Combust - Demo

For those who aren't familiar with Straight & Alert Records, it's a one man run label from France and has been steadily putting out records from bands both from across the sea to bands right here state side. 

They have a pretty solid back catalog, with some of my personal favorite releases from bands like Blindsided USA, Raw Justice, Mindforce, Drug Control, etc. With that list I'm not surprised that much, but just as stoked, that S&A will be releasing a 7" of the demo from NYHC band Combust. 

Combust is made up of dudes from Impact and Vice (RIP), both pretty young but well liked bands from the same area. But unlike both bands, Combust goes for more of an older more polished, yet still have that rough NYCHC feel of bands like Outburst and Killing Time. They even cover Breakdown's Dissed and Dismissed for the ending track. This Demo EP is a great listen from start to finish and hopefully it's an indication of what the band has to offer for the future. 

Combust Bandcamp

No Right - Unjustifed

Welp, I guess I can't stay off this thing even when I tried. But really, how could I with so much coming out?? Stuff like No Right's crushing debut release Unjustifed.

Not even three/four years ago could I have imagine a scene so saturated with HC/Punk bands with female/trans women rocking out and making it a normal sight. But here we are. Things like "female fronted" or "all girl" seemed once like a selling point, rather than explanation of the actual music. You could almost count the bands you know who had girls as singers or played in bands, and that's how you knew said bands.

But years later and I can't even keep up with who's who. And that's how it should of always been. Girls have a strong voice in modern hardcore and punk because it's never been just boys fun, but now it's coming through more loudly and clearly. With bands like No Right, Rats In the Wall, Rareform, etc. caring more about putting out amazing music, and less about being a label for you, I think we're reaching a level that hasn't been reached before soon it'll be the level playing field it should of always been.

Unjustifed feels an explosion of pent-up frustration. And honestly seeing as the band has only had one demo song out since middle of 2016, it feels like that for both the band and listener.

Many bands can write heavy and hard sounding music, but few bands can make you feel it like No Right does with this EP. Maybe the year and half of waiting makes it this EP feel so much sweeter than it is, or maybe it's just because it is, you won't find much better than Unjustifed.

no right - unjustifed

Project X

We all know who this is. We really do not need any introduction to Project X. They may have been short lived, playing something like three or four shows EVER. But the truth is that the Straight Edge Revenge 7" is probably one of the most well know/infamous Hardcore records in existence.

So why am I posting something we all probably have already? Well, for a friend to be honest. But hopefully for all yall too. Why? Because chances are you probably haven't heard a lot of live recordings of Project X. This was brought to my attention from said friend. So not only do you get the classic 7" but you get a whole other album of live songs!

Now, I have no idea where I got there recordings. Maybe Blogged and Quartered? Honestly, I can not remember, but I do have about Nine tracks of Project X live. I tried to look it up when I was uploading this, but nothing comes up. Now this seems to be audio from two shows, one full set and two from another. Of course the recordings are not great sounding but they are audible. Anywho, feel free to find out where these songs come from so someone other than myself gets credit, and of course enjoy.

Project X

Counterblast - Karma Crusher Promo

Call me late to the party, but I just discovered this band a few weeks back and I am hooked. Imagine if you will, you took a time machine back to the mid/late 90's and Hardcore was a smorgashboard of diffrent ideas and sounds, that's where you could find Counterblast.

Hailing from the great state of Texas, Counterblast brings back that Krishna inspired Hardcore we all know and loved back in the day, but with an obvious new breathe in mordern day sound.

Not much needs to be said about Counterblast except that where some bands work towards an end goal and have a progress to become a better band, Counterblast already has it and will (at least I hope) continue to grace us with more music soon. I hope they are release new stuff and become more active in 2016!

Counterblast Bandcamp

Facebook

Neutral Territory - 2016 Demo

So here it is! When your friend tells you about a project months in advance and says it's gonna sound like all the bands you wish you could of played in, you're bound to be stoked. And yes i was.

This rag tag team of Melodic Hardcore Punker's are made up of members from such bands like Test Of Time, The Stereo State, and The Carrier just to name a few. The best possible way to describe Neutral Territory is to say they sound like that Punk band on Epitaph Records or Fat Wreck Chords that still had that Hardcore element. You'd expect them to be on Jade Tree and see their live set on a random VHS Video Compilation.

This truly brings on great feelings when listening to it. It reminds me of how i used to feel when i was a kid figuring out what Hardcore/Punk was. Like when everything you bought on Fat was punk rock and then you find GR's Operation Phoenix and it blows you away because it hits hard and then let's off to only hit hard again. I feel that's what NT are going to do with their whole career.

Neutral Territory Bandcamp

Reason To Believe

Plain and simple, this post goes out to Jon Bunch who passed away today. Now, by no means am I the biggest fan of Jon's whole music career but I defiantly loved a lot of songs he sang for.

When I first heard of Sense Field, It was around the time I really started to get into Post Punk/Emo/Screamo type of stuff but SF never became huge in my life like other bands. But then I heard of Jon's band before, Reason To Believe. And when I first heard the LP I was beyond stoked. For anyone who knows me, I love Melodic Hardcore/Punk stuff and RTB played exactly what i'd want a band to sound like.

Today when I first heard of the news I was taken back. Even a bit more weird, I was actually listening to SF last night while on the computer, my first time really sitting down listening to them in a few years. But I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon and post about "----" celebrity passing away. But this hits way closer to home. And as the day went on, the more I realized how much Jon actually meant to me. He was someone who I would always wanted to be. Not only the fact that he had a beautiful voice, but some of his lyrics really stuck in me. I even enjoyed his time in FSF. This is me paying homage to a man that had in impact in the Hardcore/Punk community that most might not feel today.

I may not get on this Blog as much as I would want, but I think this deserves a post. Jon deserves to be recognized. Rest in peace Jon, you will be missed.

Reason To Believe

Lines Drawn - Demo 2015

It's one thing to review good music, it's another to review my friends good music.

As soon as I seen the name Lines Drawn, it brought an excitement on that I had to sit on for a few months. When I was shown the rough demos, I couldn't wait. Now here we are, and I couldn't be more excited to express my emotions for this band with the world.

Lines Drawn hail from Rhode Island and rightfully bring to mind bands like Blue Monday and Allegiance. The earlier 00's sound comes out hard and heavy with these six tracks in such a great way. Bringing the sound is one thing, but the feel is another. When you go through these nine plus minutes, you will definitely feel like you went 12 years into the past.

If you dig anything early 00's Hardcore and a bunch of rad dudes playing rad music, then the Lines Drawn Demo is right for you.

Lines Drawn Demo 2015

https://www.facebook.com/LinesDrawnHC