Hellbender

Yet another North Carolina band here... Hellbender were from the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area and were active in the mid-1990's.  They played a rockin' version of punk that would probably fall somewhere within the orbit of the whole 90's "pop-punk" scene, though that description doesn't really do them justice.  Their sound fits better somewhere in the region of Jawbreaker, Avail or Garden Variety, I think - melodic and well crafted songs but still punk with some palpable aggression.  They were a three-piece with two members trading songwriting and vocal duties.  The members included Al Burian, formerly of Celibate Commandos who went on to form Milemarker and later Canadian Rifle (though he left after their first couple of Eps) and their drummer went on to play for Les Savy Fav after Hellbender's demise.  Anyways, the band did a few singles and three full-lengths.  Collected here are the 3 LPs: a self-titled CD, then the Footprint of the American Chicken and Con Limón LPs.  Picking a favorite is difficult - the first is clearly a record where their sound is still developing but the second finds them fully-formed and has some great tunes, probably their best individual tracks.  I've always been partial to the third though, as a complete album where the songs transition well and each one seems to build on the other...  Regardless, their whole catalog is great and they remain one of my favorites from the 1990s NC scene I grew up with.

Hellbender - Self-Titled, Footprint of the American Chicken and Con Limón

Inept - Straight Outta Tha Dumpster Ep

I'm keeping with the North Carolina punk theme for a bit... Inept hailed from Raleigh and played a relatively sloppy version of 90's D-beat influenced peace punk, a sound that was ascending at the time with the popularity of bands like Aus Rotten, Final Warning and The Pist.  Inept featured dual male/female vocals which brings to mind contemporaries like Mankind?  or older groups like Dirt and Nausea.  Despite the horrible title and ludicrous cover, the Ep features five rather bouncing tracks in this style with vaguely political lyrics and lots of heart.  The sixth and final track is a Doom cover (Life Lock, one of their best tracks to my mind) which ends up the 7" on a high note.  Inept existed for around a year and this was their only release - if I recall they'd broken up by the time it came out - but in that time they opened for quite a few great bands who played Raleigh at the time, from Aus Rotten to Damad to the Varukers.

Inept - Straight Outta Tha Dumpster Ep

Rentamerica/Polestar Split Ep

More North Carolina Hardcore here... a split 7" from two short-lived bands, Renamerica and Polestar.  Rentamerica hailed from a small town in NC and played fast and thrashy hardcore with intense vocals.  As mentioned in the last post, some of these guys went on to play in Uwharria and some actually went on to form FaceDownInShit.  On the flip side is a band I know pretty much nothing about... Polestar was also from North Carolina - I think but I'm not certain as there is no info included in this record.  Polestar plays a more 90's emo or screamo take on hardcore but is nearly as intense.  These appear to be the only two tracks Polestar released while Rentamerica had another split 7" that I never got around to tracking down.  Another cool, little-known 90s hardcore release that deserves a listen...

Rentameria/Polestar split 7" Ep

Uwharria

OK, it's been a little bit since I posted and honestly, life here has been fairly crazy as of late with some new developments requiring more time and attention than I am accustomed to, cutting in to my time that I can devote to the blog.  I'll try to keep coming up with posts when I am able but I can't promise there will be any regularity to them...  Anyways, with that out of the way, this post compiles most of the discography of North Carolina's eco-thrashers Uwharria.  From my home state and featuring members of Blownapart Bastards (as well as Rentamerica, Divide and Conquer, and even Oi Polloi) Uwharria played a chaotic brand of metallic hardcore that brings to mind late 80's crossover thrash - like later D.R.I. or Animosity-era C.O.C.  Rick from Blownapart's vocals remind me a bit of Blaine from the Accused on these tracks which only adds to the crossover feel...  All the lyrics concern wildlife and environmental issues (hence the "eco-thrash" tag) but with somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek attitude.  Song titles range from bird species like "Ivory-billed Woodpecker" and "Appalachian Skullcap," to the less than majestic like "Dung Beetles" and "Tick Attack."  Short-lived, Uwharria released a full length CD and a split CD with fellow N.C. punks Crimson Spectre.  I remember there also being a live CD that the band self-released but I never got my hands on that.  The link below has the full length as well as their half of the split CD, 24 tracks total.

Uwharria - "Fury in the Foothills" and Split with Crimson Spectre     

Various - Hope For Us Ep

Here is the Wisconsin HC compilation I referenced last time out... Hope For Us came out on the same label that did the Animal Farm and One Day Away 7"ers and features tracks by both of those bands.  Additionally, two other short-lived bands appear on this disk - Buried and Damitol.  Damitol did a couple of Eps which I thought I had in my collection but apparently I am mistaken or they were lost somewhere along the way.  Buried seems to not have released any other material beyond the track on this comp.  Those familiar with the Eps I already posted know what to expect from Animal Farm and ODA.  Buried's track is in a similar vein with perhaps a bit more straight edge feel, like Verbal Assault perhaps.  Damitol is a bit more melodic with a bit of a Bay Area influence which reminds me heavily of Fuel and Crimpshrine.  Overall a cool document of a scene that seems to have sprung out of nowhere and for a little while in the mid-1990s plugged into the circuit of the DIY HC network that seemed to be growing exponentially at the time.

V/A - Hope For Us Ep  

One Day Away - s/t Ep

More 1990's obscurity... It probably would have made more sense to post this record a few months back when I did the spate of mid-western U.S. hardcore that included Animal Farm and Hinge but I moved on to other groups fairly quickly.  One Day Away hailed from Wisconsin and this 7" was their sole release and was on the same label that put the Animal Farm Ep.  ODA had a similar sound to those previously mentioned bands - mid-tempo but metallic and featuring a singer that sounded like Sam Mcpheeters gargling glass.  Political lyrics and a cover/packaging that made this 7" look like an Ebullition release rounded out the aesthetic.  Aside from this Ep, One Day Away had one track on a Wisconsin HC compilation that I'll be posting soon - a record that also featured Animal Farm. 

One Day Away - s/t Ep

Slag & Thaw

Alright, sorry for the slight delay in posts... switching musical gears, this time out I've got some heavy 1990's U.S. hardcore for you from two very short-lived bands.  Slag hailed from Arizona and played the kind of groovy, metallic hardcore that was becoming popular in the early to mid 90's - building on the sound of bands like Amenity or later Verbal Assault and moving into the territory marked out by groups like Citizens Arrest, Rorschach or Downcast.  One of these guys went on to play in Groundwork, a band that Slag's sound definitely fits with.  Thaw was around even more briefly and played a bit more straight-forward style with strained vocals that recalls bands like Half Man or perhaps even Jihad.  Slag only released one 7" Ep and a split Ep with Thaw - Thaw's side of that split seems to be their only recording... both records are included in this post and it hopefully serves to keep more memories of little known U.S. DIY hardcore alive.

Slag/Thaw split Ep and Slag - s/t Ep

Cause & Effect - s/t Ep (Repost)

After last week's Légitime Défonce post I remembered that I never re-uploaded one of my favorite French melodic hardcore Eps - Cause & Effect's self-titled 7" on Panx records.  This group popped up in the mid-1990s and released only this one 7" and a few compilation tracks.  This Ep does remind me a bit of the first Légitime Défonce LP as well as some British and American groups of the same time-period; H.D.Q., Cowboy Killers, Pegboy, etc.  Newer bands like La Fraction or Inner Conflict, minus the female vocals, are good reference points also.

Cause & Effect - s/t Ep

Légitime Défonce

Alright, while I'm posting a spate of more melodic bands, here is a great French group from the 1990s, Légitime Défonce.  These guys played fast and catchy as hell punk with a strong U.S. hardcore influence.  To my ears, these guys remind me a bit of the U.K. wave of bands in the late 1980s that took their cue from 7 Seconds, SNFU and the like - groups like H.D.Q., Exit Condition, Snuff, early Leatherface, etc.  Légitime Défonce are not quite as classic as those bands but I think they are within the same realm.  This post collects their first two LPs, both on the great French label Panx.  The first LP, self-titled, was an instant favorite when it came out - fast and melodic with enough aggression to satisfy my more HC tastes.  The second LP, Ya Basta!, is a bit more 90s pop-punk sounding and with muddier production so it doesn't quite stand up to the first... still, its not a bad record per se, just not as good as the first.  Légitime Défonce had a few EPs and another LP that came out in the late 90s that I've not gotten around to tracking down yet, though I should have obtained those early 7"ers a long time ago... too many records, not enough time or money tho!

Légitime Défonce - self-titled LP and "Ya Basta!" LP

Tunstin Gat - s/t Ep

More 1990's melodic punk here and another short-lived band.  Tunstin Gat hailed from Berkeley, California in the mid-90s so I suppose you can guess what they sounded like...  when I first heard these guys I remember describing them to a friend as sounding like a "poppy Econochrist" and I think that description holds.  Gruff vocals and prominent bass lines like the aforementioned hardcore punks but married with a Jawbreaker-esque pop-punk sound.... the result is not unlike the more melodic tracks by Grimple or the early stuff from Jawbreaker.  This was their only release, a 5 song 7" Ep on 702 Records out of Nevada. 

Tunstin Gat - s/t Ep

Vanbuilderass - s/t Ep

OK, this is one of my guilty pleasures, perhaps a dirty little secret - I love really well done pop-punk.  It's got to be fast and catchy as hell and this 7" certainly fits that criteria.  Vanbuilderass hailed from Gainesville, Florida circa the mid-1990s and only released about 10 songs in total - this 7" Ep plus a split Ep and a few compilation tracks.  Though short-lived, members of this band have been stalwarts in the G-ville scene and several folks from Vanbuilderass went on to form Bitchin', a good band that plays a more mature version of this sound.  Anyways, to my ears this 7" has four of the most perfect pop-punk tracks there are - super quick with tons of hooks and great female-led vocals.  Cool lyrics (especially "Choices") round out the package.  Oddly enough this Ep came out on a small record label run by Steve Heritage of grindcore legends Assück... guess I'm not alone in this guilty pleasure.

Vanbuilderass - s/t Ep

Skinhead Magnet - We Work, We Dream, We Die, Time Flies 10"

Up next is another early 1990's band from California.  Skinhead Magnet was a short lived project of ex-Jack Acid members Ernst and Elspeth and this 10" was their only release.  Skinhead Magnet ends up sounding so much like Jack Acid that its a bit of a wonder why they changed the name, but to me that is just fine.  For the uninitiated, Jack Acid did a few 7"ers back in the day, one of which was a early Lookout! Records release.  Jack Acid and Skinhead Magnet were from the Bay Area but played a more old school punk influenced take on the prevailing sound in that area at the time.  Both bands reminded me of early UK punk filtered through their native California scene - a sound that makes me think initially of the X-Ray Spex or perhaps the Partisans meets the Avengers.  The Jack Acid discography is still available for sale online by the label (here) but for some reason this 10" seems to have never been re-released or widely distributed, a shame and a bit strange considering how closely the band is related to the classic 1990s Bay Area scene.

Skinhead Magnet - We Work, We Dream, We Die, Time Flies 10"

Suckerpunch

Alright, I've finally got some time for a proper new post... lately I've been revisiting a bunch of Ebullition records and related releases - 1990's "emo" influenced hardcore and the like.  Suckerpunch was one of those sort of bands and appeared on the great "Give Me Back" compilation that Ebullition issued (and which I posted a while back here).  While I think their track on that comp. (Religious Phallos) is their best song, their other material is definitely worth a listen.  Collected here for you is their self-titled 10" and their side of the split flexi Ep with Born Against - fair warning, my copy of the flexi is relatively degraded and the sound quality is pretty terrible.  It appears that the band only released one other split Ep before calling it quits.  For those unfamiliar or who haven't heard their contribution to the Give Me Back comp., Suckerpunch had a relatively metallic HC sound which is in keeping with Ebullition stalwarts like Downcast and Struggle but which also brings to mind East Coast bands like Citizens Arrest or Rorschach, though not quite as heavy.  Lyrically and aesthetically they were firmly in the Ebullition style as well.  Anyways, check them out and hope you dig this relatively overlooked group from the 1990s California HC scene.

Suckerpunch - s/t 10" and Split Ep w/ Born Against   

Undone

OK, sorry for the silence... its been fairly busy around here and several projects have been taking up my time as of late, though I'm trying to get back into posting more regularly soon.  For now, here is a quick re-post of some more French emo hardcore... Undone were another of those 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.  This post contains their "Dark Future" Lp and their two 7" Eps, the majority of their recorded output. 

Undone - Dark Future Lp and two Eps

Soar - Discography CD

Here is another French HC band that were attached to Stonehenge Records... Soar featured folks from Cause & Effect and a future member of Amanda Woodward.  Soar was quite different from both of those bands, however... they played a more metal influenced hardcore that stood somewhere in the nexus of screamo, metalcore and grind.  While each song seems to traverse these genres, the constant emphasis is on heaviness and power.  This CD compiles their self-titled 7" and a split Ep with Grievance, seven songs that are effectively the entire discography of this short lived band.  Great stuff.

Soar - Discography CD

Finger Print - Discography

OK, this post is a response to a request, of sorts, from a commenter.  Noisenoisetom wanted to see material from the great French HC label Stonehenge records posted... as I told him, Batguano over at Fugitive Equilibrium had already uploaded quite a bit of that stuff already.  However, when I went back to his site I saw that some of the links are now dead so, in the interest in keeping this great music out there I'm going to repost some of it - starting with perhaps the best band to come out of the 1990s scene in France; Finger Print.  Fugitive Equilibrium still has a great write-up of the band on the site and there's not much I can add so I'd suggest checking out the original post.  I'll just add that when I heard Finger Print for the first time in the mid 90's it was quite a game changer... "Emo" was definitely in the air (in its early form, more related to hardcore than pop-punk) but Finger Print had ratcheted up the speed and power in a way that a lot of the "screamo" stuff that came after obviously tried to emulate, however much of it couldn't quite reach the same heights.  That's my two cents anyways, download and check it out for yourself!

Finger Print - Discography CD 

I Object! - First Two Years

More early 2000s hardcore... I Object! were a straight edge band from upstate New York that played old school style HC with political lyrics and tons of spirit.  I saw these folks live several times on their numerous U.S. tours and each time they delivered the goods.  This post contains their 25 track CD that compiles their first Ep, a split 7" and quite a few compilation and demo tracks.  I Object! went on to release a proper full length on Alternative Tentacles but I've always dug this early stuff from them more.  Good times and good memories.

I Object! - First Two Years CD

L'Amico Di Martucci/Ohuzaru

This time out I've got two early 2000s Italian thrashcore bands - L'Amico Di Martucci and Ohuzaru.  Both bands were active at the roughly the same time, were closely related and shared members.  Despite the different names the bands had a similar sound, one that will be familiar to those who follow this blog.  With both groups you get fast and heavy hardcore with a bit of a straight edge HC sound - similar to bands I've already posted like E-150, Highscore or Point of Few.  This post contains a CD issued by 625 Records that collects the 7" Eps of both L'Amico Di Martucci and Ohuzaru on one disc.  I've also included the self titled 12" that Ohuzaru put out, 625 Records as well, in 2005.  I got to see Ohuzaru on their US tour that year with Iron Lung and it was awesome with Ohuzaru playing a blistering set and finishing up with some fun cover songs.  Great stuff.... enjoy!

L'Amico Di Martucci/Ohuzaru - Collection CD and Ohuzaru - s/t Lp
  

E-150

OK, now for something different...  On a personal note, I am a huge football fan (or soccer to my fellow Yanks) and tomorrow is one of the biggest matches of the year - El Clasico in Barcelona.  So in preparation for this huge game, here is a post of one of my favorite Spanish HC bands - E-150.  Hailing from Barcelona and active in the late 1990s through the early 2000s, E-150 played blistering thrashcore that the folks over at Six Weeks or Sound Pollution records would highly endorse.  Their sound compares well with the heavyweights of this genre, bands such as Scholastic Deth, Hellnation, or even Sick Terror.  This post covers most of their discography - a self-titled CD that collects most of their 7"ers along with their split Ep with Intensity that was left off the CD.  These guys have soldiered on in other bands, most notably Fix Me and Gulag, though to me their other projects don't quite measure up to the high standards set by E-150.  Download, enjoy and for tomorrow, Visca Barça!

E-150 - Discography

Animal Farm - You Cannot Call This Peace Ep

More mid-90s Wisconsin HC here... Animal Farm featured a member of Hinge, from the last post, and similar to that band only released a single 7" Ep.  Animal Farm had a more metal influenced sound, one that brings early Neurosis to my mind - particularly their "Word As Law" period.  Early Dead and Gone as well as the first Rorschach and Born Against Lps are also good reference points for this delicious little slab of wax... check it out for yourselves and see what you think.

Animal Farm - You Cannot Call This Peace Ep