CUTTING THROUGH - Empathy EP

Location: Portland, US

Release: New Age Records, 2018

CUTTING THROUGH belongs to a fine collective of individuals involved in punk music for almost 2 decades, the Northwest Hardcore crew.

Be it '88 or '08, for them the Youth Crew is still alive and they just won't quit. Empathy is probably their best material, passionate and to the point. Slightly better than last year's LP but as dope as their demo. 




For those living under a rock, New Age is back on the game full force, next month they will throw one hell of a party!! 😱

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COUPE GORGE - Troubles

Location: Brest, France 

Release: Offside Records, 2018

Coupe du monde? Not quite. COUPE GORGE is here with a follow-up to their 2016 split w/ The Hammer (a showcase of Negative Approach worsphip).

Troubles is a great Hardcore Oi! 12", 8 tracks catchy af! From fast to mid paces, its all here. Another great add to the growing french scene, alongside the more known Rixe and Syndrome 81.


  
PURCHASE Mini-LP USA/EUROPE

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[+ split]

DENIM & LEATHER - Sacred Autism

Location: Manchester, UK

Release: Drunken Sailor, 2018

The album of the year to many europeans, definitely one of the most fun! In their third release DENIM & LEATHER offers an inventive, catchy, abrasive and a more broadening record than its previous effort back in 2016, released by Milk Run Records. Mostly beacuse now its a LP insted of an EP, more room for creativity.

Their sound has guitar distortions and fuzzed riffs similar to Black Flag/Pissed Jeans plus the speed and aggressiveness of Poison Idea, all sprayed with a UKHC scent.

First pressing comes in a small batch of 300 LPs, don't sleep!

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MIL-SPEC - Changes

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release: Lockin' Out, 2018

With releases on Moshers Delight, Advanced Perspective (both sold out) and now Lockin Out, canadians in MIL-SPEC has brought the spotlight to their heads.

Changes EP shows their best material and reveals the direction they are heading to, together with FURY they try to offer something different inside the hardcore punk realm without losing its core.

PURCHASE 7"
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[EP + Demos]

RAW BRIGADE - Kicking Your Face

Location: Bogota, Colombia

Release: DIY, 2018

First Colombian act to be featured here!! RAW BRIGADE just released their debut EP: 6 tracks in 7 minutes of raging youth crew, bringing to the table a mix of the past and contemporary old school hardcore.

Since last year's record, a split with another colombian act REVIVAL, they've tightened their sound quite substantially which got the attention of the folks at THIS IS HARDCORE fest. Yeah! Another south american representative since Clearview.

For download, we have here a 2-song promo taken from the EP, a kick in ya face!

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PEACE TEST - 3 Song Promo

Location: New Bedford, US

Release: DIY, 2018

Hot from the oven! PEACE TEST is back and they mean business, nearly 2 months after the demo they already present a promo with 4 minutes of pure straight forward and rabid music.

Either a label got interested or not, I feel more music is on its way. 

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GAZM / CELL / WAX - Montreal Scene Report

Location: Montreal, Canada

The year is 2018 and hardcore punk is pounding strong in the Great white north, more specifically in Montreal (home of Omegas) 3 bands are doing some local ruckus and they are about to TOUR in support of their new material!

GAZM being around the longest of all the 3 bands is on their third release, a 4-way split with other foreign punk bands. They bring an interesting mix to their sound from crust elements to stomp parts that makes their 2016 EP Menace To Tha Earth something to be reckoned with.

CELL presents their 2nd EP Rules Of The Game (plus a 3-song tour tape), they picked up right where they left off: guitar distortions, reverbed vocals and slamming tempo changes. Features members from Vile Intent, canadian powerviolence excellence!

Then enters WAX, filling the void of the old school canadian hardcore (alongside Offside) left by bands such as those hosted by Climbin'Aboard  and Blank Stare records. Demo tape is on constant rotation here (art by Spoiler), all very promising!

The label behind Wax is LSC Records, based in Montreal, visit their page as they are releasing tons of awesome canadian hardcore.

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ps: WAX didnt go on tour to Europe this time!

DISCOURAGE - Self Titled 7"

Location: Berkeley, US

Release: CoinTossRecords, 2018
Artwork: Bill Hauser

Powerful youth crew by californian newcomers in DISCOURAGE, 6 fast paced and heartfelt tracks co-released by a bunch of cool labels, housed in a brilliant packaging.

They began their journey in 2016 and since the demo their music has grown a lot but always maintaining the high energy!

PURCHASE USA/GERMANY/UK

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[EP + Demo]

BLACK TRAIN JACK - Demos & Rarities

Location: New York City

Release: Roadrunner, 1992-1996
Artwork: Ernie Parada

What a band, the've built quite an audience that ranges from regular rockers to hardcore moshers sending everyone back to the days of yore!

They were active, recording music around the mid 90's (but they still play live from time to time), this post is about BTJ rare tracks taken from compilations and singles plus both their demos:

1992 - Five Songs Demo

01. No Reward
02. Guy Like Me
03. Who's That Man
04. It Doesn't Matter
05. Back Up

1992 - 5 Big Hits
01. Time
02. Someday
03. The newest one
04. My Discipline
05. One Love

1993 - Someday Maxi-Single
01. Someday

02.  This Is The Way

03. If I Can

1994 - Handouts Maxi-Single
01. Handouts (LP Version)

02. Handouts (BTJ Sing Along Choir Version)
03. No Use
04. Guy Like Me (featuring Jackie B & The A-Trains)

1995/1996 - Compilations
01. Gratitude (from Flipside R.A.F.R., 1995)
02. Catalina (from Homage - Lots Of Bands Doing Descendents' Songs, 1995)
03. 700 Club (from Punk Uprisings, 1996)

DOWNLOAD [new link 2021!]

After Black Train Jack they went on separte ways and formed many other projects following that same catchy melodic punk formula such as Grey Area, Nine Lives and Higher Giant but what not everybody knows is that Rob Vitali (vox) teamed up recently with dudes in Buried Alive and Maximum Penalty to record a demo under the name American Monster, take a listen:

credits: Orville Dunworth

ULTIMATE - Demo 2018

Location: Washington D.C. + Maine

Release: DIY, 2018

Braden from Corrective Measure just hit me with a new joint, together with dudes in STAND OFF (rip) and HOT SHOT, here is ULTIMATE!

3 tracks of raw hardcore inspired by Life's Blood, SSD and alikes. Tapes can be ordered through ultimatexband@gmail.com  

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