aka Step Foward) Promo Cassette and the FREE SPIRIT / NO TOLERANCE Split Demo. The first one I didn't even found an image for it what to say about audio rips.

After that we sail in uncharted waters, the complete continuity of the STAND HARD RECORDS releases can't be found anywhere, not until the mid 2010's when Jesse started to run Boston's EDGE DAY FEST. From there a bunch of promo tapes started to pop up, issued by bands performing in those fests, DIY style.

DOWNLOAD I contains:

1996 - FASTBREAK - Where It Lies 7"

1996 - TENFOLD - Vengeance Will Be Ours... 7"

1996 - FOLLOW THROUGH - Not This Time 7"

1997 - IN MY EYES - Cassette Demo

1998 - RIGHT BRIGADE - Demo

1999 - RIGHT BRIGADE - Clevo Sucks 7"

1999 - THE EXPLOSION - Demo EP

2001 - INVASION - Face Up To It!

2001 - STOP AND THINK - Boston Straightedge

DOWNLOAD II contains:

2008 - FREE SPIRIT / NO TOLERANCE - Split Demo

2014 - BURST OF RAGE - Edge Day Sampler

2014 -THROUGH THESE EYES - Promo Tape

2014 - TODD'S WAR - Your Mistake Demo

2015 - NEW VISION - Promo

2015 - SPIRIT OF YOUTH - Edge Day Demo

2016 - LABELED - Demo

可燃引火 – Discography

Location: 仙台市, 日本

Release: Final Letter, 2010

Age of Quarantine, day # 167 - 可燃引火 (reads Kanen-Inka) dates back to 1997 and it blew a lot of minds in Japan when they dropped their EP entitled 靴と僕, playing a style that reflected straight Youth Crew songs in japanese lyrics based on vegetarianism and Krishna consciousness.

Just the idea of finding about a Krishnacore band hailing from Japan (first one and probably last!) can be mindblowing but the fact that they do deliver great catchy tunes is even better. Nailing those key ingredients for a powerful positive hardcore outfit made them a staple of Nippon old school hardcore, exerting influence on countless local bands that came after them.

In 2010 they put out their final album Self-Titled with tracks taken from demos, compilations and live performances released on CD-only by the label FinalxLetter.  

DOWNLOAD

Last Man Standing - Still The Same Over The Years

Location: Bolzano, Italia

Release: Vacation House Records, 1998

Age of Quarantine, day # 117 - Another throwback to late 90's Old School Revival. As I was looking on my CD collection to rip some stuff for the blog I came across LAST MAN STANDING, hard to think there's little info about them on the web as this album had a lot of spin between me and my friends back in the days.

All the way from Italy, LAST MAN STANDING is the definitive european answer to Uniform Choice! A cool homage to one of the greatest hardcore bands to ever exist, but more than that they represent a true gem in the whole revival movement in the 90's. The lyrics also show influences of other 80's Youth Crew groups as it is filled with straight edge pride and positiveness.

They existed for a brief moment with just 2 albums out but are undoubtedly one of the best bands to come out of Italy in my book, therefore it's one of the most notable releases on the italian label Vacation House's vast catalogue and a great add to the Siton Records host with their sophomore album "The True Meaning" CD/EP. 

DOWNLOAD these gems [320kbps]:

1998 - Still The Same Over The Years (Vacation House)

1999 - The True Meaning (Siton Records)

TRUE COLORS - The EP Collection

Location: Antwerp, België

Release: Powered Records, 2005-2010

Artwork: Spoiler

Age of Quarantine, day # 109 - TRUE X COLORS needs no introduction, although it's better to make clear we are not talking about the 80's NYHC band but the Belgian one! Long story short, guitar man DUNK quit Justice to start TRUE COLORS in 2004, a time also known as The Belgian Old School Hardcore Explosion.

I happened to visit Belgium for a week during the new year's eve in 2009 and despite I didn't see any show while I was there, something peculiar happened. As I was sightseeing heavily, sporting my white True X Colors hoodie, a friend of the person hosting me there came along and recognised the band on my apparel and got truly amazed, for 2 reasons: 1- they were her childhood friends; 2- because, for her, they were just a local garage band (lol)! She then immediately called one of the TC guys and I ended talking to them over the phone as they were all hanging out together with the dudes from Loud And Clear. Also when I visited a skateshop in Antwerp it was playing Focus On The Light on the stereo and I had a chat with the clerk, even though I never saw them play live I have these memories with me.

In an effort to make available high standard material here, despite the good amount of websites/blogs covering them out there, I researched for better and clearer rips of their EPs (except Consider It Done), especially the Perspective 7" which is my second favorite record by them. For that I used the CD version of Rush Of Hope that contains this EP, the same goes for the 2006's True Colors EP (Not Just Words Records) which comes as a bonus on the CD version of Focus On The Light.

It seems Powered Records ceased its operation for good now, for what I know Control Records and Reality Records are now the only remaining labels interested in old school in Belgium, what an exciting time those years were, not only for the locals but for aficionados of the style everywhere. For more detailed pressing info and limited versions of each release from TRUE COLORS please visit these two fine webpages: Life Trap! and Records with History and Future.

DOWNLOAD these albums [with scans]:

2005 - Get 'Em (Drink Milk Records)

2006 - True Colors EP (Not Just Words Records)

2008 - Perspective (Powered Records)

2010 - Bonus EP (Six Feet Under Records)

I highly recommend the reading of that zine linked at the top, 2 other bands interviewed there that can be found here are LOSING STREAK and NEWGATE POTENTIAL, if you haven't already, they are damn worth checking hands down!

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.

DOWNLOAD

BIRDS OF A FEATHER - The Past, The Present (+ Mainstrike)

Location: Nederland

Release: Refuse Records, 2008

Age of Quarantine, day # 45 - Part two of my humble tribute to Roland "BIGMA" Roller, like I said on part one a full profile/discography on him would be quite an effort as it is a tad extensive. This time around I bring the full-length by BIRDS X OF A FEATHER, comprised by some of the nicest long time scenesters from The Netherlands and then MAINSTRIKE, another band featuring Bigma on vocals from the late 90's revival Youth Crew era and one of my all-time fav european bands!

The Past, The Present LP was quite a record release 12 years ago (damn, already?) as it came with a huge book about the History of the Straight Edge in Europe up until that moment, it even got a South American edition (without the book). A good friend of mine brought the vinyl with the book to me directly from the hands of Robert Refuse in Berlin, so it holds a special place in my collection.

I found this interview that reveals everything behind this memorable album, the band's background and personal views by Jean-Paul (bass), Marc Hanou (guitar) and Lord Bigma (vocal).

xxx

Now rewind to 1994. MAINSTRIKE was one of those bands that had a big impact during my formative years, listening to their music when I was 17 back in the late 90's had the same importance as Youth Of Today and Inside Out to me. Reinforcing the "punk values" inside hardcore, not just the aesthetics and dance moves some posers rely on. It didn't take long for me to quit the meat and start questioning all kinds of consumption behavior back then. However they represented a way more toned-down political band when compared to Manliftingbanner, the group Bigma left to start Mainstrike.

They played their final show in 1999 at their pinnacle as a band but... for the surprise of many they reunited exactly 20 years later for the Sound Of Revolution and Can't Keep Us Down festivals!! For download I added the Commitment CD which is a compilation of both their EPs (94's Times Still Here + 99's Self Titled) plus songs from the DEMO sessions. Pay a visit to their newly created bandcamp to download all records for FREE!!

DOWNLOAD these gems:
Birds Of A Feather - The Past, The Present (Refuse Records, 2008)
Mainstrike - Commitment (Crucial Response, 2002)
VA - What We Share 7" (Reflection Records, 1998) 

Credits: Record collection photo by Elmar. Be sure to check Mainstrike's new page and the merch available at Crucial Response!

BEWARE - Philadelphia Straight Edge

Location: Philandelphia, USA

Release: Back To Back Records, 2011-2014

Age of Quarantine, day # 20 - Hailing from the beautiful city of Philadelphia, and featuring (ex) members of Stick Together, Let Down and Mother Of Mercy, BEWARE have quickly made a name for themselves by writing anthemic and passionate Straight Edge Hardcore in the tradition of bands like Chain Of Strength and In My Eyes. Their sound is honest and aggressive, yet with a melodic undertone. Classic, timeless hardcore that rings familiar and sounds fresh at the same time.

Their 2012 debut EP on Back To Back/Control Records features 3 songs off their well received demo, re-recorded, and 3 brand new songs.

On the following year 4 new songs surfaced, released eventually on tape by Climbin' Aboard Records with a bonus cover track by UNITY and a full live set on the B-side, which I was fortunate to cope one back at that time.

DOWNLOAD the following:

2011 - Demo Cassette (Get Real)
2012 - Won't Get The Best Of Me (Back To Back / Control)
2012 - Live @ This Is Hardcore
2012 - Single (Lost Cause from America's Hardcore Vol 2 - Triple B)
2013 - What We Are + Live @ CCAS (Climbin' Aboard)

OVER THE LINE - The Demo

Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Release: Tension Building Records, 1997

Age of Quarantine, day # 16 - Tremendous demo by these Morrisville, PA underdogs. First released as a cassette (265 copies) by the also Pennsylvanian Tension Building Fanzine then made broadly available by german-based Crucial Response Records with roughly 4 thousand copies in 7 inch format!

OVER THE LINE, as it was told, came together when 5 friends got siked while visiting FLOORPUNCH rehearsing in a studio back in 1996. Attending shows by the likes of Hands Tied and Ten Yard Fight they quickly developed their own sound and a few months later were sharing the stage with the same bands. They picked their name from a TURNING POINT song, another reference that consolidates their YOUTHCREW revival status.

The demo was then finally recorded early on in 1997 at the Signal Sound Studios, the one responsible for recording many other local hardcore and punk outlets including some oldschool revival favorites like Rain On The Parade, Rancor and Edgewise.

The band quit the same year the demo tape was released, out by a fanzine who also put out the illest THE TIME IS NOW compilation. In 1999 Crucial Response got this 6-song tape and released 5 songs on a 7 inch and used the remaining song on the compilation FOR THE SAKE OF DEDICATION. According to this interview, the bandmembers (and many others) disliked the whole new art and layout a lot, including merch and whatnot, even it was just a posthumous release.

On an attempt to change this situation, of what they really thought was the real representation of the band, 2 of the dudes decided to give a go on unreleased songs written after the demo was re-released. A new record came to fruition thanks to Tim McMahon and Livewire Records who backed-up the project and put out a new 4-song EP entitled "THE WEIGHT" in 2008.

My contribution to this was to re-do THE DEMO artwork based on the tape's drawing (done by a guy named Bucket) and put all 6 songs back together as it was, originally. As for the new EP I just found 2 songs from it, unfortunately, as many kids never heard these songs or weren't even aware it existed! I also tried to gather as much image material related to OVER THE LINE and TENSION BUILDING Fanzine as possible.

PURCHASE 7"/MERCH

DOWNLOAD contains:
1997 - Over The Line Cassette (Tension Building Records)
2008 - The Weight 7" (Livewire Records) *incomplete*
Bonus: Tension Building Fanzine - issue number one



CREDITS: Hardcore Demo, Tony Viers, Tomas Andersson, xStuck In The Pastx and Double Cross Webzine.

ENVY - Buffalo Straight Edge

Location: Buffalo, USA

Release: New Direction Records, 1995-1997
Artwork: Lance Mountain

Age of Quarantine, day #6 - In times like these we must reach for positiveness. For today's post I chose ENVY, a posi-core band from Buffalo (NY), heavily influenced by Gorilla Biscuits.

I found barely everything by ENVY (thanks to xSTUCKINTHEPASTx) except the demo tape but since the band only improved through the years with their last album What Went Wrong? being my favorite, the demo might fall short. If only the drumming were better it could have been a more memorable band overall. The CD version of What Went Wrong?  has 88 tracks!! Most of it are short audio tracks of a long prank call, I ended up leaving the hidden bonus instrumental track only.

The band featured guitar player Joe Garlipp who played in bands like Fadeaway, Despair and World Be Free, all of them alongside Scott Vogel (who played drums in Fadeaway) and he gave back his share to the Buffalo hardcore scene in the 90's, doing the layout and artwork for many other sxe bands.

The label behind both ENVY's official releases, New Direction Records (another homage to GB), owned by ENVY's singer Larry Ransom, just put out 5 or 6 albums in total, including one weird AF rap group Skatemaster Tate.

DOWNLOAD I includes:
Envy - Self Titled 7" (New Direction, 1995)
Envy - Never Forget... (Promo, 1996)
Envy - What Went Wrong? LP (New Direction, 1997)

DOWNLOAD II includes:
Against All Hope - Breaking Through (Round Flat Records, 1990)
Against All Hope - Demo Cassette (Promo, 1993)
Against All Hope - Dry Wall (New Direction, 1994)
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Fadeaway - Blindsight Demo (Watchmen, 1993)
Fadeaway - Self Titled CD (Conquer The World, 1994)
Fadeaway - Split w/ Two Line Filler (Last But Not Least, 1995)
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VA - A Reason For Living Comp (New Direction, 1997)