TAKE CONTROL: Tides
6 song 7” on Commitment - € 3,50
Take Control, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, has already been making a name for themself in the Midwest hardcore scene by touring like crazy. The band brings their straight edge message packed in hardhitting fast and heavy hardcore, that both sounds firmly rooted in the past, but also very much 2008. The bitter lyrics fit in very well with the aggressiveness of the music – bitter about the destruction that is happening all around. The band may sound bitter, but brings with their music also a message of hope. As powerful and angry as hardcore should sound!
TAKE NO HEROES
39 song compilation on Boisleve / Refuse / Take 4 etc. - € / $ 7
8 labels are involved in this compilation, and among those some of my favourite, like Refuse, Kids For Life and Take 4 - so you know you will get a quality release here ! The infamous Yann Boisleve was the driving force behind this international hardcore compilation that features 10 hardcore bands from all over the world: Pointing Finger (Portugal), Razlog Za (Croatia), No Violence (Brazil), Feud (Philippines), Only Way Out (Poland), Crickbat (Spain), The Mutiny (USA), Sincerity (Germany), Cita Attieksme (Latvia) and Second Combat (Malaysia) - so a really allstar line-up of great bands that all already left their mark on the hardcore scene. With the exception of No Violence, that have more of a crusty sound, all bands play fast old school / youthcrew hardcore, and most of the bands also have something worthwhile to say. The compilation comes in a nice package… if you want to support hardcore, buy this ! Highly recommended !
TAKE YOUR SHOT #3 - € 1
Third issue of this zine from Greece. This issue includes interviews with Break It Up, Crickbat, Disharmonic, Icepick and XsisterhoodX.
TANGLED LINES : Wash The Shit Off
8 song 7” on Refuse - € 3
Killer female fronted punk from Germany. Every song has great breakdowns with awesome lyrics shouted over the top of them. This record is filled with energy all around. The live shows from this band are out of control.
TANGLES LINES – DICK CHENEY
10 song 7” on Refuse / Thrashbastard - € / $ 3
The Tangles Lines play fast straightforward hardcore with a cool sounding girl singer – lyrics deal with being yourself on the dancefloor and keeping nazi’s from hardcore show. They end their side of this split-7” with the Gorilla Biscuit ‘New Direction’. Dick Cheney are from the Swedish hardcore capital Umea, and take their influence from late ‘70/very early 80s USA hardcore/punk. Their side contains six songs, that deal with killing your parents, how much the government sucks, having a boring job and how your life goes down the drain – if that ain’t punk subjects, I don’t know what are…
TEAR IT UP
8 song 7” on Havoc - € / $ 3,50
Featuring former members of Dead Nation and Fast Times, Tear It Up crank out 8 songs of hyperfast hardcore, that mix youthcrew hardcore and early 80s boston/dc style hardcore. Angry lyrics that deal with yuppies, rapists, punk rock superstars and PC people who take themselves too serious. A classic.
THE CONSPIRACY - € / $ 2
In fact this is the second Step Forward - Get In Touch split issue, but as it seems the cooperation between these two fine Philippines zines is here to stay, the editors decided to give their collaboration a name of its own: The Cnspiracy. This zine has all the qualities you have come to expect of Get In Touch and Step Forward: lots of interesting columns, interviews that go beyond the surface, reviews of releases from all over the world, scene reports and much more. This issue is a ‘woman’s issue’, which means that are more columns by women than usually, and many many girls that are active in hardcore are interviewed. Some name-dropping - interviews with (the editors of) Slug & Lettuce, It’s Not Just Boys Fun, W.R.I.N.G., Voice, and with local bands Mindrape and Forgiveness Denied. A total of 100 pages of highly recommended reading !
THE RETURN OF THE X-MEN
7 song compilation-7" on Commitment - € / $ 3
Repress of the original double-7" that was released on occasion of the Return Of The X-Men festival that took place in June 1997 in Amsterdam. GuidingLine, Oil, Soberesponse, One X More, Vitamin X, Mainstrike and By The Grace Of God are featured with one song each - some of the songs are different than on the first pressing of this record, while also the artwork is totally different, and looks back on the festival in writing and photographs.
THE WARREN COMMISSION : Uncover / Discover
3 song 7” on Solution - $ / € 3,50
Poppy melodic punk from this band from Somerville, MA, that sometimes reminds me of Discount. Just as Discount in their early period, most Warren Commission songs are sung by the female singer, but in some parts one of the guys of the band is also doing lead vocals. Lyrics are personal, which is also typical for bands in this style. A nice little record, for those moments you prefer something less aggressive than the usual hardcore record.
THESE HANDS ARE FISTS: Peace Is Bad For Business
8 song CD on Refuse - € 7
These Hands Are Fists features many veterans from the Portugese straight edge scene, with members who have earned a good reputation by playing in bands like Time X, New Winds and Fight For Change. The sounds of These Hands Are Fists is in line of Time X and Fight For Change – youthcrew with modern hardcore influences, with a top notch production; their politics are clearly in the line of New Winds. The band is vegan, straight edge and political, so it should not come as a surprise that their lyrics are very political. The title of the CD is also very clear about the side they are on. One of the best records I have heard recently from the Portugese sXe scene.
THIS IS OUR TIME
18 song CD on Still Holding On - € / $ 7
Another strong release of Still Holding On Records, and again a document of how international the hardcorescene has become - six old school sXe / positive HxC bands can be found on this compilation: Pointing Finger (Portugal), Cinder (Spain), Reconcile (Argentina), Day Of The Dead (Portugal), On Alert (USA) and Odyssey (Brazil) - all bands play fast youthXcrew / old school hardcore. I guess the line-up of this compilation already says enough about the quality, so get it!
THIS SHIP WILL BURN: Servant Of Servants
5 song 7" on Thrashbastard - € 4
This new band from Sudbury, Ontario toured early 2007 with I Refuse in Canada. The record contains five songs of melodic punkrock in the vein of Fucked Up, with mostly personal lyrics.
THIS TIME AROUND: Whats In Your Heart?
4 song 7” on Sell Our Soul - € / $ 3
Old school hardcore from the UK, on a Spanish label – This Time Around burst out four songs of classic old school hardcore, with aggressive and powerful vocals and enough personality to set this release apart from the many other old school bands at the moment. The guitarwork is sometimes melodic, without losing the punch and speed. Lyrics are mostly personal, about people changing their ways in life. Collectors information: comes on black splattered red vinyl.
THRASH WAR
14 song compilation 7” on Demo-Lition, Vinyl Remains - € 4
A 4-way split between Worker & Parasite, Brain Dead, Valhalla Pacifists and Patient Zero. Four English bands from up and down the country playing harsh and fast hardcore punk, skull bursting violence, thinking-mans thrash and just plain balls out thrash. Yes, it’s all fast and thrashy.
3 POINT TURN : Lovesong Unabomber
6 song 7", self-released - € / $ 3
3 Point Turn are from Hoogeveen, home from bands like One Day Closer, Point Of Few and Gabriel's Despair (3 Point Turn feature some former members of this band) - on their debut-7", 3 PT mix melodic punkrock (especially in the singing) with melodic old school in the style of Atari and Oil.
TRENCHCOAT ARMY
6 song 7" on Mad At The World - € / $ 3,50
Early 80s style HxC from this NYC band- the music is fast, raw and noisy, while the lyrics are pissed-off and somewhat nihilistic. As if you've entered a time machine, that brought you back twenty years in time... but the name of the band is very 21st Century.
TROMATIZED YOUTH: Nantes Pride
12 song 7” on Hardcoretrooper - € 4
Debut-7” of this Nantes hardcore band. Tromatized Youth play fast and short NYC influenced hardcore, and take a heavy inspiration from The Toxic Avenger, a legendary monster, as showed by the artwork of the 7”, all the samples used on the records and the name of the band, as Troma Entertainment was the company releasing the Toxic Avenger movies.
TRY HARDS – UPSTARTS – EASTFIELD - MUTLEY – PLANETEERS
4 song 7” on Good For Nothing - € / $ 3
A nice introduction into five bands from Scotland. The Try Hards kick the record off with a very punk and very Scottish sounding introduction and then go into a powerful thriving punk assault with their song ‘Scrap’. The Upstarts play catchy skapunk in the vein of Operation Ivy. Eastfield are certainly not straightedge, as is very clear from their 77s punk style sing-a-long-song ‘Wasted’ (with guitar solo!). Mutley play raw punk and the female-fronted The Planeteers close the record with another sing-a-long punk song.
TWENTY THIRD CHAPTER : Astringent Mask E.P.
3 song 7" on Moo Cow - € / $ 3,50
23rd Chapter from New Carlisle, Ohio, play slow, thriving, metal influenced hardcore.
UNCONFORM
8 song demo - € / $ 2
The debut demo of the Russian old school band Unconform - 8 songs of youth crew hardcore with lyrics in Russian (!) - about unity, vegetarism, military service, staying true to your self and life in general. For people who think the CD (see below) is too expensive, maybe this cheap demo is a good start to check out some fine Russian youth crew hardcore.
UNCONFORM
14 song CD - € / $ 7
Unconform is an old school band from Moscow that made a big impression on me when I saw them on the 2001 edition of the Fluff Fest in the Czech Republic. Unconform play melodic old school hardcore with Russian lyrics - as not many people outside of Russia are able to speak Russian, a short explanation in English of each lyric can be found in the booklet.
UNDRESSED ARMY: Hier Ist Alles Geil
9 song 7” on Rising Riot / Unkraut / Dreckchords - € 3,50
Straight outta germany's coalchamber, here is the UNDRESSED ARMY with their first 7". The guys released some really fine demos in the past. The UNDRESSED ARMY is hardcore 'fucking' punk, political, cynical, critical, no bullshit, no macho-attitudes, no Hatebreed-tshirts and muscle-posing. Singalongs, Circlepits, fast hardcore and lyrics in German! Comes on very green vinyl.
UNTIL TODAY : Hate Free
5 song 7" on Surrounded - € / $ 3
This record contains the first demo of Until Today. More raw, straightforward and fast than their later 7"'s two of the songs were later rerecorded and appeared on the 'Hit The Line Hard'-compilation.
UNTIL TODAY : In The Distance...
5 song 7" on Third Party - € / $ 3,50
Debut-7" of this North Carolina sXe-band, that features some members of Reinforce. Their sound is in the same style as Reinforce - youth crew hardcore, but with some melodies and some orginal ideas. Their second 7" will be out soon on Underestimated Records and they are also featured on the 'Hit The Line Hard'-compilation on Commitment.
UP RIGHTS: Old School Revenge
6 song 7” on Commitment - € 3,50
Debut-7” of Up Rights, a straight edge band from Toulouse, France. Uprights is not exactly new on the scene, as they played their first show in October 1996, being formed that same year after the break-up of Conform Choice. Mainly inspired by the late 1990s wave of European straight edge bands, Up Rights play fast, energetic and melodic old school hardcore and couple it with a message of drugfree pride and positivity, while taking a stand against the evils of today’s hardcore scene, like violent attitudes, fashion slavery and MySpace addicts.
UP YOURS! : Demo ‘06
6 song tape on Positive And Focused - € / $ 2
Demo of the new Amsterdam hardcore band Up Yours! Fast and aggressive mid-80s inspired hardcore.
UP YOURS
6 song 7” on Positive And Focused - € 3
This one sided 7” is a re-release of the demo of this new Amsterdam hardcore band on vinyl. Fast and aggressive mid-80s inspired hardcore.
UPPERCUT : What Comes First
7 song 7” on New Day - € / $ 3
Although this is the first (!) 7” of Zeeland’s Uppercut, the band can be considered as the veterans of the Dutch old school scene, having released their first CD in 1997. That release was totally DIY, these days Uppercut belong to the I Scream stable of bands. This record was released on Rotterdam’s New Day Records, and contains seven songs of aggressive rawly produced old school hardcore. Common theme in almost all the songs on this record is staying true and not changing your ways as time moves on, critizing those who don’t. It’s nice to finally be able to hear Uppercut pressed into vinyl. Comes on white vinyl.
URBANOS – CHOKE COCOI
15 song CD on Take 4 - € 7
Urbanos from Argentina lay 8 tracks of energetic late ‘90s NYHC inspired tunes with strong female vocals and some South American flavour added to it. Lyrics are in Spanish, but come with an English translation. All-female Choke Cocoi from The Philippines unleash a barrage of some of ferious and frantic female fronted hardcore punk tunes. Lyrics deal with militarism, media portrayel of women, money and discrimination based on gender.
VALUES INTACT : Dear Hometown
9 song CD on Goodwill - € / $ 7
It’s good to see that Goodwill Records, one of the longest lasting Italian hardcore labels seems now more active than ever. And everything they release breathes quality! Palermo straight edgers Values Intact have also found a home at Goodwill for their new album. Nine songs of modern youthcrew hardcore with lyrics about straight edge, friendship, love and hope. Another proof that the Italian sXe scene is still alive and kicking!
VALUES INTACT – AT HALF-MAST
4 song split-7” on Goodwill - € 4
This split 7” is the swan song of Palermo straight edge band Values Intact. Three songs of fast, angry, furious and heartfelt hardcore. On the other side of the record, At Half-Mast from the USA present one song of screaming and powerful HC. This record is part 1 of a series of 4 split-7”’s with artwork of four different international artists, that together tell a story. Orange vinyl.
VASELINE CHILDREN
10 song 7” on Thrashbastard - € 4
First release of probably the best Croatian band at the moment. Vaseline Children play highly energetic fast and thrashy straight edge hardcore with angry vocals and an in your face attitude. Lyrics deal with life in general, politics and the hardcore scene.
VENICE - ZxExD : A Subtil Arte De Hacer Inimigos
12 song 7” on Regulator / We Love Pandas - € / $ 3
Hailing from Argentina, Venice stips down 5 anthems of mid-80’s influenced skate-core, blending melodic yet powerful fast hardcore-punk. Like Dag Nasty meets Circle Jerks. Straight edge thrashers ZxExD bring 7 powerful tracks of politically charged thrashcore in the vein of Lärm and Discarga. Comes on green vinyl.
VITAMIN X : See Thru Their Lies
17 song CD on S.O.A. - € / $ 9
Finally it's done - the first full length of Amsterdam sXe-ers Vitamin X. After two 7"'s on Commitment, Italy's S.O.A. Records has the honor to present us 17 songs of fast trashy/youth crew hardcore songs with a strong political message. The new Vitamin X songs are on the average faster than the songs on the two 7"'s and the production (in the legendary Koeieverhuur studio - where Negazione and BGK and other legendary 80s European HxC bands have recorded) adds to the overall result. I guess I'm not objective, but when you ask me, Vitamin X has become one of the best Dutch HxC bands ever.
VITAMIN X : Pissed Off: A VX Collection
36 song CD on Cactus / Karatecore - € / $ 7
This CD was released on several South East Asian labels on the occasion of the Vitamin X South East Asian tour in November 2005. It’s sort of greatest hits record, with songs of all Vitamin X releases from the first 1998 7” Straight Edge Crew, until their most recent Rip It Out 7”. The band themselves picked their favourite songs, so it should come as no surprise that there are more songs of the later records than of the early records. Still, the compilation contains all their hits: Straight Edge Crew, Raincoat, Not Me, People That Bleed, Stab, The Unknown Soldier, Herida Profunda, Bad Trip, it’s all there – and it’s all good! A perfect introduction to probably the most succesful Dutch hardcore band ever.
VITAMIN X : Pissed Off: A VX Collection
36 song CD on Take Four / Delusion Of Terror / Avoid Fate - € / $ 7
The Philippines version of the Vitamin X discography, released on occasion of the 2005 South-East Asian tour. Contains exactly the same songs at the Malaysian version, but comes in different artwork.
THE VOWS
4 song 7” on Dead And Gone - € 3
A straightedge supergroup, if ever was one, this band from Seattle features John Pettibone (Undertow, Himsa), Chris Williams (Champion), Aram Arslanian (Champion, Betrayed), Ryan Murphy (Undertow, Ten Yard Fight, Ensign and currently The Helm) and Rob Moran (Unbroken, Over My Dead Body and Some Girls). This EP is made up of four tracks of fast, positive hardcore proving that the passion for hardcore is still alive within these individuals. Fans of those ex bands will not be disappointed with 4 tracks of heavy west coast straightedge hardcore. Highly recommended!
WAKE UP AND LIVE #6 - € / $ 2
Straight edge zine from Portugal, done by Diogo, the singer of Pointer Finger. The sixth issue contains interviews with Insted, A Step Apart, Betrayed, I Object and Soulfire, columns, review and a Day Of The Dead American tour report. It also reprints an interview with Porcell from a couple of years ago.
WAKE UP AND LIVE #7 - € / $ 3
The seventh issue of one of the best European straight edge zines from the moment. This issue, again done by Diogo of Pointing Finger fame, contains interviews with Go It Alone, True Colors, Go For Broke, Hoods Up, Broken Distance abd In My Eyes, besides the usual columns, reviews, pictures, etcetera. A very good read, again!
WASTED : Heroes Among Thieves
12 song CD on Combat Rock Industry - € / $ 7
The third album of Wasted, from the Finnish city of Tampere. Wasted have already been around for some time, and still play a raw but well-produced mixture of hardcore and punk. In the well written lyrics Wasted – that seems to be made up by two pairs of brothers (that is, we have two Rönkkö’s and two Järvinen’s in the band) – deals with the consequences of the focus our society puts upon achieving a ‘success’ in society, consumption, war, TV, music as an inspiration to do something with your life and more.
WASTER: Question Everything
6 song 7” on Positive And Focused - € 3,50
Waster is a new straight edge band from Peoria, Illinois, USA, that started in the spring of 2007. This is their debut 7”: six songs of heavy and pissed off hardcore. Fast, heavy and pissed Straight Edge Hardcore. Waster features members and ex-members of The Serpent Son, The Hero Estates, Bearing Arms, Lionspride, and Have Your Say.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? : The First Year
22 song CD on Bridge / 625 / Boislève - € / $ 9
A total of 5 record labels team up to bring you the documentation of the first year of existence of WHN?, which already says something about the popularity of the band. WHN? was the band that brought back the 'Bandana Trash'-style in the USA - they combine a message of politics and sXe with fast trashy HxC, as it was played in the 80s by mainly European bands like Heresy, Lärm, etc. 4 covers are included, and as track 23, a total live-show: value for money !
WHEN SEASONS CHANGE : Time Will Tell Us
6 song 7” on Commitment - € / $ 3
When Seasons Change is a brand new band from the north-east of Italy. Formed in 2004 as Nothing To Hide, the band changed its name to When Seasons Change a year later and now have their debut-7” out on Commitment Records. Six songs of powerful, energetic and melodic hardcore, fusing the late 1980s and late 1990s styles of positive straight edge hardcore with some 21st century influences. In their lyrics, WSC adress with both personal and politics topics, like having pride within yourself, taking a stand against fascism and refusing to give in to this materialist society we are living in.
X-MEN : We Won't Take Part
7 song 7" on Commitment - € / $ 3
Mysterious sXe band from Rotterdam, featuring members of two well known Rotterdam sXe-bands. X-Men play a mixture of Judge-, Chain Of Strenght- and Undertow-style hardcore, very well produced with powerful vocals. In the lyrics they mostly concentrate on sXe and the scene (but what else do you expect from a band with a name like that - love songs ?)
YOUNGANG
5 song 7” on Spaghetti - € / $ 3
Second 7” of this Torino skinhead band, with midtempo, sometimes melodic, well-produced oi! with lyrics in Italian.
YOUNGANG : Il Santo
12 song CD on Spaghetti - € / $ 7
Youngang is a skinhead band from Torino, Italy, who play typical midtempo oi! with lyrics in Italian. Fortunately, a translation in English of the lyrics is included, and Youngang sing about the usual oi-subjects (drinking beer, soccer and being a skinhead). As their political stance, it seems a bit complicated - they state to be apolitical, but at the same time put a poem of a Italian anarchist to music and I see many black stars (sign of anarchism) between the buttons that are showed on the backcover... anyway, for sure Youngang is no rightwing band. A great record to singalong to in a football stadium !
YOUR MISTAKE: Soul For Sale
6 song MCD on Light The Fuse - € 6
Your Mistake from The Netherlands feature some founding members of No Turning Back and Shattered and play hardhitting moshcore. Crown of Thornz and Biohazard come to mind, but Your Mistake clearly has a sound of its own.
YOUR NEW FRIEND : Smoke ‘n Thunder
4 song 7” on Revenge Therapy - € / $ 3
Recorded in 2001, but only recently (at the end of 2003) rereleased – this 7” by Your New Friend from Northern Ireland. Your New Friend features former members of Circle Again, although the music of Your New Friend is much more polished – somewhere between (later) Dagnasty and poppunk. No lyric sheet included, but they get extra points for the song title ‘David Lee Roth, I Too Am Running With This Devil Of Which You Speak! (sic)’. Comes on mint blue vinyl.
YOUTH AGAINST POLICIAL VIOLENCE
24 song CD on Amp!/Deifer - € / $ 8
Sampler on two labels from Argentina, featuring bands from all over the world: Loquero (Argentina), 2227 (Slovenia), Donfango (Chili), Stinkaholic (USA), White Frogs (Brazil), 720o (Argentina), The Throw Down (USA), Resisenza (Italy), Discourage Youth (Argentina), Junto! (Canada), Nos-Independencia (Chili) and Dios Hastio (Peru).
ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW : Emo'la
16 song CD on Refuse / Emancypunx - € / $ 8
Z.R. is a band from Poland, that mix emo, hardcore and punk into a interesting sound of their own. Lyrics are in Polish, but translations in English, German and Spanish are included. The two last songs are dance versions (trip hop-style) of two songs of the album.
ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW : Ten Moment
12 song CD on Refuse - € / $ 7
The second full length of this Polish band with an unpronouncable name that has something to do with biking. This band is quite big in Poland, and just as their first CD, this CD shows why. Very well played, emotional hardcore, in which all kind of influences of different kinds of music can be heard. Lyrics, that have mostly a personal focus, in Polish.
ZOOTIC – SANNYASIN
9 song split-CD on Regulator / Anti-Corpos - € /$ 5
Portugese punk-rockers Zootic deliver 4 passionate and intense songs in the best tradition of early 90’s punk. An eclectic sound that mixes the best elements of classic hardcore/punk roots. Lyrics are mostly in Portugese and English about the pressures of today’s society. Sannyasin (ex X-Acto) delivers five songs in the vein of early Strike Anyware, mixed with some Bad Brains influences. The English lyrics deal with both personal and political subjects.