The Final Plan

Here is another short-lived early 2000s band - this time from the U.S.A.  The Final Plan hailed from Cleveland, Ohio and played pissed off, lightning fast, sXe-influenced hardcore... they had much in common with contemporaries such as Tear It Up, Haymaker, Carry On and Panic.  It looks like they only contributed two releases before calling it quits - an Ep called "Dead End Nights" and a split with Texas band My Luck.  I've included both Final Plan releases here, along with the My Luck tracks from the split as well (they are pretty great in their own right).  Check them all out below.

The Final Plan - Dead End Nights Ep and split with My Luck 

Point of Few

Here are two Eps from Dutch thrashers Point of Few, who appeared in the last post - the Four Corners compilation.  The dudes played ultra-fast, youth crew influenced, political hardcore... they released a slew of 7"ers and split Eps, in addition to contributing songs to quite a few compilations.  Presented for you here are the "Beneath the Surface" and "Silence" Eps.... great accompaniments to their tracks from the "Four Corners" record.

Point of Few - "Beneath the Surface" and "Silence" Eps      

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   

Highscore

Highscore were a straight-edge hardcore band from Germany that started up in the late 1990s and lasted until the early 2000s, releasing a couple of Eps and two Lps worth of fast, thrashy HC.  These guys had releases on 625 and Deranged Records, which should go far in describing their sound.  Other points of reference would be Dutch ragers Vitamin X, Life's Halt or the Uniform Approach Ep I posted a while back.  This post contains their two full length records - 26 tracks total.

Highscore - New Fuel and Unsuspecting Actors in a Bad Soap Opera Lps

All Ill - Symbols of Involution Ep

Up next is a Spanish group from the late 1990s - All Ill.  These guys played ultra fast, thrashy, straight-edge influence hardcore with perhaps a touch of power violence.  Bands for reference would be their country-mates E-150, Scholastic Deth, Exclaim or Sick Terror.  Presented here is their "Symbols of Involution" Ep that came out on Sound Pollution Records in 2000.  This one features 10 tracks, including a Project X cover (Dance Floor Justice).  It looks like All Ill released at least another CD's worth of material but I've not been able to track that one down.  Regardless, this Ep is killer and a great listen for fans of this sound and the aforementioned bands.

All Ill - Symbols of Involution Ep

Weaving the Deathbag

Alright, another Wisconsin band here... as I mentioned in the last post, Weaving the Deathbag featured a member of Defacto Oppression and formed shortly after D.O. disbanded.  Weaving... had a slightly different take on the early 2000s hardcore punk sound, playing faster and with somewhat cleaner vocals.  I've always thought WtDB would have fit well on Sound Pollution or 625 Records - their sound was reminiscent of 90s greats like Hellnation and Capitalist Casualties, with perhaps just a touch of melody.  Weaving the Deathbag released a total of four 7" Eps, each of which is collected here on their "Compendium" CD.  I picked this up from the band on one of their final tours - 26 tracks that collect all the 7"ers plus a couple of cover songs.  Great stuff from a sadly short lived and underrated band...

Weaving the Deathbag - Compendium CD

Defacto Oppression

Ok, I'm back in town and have had a little time to prepare some posts for you all.... this time out its back to the Mid-West of the USA for a short-lived Wisconsin band called Defacto Oppression.  These dudes only released a 7" and a full length CD, both of which are presented for you here.  Coming along in the late 90s and surviving into the early 2000s, Defacto Oppression's sound straddles the decades similarly... the 7" has a more 90s sound, reminiscent of the crusty hardcore you might hear on early Profane Existence records - bands like Deprived, Resist or early Defiance.  By the time their full length came out, Defacto Oppression seemed to incorporate a more "modern" sound - resembling His Hero is Gone or Tragedy, but with a flavor all their own...  the 8 minute long closing track, "The Train," is intense and a fitting closing number to both the album and their career.  One of these guys would go on to the great Weaving the Deathbag who will be featured in the next post... great stuff.

Defacto Oppression - We're Digging Our Own Graves Ep and Screen Symphony Suicide CD