Manchurian Candidates

Time for some more U.S. hardcore, this week we have Austin, Tx's Manchurian Candidates.  These dudes were around from the mid 90s until about 2001.  They toured extensively and I saw them play four or five times as they seemed to open for every great band that played in Georgia during that era.  Collected for you here is their 7", entitled "Double Crossed", and their "Between Reality and Shadow" Lp.  Great chaotic HC that reminds me alternately of "The Word As Law" period Neurosis and the first Logical Nonsense Lp.  The 7" is a bit rough and primitive but the Lp sees their sound fully matured... a blistering whirlwind of tempo changes and crunchy riffs.  Some of my favorite stuff from the late 90s... 

Manchurian Candidates - "Double Crossed" Ep & "Between Reality and Shadow" Lp

Various - Reconstruction Lp

OK, I've got time for one more post before the hectic holidays...  Here's one last record from France for now - the Reconstruction compilation from Stonehenge Records.  This one collects all the emo "heavy-weights" - Fingerprint, Vanilla, Undone, Ivich, as well as some grind (Ultimate Disorder, Co-Exist) and crust (Autonomia Indigena) to keep things interesting.  All the bands on this one deliver, with the exception of Cause & Effect... as much as I love their 7", their track on this one is little more than a throwaway.  A shame, too, since it's the only other song they appear to have released.  All tracks seem to be exclusive to this LP.  Check it out.

V/A Reconstruction

Cause & Effect - s/t Ep

Well, let's stay in France for a little while longer... up next is one of my favorite French HC 7"ers of all time.  Another one on Panx records, this is Cause & Effect and their one and only Ep.  This one is very melodic and fast, a combination that I just can't get enough of.  These guys remind me a bit of contemporaries like H.D.Q. or even Pegboy and perhaps newer groups like La Fraction or Inner Conflict, minus the female vocals.  This 7" came out in 1995 and garnered a lot of playing time on my turntable back then.  If you dug the Exit Condition Lp, definitely pick this one up. 


Cause & Effect - s/t Ep

Undone - Dark Future Lp

For this week's post, here's another French band - one which leans more towards the "emo" side of things I suppose.  Undone were one of a few groups from France in the mid 90s who took their cues from Dischord bands like Rites of Spring and Embrace as well as early Ebullition Records hardcore.  On Stonehenge Records, along with the likes of Fingerprint and Ivich, Undone mixed chaotic tempos, quiet intros and bombastic crescendos with impassioned screaming vocals.  Beyond their French counterparts, this record brings to mind pre-"screamo" groups like Frail, Angel Hair and Inkwell.  As much as I like those bands, the French groups were always better at this I thought.  Undone had a couple of Eps as well and you can find them for download at Fugitive Equilibrium.  All of their material is out of print but Stonehenge continues to put out "anarcho-emo-punk" to this day.  

New link with corrected files!
Undone - Dark Future