Various - Four Corners Lp

Building on the theme of my recent posts, here is a great early 2000s compilation Lp of posi thrash and fastcore bands... "Four Corners" came out on 625 Records in the U.S. and featured 5 bands - Life's Halt from the U.S., Dead End (Sweden), Razlog Za (Croatia), German straight edgers Highscore (from the last post) and Holland's Point of Few.  Each band contributes at least 3 songs, giving each about a split 7"s worth of material...  The entire is record is killer, with Highscore and Life's Halt doing what they do best.  Dead End were short lived and didn't release much else, but their tracks are some of the best and showed a group with lots of promise.  Razlog Za are perhaps the weakest link - mostly due to the recording quality of their songs - but their contributions are by no means detrimental.  Point of Few comes out the winner, though, in my mind.  Their short, heavy and ultra-fast tracks bring to mind compatriots like Lärm and Seein' Red or perhaps a more muscular version of U.K. thrashers Active Minds.  Overall, a great collection of fast, pissed off youth crew influenced hardcore.

Various - Four Corners Lp   

Various - Beautiful Music for Beautiful People 10" (Repost)

Here's the repost of another great compilation from the late 80s/early 90s... the "Beautiful Music for Beautiful People" 10".  This one features some great US bands, along with a spattering of international HC acts.  Libido Boyz and Dissent headline the US bands, but Crib Death and Tit Wrench have strong tracks as well.  Tit Wrench were bit of an odd-ball band.  Featuring Bob Barley of Vinyl Communications records, they played lightning fast techno like music with absurdly confrontational lyrics....think Pailhead or Lard.  "People Like That Should Be Spayed" is a good intro to their stuff.  I may post their discography some time since their stuff is fairly enjoyable in it's own weird way.  Anyways, the non-US bands on this comp. provide some great tracks as well... "Full Circle" is one of my fave Instigators tunes, the Scoundrels, Flitox, 16 B.U.H. also have strong tracks.  Australia's S.S.D.C. have a rousing number in "Free the Five."  The final track, from Denmark's President Fetch is the weakest, but not a bad song.  All-in-all a classic collection of HC from this time period.

V/A Beautiful Music for Beautiful People 10"

Union - Anaesthetized Ep

Up next is a 7" from the short-lived Swedish band Union.  Released in 1992 as a split between Tribal War Recs and Really Fast Records, this Ep was one of only two the band released.  Union played fairly straight-forward, fast HC with a slight crust feel and distinctive vocals.  This band seems to bridge the gap between classic Finnish HC like Terveet Kädet or Riistetyt and late 80s, early 90s U.S. bands that sought that sound, like Resist and Deprived.  This record would have been right at home on Profane Existence, both musically and lyrically.

Union - Anaesthetized Ep

V/A Counter Culture Ep

 Alright, I made it back to town from my travels abroad and it's time for more tunes.  This week's record is an international hardcore compilation 7" from 1999 which features some heavy hitters.  The "Counter Culture" comp. came out on Coalition records and has exclusive tracks from Canada's The Swarm, Japan's Slang and Swedish thrash legends D.S.-13.  I think my copy is a promo edition or something because the official version featured a different cover and came with a huge booklet that mine lacks.  Regardless, the music on this one absolutely kills.  This record features possibly my favorite two Slang tracks ever.  The Swarm and D.S.-13 rule, as usual.  Also included is an Indonesian band called The End 32 which I know very little about.  Their three songs fit right in, though, as they serve up some raw, fast, brutal hardcore.  A flawless collection of HC.

V/A Counter Culture Ep