VULGAR DISPLAY - Texas Hardcore

Location: Dallas, USA

Release: Speedowax Records, 2012-2016

One of those many bands that came at the end of the dark-metallic era (of hardcore trends) led by Iron Age/Twitching Tongues, but I forgot how good the riffs by Texas' VULGAR DISPLAY were, pummeling and punishing all the way!

During the 5 years they were together Vulgar Display recorded a total of 13 songs, scattered amongst a Demo, a 6-song EP and a Promo for an LP that never came out, supposedly out in 2016 through Unbeaten Records.

2012 - Demo
2013 - Under Darkness & Prayer (Speedowax / Rare Bear Records)
2014 - Overcoming Torture [Single]
2015 - Winter Promo

Their final show took place in 2016 during one of those rare Iron Age live appearances. The good news is that they got back with their death metal project END TIMES, check it if you're into malicious dope riffage!

DOWNLOAD [Discography]

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!

THE NEW ENEMY - Illusion Of Choice

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release: DIY, 2019
Artwork: Peter Stirling

This came out as a great surprise, it's been 5 years since THE NEW ENEMY has laid their last record! Now they are back with a brand new 8-song EP "Illusion Of Choice", 5 original and 3 covers.

Their commitment in supporting local causes and their DIY/punk ethics remains untouched for over a decade now but the evolution of their music never stops going forth.

They went a step further from their previous EP and worked with 2 big names of the north american hardcore music scene -- Will Killingsworth [Dead Air Studios] and Arthur Rizk [War Hungry, Sumerlands]. The result falls right at that blurry line between punk rock and hardcore, especially when you add a dark melodic edge to it, all very powerful and heartfelt delivered [including the covers], this will definitely appeal to fans of Paint It Black and Jade Tree's best era catalog.

They were always keen to play a variety of covers, here they perform these in a brilliant personal way:

GOB "Reign On Your Parade"
Leonard Cohen "You Want It Darker"
Snapcase "Ambition Now"

The highlights of the record for me tho' are the heavy hitters Shrine and Thread which, in the latter, features the vocals of Jessica Meers.

Please visit their bandcamp and donate any amount or spread the word of a beautiful yet urgent matter.

SLANT - Vain Attempt EP

Location: 서울, 대한민국

Release: Iron Lung Records, 2019

Wow this caught me off guard, the last time I heard a South Korean band (this good!) was I few years back with the dudes in Things We Say but as of 2018 SLANT has appeared in western radars!

While checking Iron Lung's newest releases, the almost "unsual" SLANT artwork for the label's standards got my attention. An agressive assault like I couldn't image, the band blast-through the freshly out 4-song EP in merely 6 minutes! This brings me back to early 00's 625 Thrashcore and it's Barbaric Thrash Demolition comps, tight and energy-boostin' fast punk music ideal for rioting.

The band's killer Demo Tape got pressings both on Headcount (USA) and Pissed Off Records (Malaysia), few copies left.

ORDER 7" / DEMO (USA) or (MYS)

DOWNLOAD [new link!!]

photo by Blair Kitchener

HEATSEEKER - EP + Demo

Location: Florida, US

Release: DIY, 2019
Artwork: Kane Gordon

Hot release of February, fyaa! Members of Malice At The Palace going thrash.

As HEATSEEKER they said they're aiming for a Metallica/Slayer worship sound but for my ears is total Biohazard, the good era. The fact is that this new EP rocks! Lotsa improvements from the 2018 Demo, super fun to listen and moshable AF.

On a side note, there is a Polish hardcore group under the same name since 2012, give them a go as they rock hard too. Probably I will post something about them here soon.

DOWNLOAD

PAGAN BABIES - Last

Location: Philadelphia, US

Release: DRP Records, 2010
Artwork: Bruce "Juice" Boyd

With releases on Positive Force and Hawker Records back in the 80's, PAGAN BABIES rocked the Philly scene until their first break up in 1989.

They were and still are a strong reference for graffiti and hip hop culture within the hardcore punk community, (in most part) thanks to the vision and dexterity of their drummer Bruce, Tippy The B-Boy Beat Master Blaster. But don't be mistaken, musically they play straight up hardcore with a good measure of melodies thrown in here and there (and occasionally fusing rap), not unlike their peers in Token Entry, In Your Face and Mucky Pup.

Last (An Anthology) is their full discography with a lot of extras -- unreleased, rehearsal and live material -- all re-mixed and re-mastered on a 29-track CD and bonus DVD featuring a documentary and live concert footage, including the reunion of 2007. Speaking of which, this post came out due to their 3rd or 4th reunion, happening this weekend with notorious Alone In A Crowd! [support Howie here]



Maybe due to this special occasion, PAGAN BABIES just put out 2 brand new songs which I already included on this download, super rad!!

DOWNLOAD [FLAC version] or DOWNLOAD [256 VBR]

from Philly yo!

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.

IN STRIDE - Place Of Decay

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Release: Bottle Up Records, 2006

One of the dudes in KEEP IT CLEAR has ressurected his old straight edge project for your listening pleasure, available for the first time in high quality, Rain City's IN STRIDE.

Both bands were part of the collective known as Legitmate Bros, which now I believe only the guys in Cutting Through are still representing it to this day.

As you can see from the test press rip-off art above IN STRIDE played youthcrew with melodic elements, from their first Demo in 2004 to their last recording in Place Of Decay 7" their music progressed substantially, so much that this final EP is nothing but amazing, less melodic more straight forward! Best release on the long vanished Bottle Up Records.

Thankfully to Suds Denim, the first 2 demos -- not listed on the newly created bandcamp -- are included on this download. 

DOWNLOAD [+ scans, lyrics]

!! Please let me know if anyone is having a hard time to download from mediafire or is unable to decompress the files, cheers !!

can't close my eyes! :)

INSIGHT - Standing Strong

Location: Salt Lake City, US

Release: Soul Force Records, 1989

Throwback thursday! It occured to me the other day that I had many versions of the same songs from Utah's INSIGHT one and only 6-song EP.

It first came out in 1989 through Soul Force Records as Standing Strong then re-released in 1990 by Victory Records with a different title What Will It Take? (and artwork), but then I came across the 1995's edition in Victory Early Singles CD compilation. This latest version has the best audio quality by far, I'm guessing it got remastered and it sounds much clearer and louder!!

Back to INSIGHT, they started in 1988 as the first Salt Lake City straight edge vegetarian group, recorded this 6-song EP and a couple of comp tracks in 1990 (I managed to track down 2 songs), toured with the likes of Chain of Strength and Up Front, then broke up that same year. Half the members went to form Revelation Records' alumni ICEBURN. Later on in 2013 they reunited for a couple of shows.

The comp songs I mentioned are "SILENT SHORE" from Only The Strong 7" (Victory Records) and "GET IT" from Voice Of Thousands 12" (Conversion Records) and remained exclusive to those releases.

I decided to leave all mentioned compilations in full for download, specially the Victory Early Singles! It features some highs and lows of such a weird and transitional era that was the early 90's. For instance, it has the great first EP by BILLINGSGATE "Reach Out", which also has superior audio quality then the 7" version.

DOWNLOAD includes the following: [NEW LINK 2021!!]

1989 - Standing Strong 7" (Soul Force Records)
1990 - Only The Strong 7" Compilation (Victory Records)
1990 - Voice of Thousands 12" Compilation (Conversion Records)
1995 - Victory Early Singles CD (Inner Strenght, Billingsgate, Insight, Iceburn, Worlds Collide)
+ vinyl scans, flyers and photos



I wish every post here was as comprehensive as this one, especially on the old releases, although it's quite time consuming to do this sort of thing, bands like INSIGHT deserves more attention. UPDATE 2021: new link has even better audio quality rips and the Voice Of Thousands comp was added in full!

end the cruelty!

PROTEIN - Alive + Demo

Location: Kraków, Polska

Release: Refuse Records, 2018

Again on my quest to shed light on the bands featured on last year's edition of the YOUTH CREW comp by legendary Positive & Focused, this time our focus are into the Polish group PROTEIN.

Not to mention Refuse Records, that is and has always being a household for worldwide SXE and engaged punk music, with a special attention for the scene in Poland, one of the first places outside USA to start such a movement. And is in that environment that Protein was born in 2017, heartfelt youthcrew with slow paced moments not unlike Turning Point and Mainstrike.

It turns out that dudes in Protein are also in the band ViciousxReality and running the label YOUTH2YOUTH, another great source for european hardcore. 

PURCHASE 7" / DEMO TAPE

DOWNLOAD