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).

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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.

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BUY LP Belgium / United Kingdom / Spain

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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THE WORST - The Worst Of...

Location: New Jersey, US

Release: Parts Unknown Records, 2004

Recently, while going through the now defunct Parts Unknown back catalog, the ones responsible for putting stuff out by the likes of Omegas, Iron Boots, The Gate Crashers and so on, I decided to give a go on a discography CD release by a band called THE WORST. The name itself put me off many times in the past because there's a LOT of bands named after this but trust me when I say this is the best The Worst out there!!

RADIO RAHEEN, famous for re-releasing obscure first-wave hardcore stuff gave them the deluxe vinyl treatment last year with as 12-page booklet, the only difference from the Parts Unknown release is that they left off the 7-song unreleased LP from 1984, which is a pitty coz those rock hard, following the sabe vibe as their previous work from '82 and '83 EPs. FFO: F.U.'S, Jerry's Kids, Adolescents demos.

 

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HARDCORE NEWS 16 "Demo Zone 2.0"

Demos (and promos) are the essence of Hardcore/Punk, the rawness and lack of pressure by external demands (like label contracts) allows a band to go loose, risk free, not rarely rewarding us with the wildest creations. In some cases a demo turns straight into a Debut EP which I believe is the case of NEW WORLD MAN or FUGITIVE, new "super" groups that are bringin' the ruckus... or sometimes a band needs a second demo, like the dudes in BURNING LORD, to improve the group's tightness on the slightest just to score a record deal or simply to keep that rawness (DIY vibe) on cassette format for another touring season.

The following are what caught my attention in the first half of 2022 in Demo Zone styled news:

DEFECTIVE CHAIN - Demo

Hard not to appreciate a band coming out of the blue with a strong solid demo such as this one by DEFECTIVE CHAIN, reminds me of some killer productions from Painkiller Records and Mosher's Delight back catalog. A.C.A.B.!

NEW WORLD MAN - EP

When a side project like this appears I'm always prone to think it will become their main thing, maybe not like Turnstile accomplished but the competence factor is surely there. Led by the Rhine duo from Life's Question, they borrowed the guitar talents from Regulate and Mindforce and drummer from Invoke to form NEW WORLD MAN. Streets Of Hate promptly came along to release this on cassette and gave them the best description "FFO: Crumbsuckers & Nuclear Assualt".

DOOMSDAY - Promo

Bay Area Crossover still bustin' in 2022, newbloods in DOOMSDAY dropped earlier this year one hell of a promo Riff City, including an Iron Age cover, full-length to come out on SLAM Records / Creator-Destructor.

FUGITIVE - Maniac

The selection of bands listed here are almost all Crossover ones or related to Thrash Metal at a certain level, but what can I say? The absolute majority of new demos/bands coming up recently are 90's "chug-chug" metalcore/beatdown... AGAIN! Therefore FUGITIVE was an easy pick, with Blake from Power Trip leading this pack you get riffs for days, joining forces with other dudes coming from Skourge, Creeping Death and ANS you get a legit new Texan Crossover act about to invade boomboxes worldwide.

THE EXECUTED - Demonstration

Formed by 2 dudes from Arizona with a grindcore background, THE EXECUTED bring some mean hardcore with nods to Oi!/Street Punk, this a short but very promising demo!

The drummer also plays in SYCOPHANT in case you're in the need of some UK82 kick, impressive D-Beat hardcore that came out last year. 

FORCED DOWN - Demo

Trevor Vaughan is back in all its MA Glory, after he ditched Peace Test and let it have it's own life without him, it wouldn't take him long to start another project. In fact, you may not like his work but you've gotta reckon his prolificacy, a true non-stop music machine! Sonically FORCED DOWN floats around Straight Razor and Peace Test, a must check for any 625 Thrashcore/Sound Pollution fan.

But... if you're really into that Rival Mob/Straight Razor sound then you may dig STONE FLEET, another project with Tyler from Caught In A Crowd that came out last year through Blind Rage Records.

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LAWFUL KILLING - The First Division

Location: London, UK

Release: Self-Released, 2022

Artwork: Jack Hamilton 

Sorry for the lack of new content folks, I got sidetracked by personal issues but these dudes put me back on track, LAWFUL KILLING and their debut full-length on... no label whatsover? That was weird, I would sign them on a heart beat. (In fact, that has always been a dream of mine, to start a label).

Judging by the art cover it's clear their love for late 80's Crossover, even if you're not familiar with their sound if this art doesn't appeal to you (a possible fan of the genre) I don't know what would, they nailed 100%.

Soundwise, in The First Division you get what has been expected, riffs galore, well-composed melodies, real punk lyrics (no occultist bullshit) and lots of speed, you go through tracks 1 to 5 in one single slab! The record also features 3 re-recorded songs from previous singles and it got mixed by Scott from Blind Authority. 

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IMPOSTER - '22 PROMO

Location: Brighton, UK

Release: Brainrotten Records, 2022

The IMPOSTERS are back with 3 new joints but this time they came angrier than ever, armed to the teeth, ready to gut anyone in sight. These are short and mean tracks Mongrel stylee!!

Cassette tapes are already available here through this promising new label Brainrotten. The full-length will hopefully appear later this year on Quality Control HQ. 

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ALLRAD EP#1 - All Things Old School Radio (Dog Eat Dog special)

That's right, the blog went into the streaming "radio" format, ALLRAD for short! The original (reading/download) format will still get updates regularly, it's just Youtu.be has become a pain in the ass to upload music so I turned it into a podcast/radio (for a limited time) to broadcast some old school tunes you're used to hear on All Things Old School, only this time I'm blending the usual hardcore with underground hip-hop.

For the first episode I chose to do a special on Dog Eat Dog, their first official release the Warrant EP is turning 30 years soon so you'll get a chance to revisit some old and rare tracks by the DOGS plus other dope stuff that amounts to almost 1 hour of broadcasting.

EPISODE#1 TRACKLIST:

Intro/bust

01. RAW DEAL - The Lines Are Drawn (Demo)

Segment I (BGM: All Boro Kings - ABK)

02. DOG EAT DOG - World Keeps Spinnin'

03. KINGPIN - Renunciation

04. DOG EAT DOG - More Beer

Segment II "Metal Riffs"

05. TERROR ZONE - Dead Calm (Intro)

06. PUBLIC ENEMY - She Watch Channel Zero?!

07. ALL TIME HIGH - Hands In The Air

Segment III (BGM: Mad Flava - Fools)

08. MADSTYLE - Run

09. 2 OF A KIND - This Hype 

10. WARDOGS - Self Righteous

11. HARLECKINZ - Don't Sleep 

12. DOG EAT DOG - Who's The King (Slight Remix)

13. SEAN PRICE & COLD WORLD - How The Gods Chill

Segment IV "Cool Down"

14. MEYHEM LAUREN - Grown Man Palettes (ft. Sean Price)

15. PAT D & LADY PARADOX - What It's Worth (ft. Melodiq)

16. PROCLAMATION - Ashtray

(Not so) hidden track

17. DOG EAT DOG - No Fronts (Not Pearl Jam Mix)

Dr.Fresh-Rhymes · ALLRAD EP#1 : No Guns, Just Blunts

WISE UP - Up 2 No Good (+ Demo)

Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Release: Self-Released, 2022

I just finished recording a podcast/radio mixing hip-hop and hardcore that will be up soon and while it doesn't happen I'm putting some UK youngbloods here that also translates that wish to connect both scenes very well, it's WISE UP!

Up 2 No Good came out last week and when I pressed play I forgot what I was hearing, nice instrumenal hip-hop intro track followed by some tight hardcore, dedicated to the 2-steps headz.

  

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LAST OPTION - Burning (+ Over Time EP)

Location: Arizona, USA

Release: In Your Face Records, 1988

Time to dig out another hidden old school jam/gem, Phoenix's LAST OPTION!

During their first run, they lasted from '86 to '91 with 3 recordings out, right after the demo they've put out in 1987 the Over Time EP which was the first release by SOUL FORCE RECORDS (same label that put out Insight and Breakaway) and in 1988 the Burning LP came out on IN YOUR FACE RECORDS ran by Kalvin Piper from Heresy.

Expect fast paced hardcore inspired by Southern California sound, many bands come to mind but you will find similarities in groups such as Final Conflict (Ashes To Ashes era), late Insted, Nemesis Records' Point Blank.

In 2019 they got back together and LAST OPTION entered the digital era, streaming services, downloads, you name it, they're on it... and guess what else? A new album emerged GET ACTION BE SANE, that's a 30+ years reunion gap, damn!

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