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hardcore records on ebay — aggregated and examined
Technically I should be listing this on a metal designated day, but somehow there’s never any copies for sale on Mondays, and I think a case can be made that Repulsion’s “Horrified” is basically an accidental hardcore record anyway. Repulsion were a band of metal heads in the wrong time and the wrong damn place - early 80’s Flint Michigan. I really can’t think of a worse place to be in the USA then. These guys were born and bred metal heads, but they had punk and Hardcore sympathies so while they were following the progression of bands like Slayer, Possessed, Death, and Celtic Frost, they were also catching onto the extreme sounds of Discharge, Siege, C.O.C., NYC Mayhem, and D.R.I., as well as the tasteless shock punk of G.G. Allin. Repulsion were ahead of their time because they could make the connection between something like Siege and something like Possessed. That the brutality and delivery were different, but still similar, and related to each other.
When they recorded their Horrified lp it was actually supposed to a be a demo called, Slaughter Of The Innocent. The idea was they would produce the best possible sounding demo they could with their entire current set list, and then use the recording to secure a record deal. Apparently tension ran high with the band and the studio engineer who not surprisingly, found their punk metal hybrid to be trash, and gave very little attention to detail during the session, but in the end I think that may help make this recording what it is (godly). The 2 guitars are panned hard right and hard left, the vocals are shouted hoarse and without any echo or sign of overdubbing, the drums are a blasting racket, and the bass… whata bass sound. Apparently there was some screw up when they were recording forcing the band to record a second track of bass over top of the other one which was too faint on most of the tracks, so it was decided it would be run direct into the board through a fuzz pedal. Easy on the ears it’s not. Saturated, blown out, and fucked up it certainly is, and it helps to cement the entire thing as a distorted “shit-fi” whirlwind of a recording. The style of recording alone sounds more hardcore than basically any of the bands Repulsion was influenced by. It’s abrasive even by today’s standards. The songs themselves are possibly the fastest recorded up to that point in time in metal, and are stripped to the bone for maximum speed potential. Only 3 even break the 2 minute mark and there’s not a high note or attempt at singing in sight. Repulsion may not have intended to be, but for all intents and purposes they were as hardcore as anyone else in 1985, or now.
Sadly, and not surprisingly this demo wasn’t exactly a hit with any labels. The band say they sent it everywhere, hoping to get some money to record what they saw as a proper album, and at best they were told, send a copy of the next demo. No one got it because they were all looking for another Slayer. The band dejected, depressed, and out of steam, fizzled later in the year. But like the zombies that adorned the very flyers they were billed on, Repulsion was soon exhumed from their own coffin… well kind of. Less than a year later Napalm Death had recorded their debut lp, and it became a novelty success in the UK. John Peel loved it, parents hated it, kids had to have it, and everyone was asking “where did you come up with this shit”. Pretty much the whole band credited Repulsion as one of their main influences and suddenly people were busy tracking down copies of their demos (some of which were issued under their previous name Genocide). When Carcass exploded onto the fledgling grind-core scene soon after there was no stopping things. Soon Carcass front man Jeff Walker had his own imprint subsidiary on Earache (who released Napalm Death and Carcass’ albums), and his first project was basically remixing the Slaughter of the Innocent demo and releasing it as the 18 song Horrified lp. Retribution. It was strictly for the diehard, but finally the planet had caught up to where Repulsion had been, and grind-core mania was on.So this is that original pressing released in ‘89 that I’ve linked. Since then its been issued a few different times. Most recently with a bonus lp containing most of the band’s other demos on Southern Lord that’s worth every cent if you’re unfamiliar.
Let me put it to you like this: I don’t care how uncool Victory records is (extremely), I don’t care about the controversy that has always surrounded the band (plenty), or the horrible tours with horrible bands they went on (Strife I think?). I don’t care about the crappy 90’s looking cover art (eww), I don’t care about the section of their fans that are basketball jersey wearing, plugs in the earlobe douchebags… I don’t care about any of that. The bottom line is Systems Overload will crush you. Every time. This is one of the most brilliant and inspired pieces of “extreme music” ever recorded. Think what you want. I know there’s people too uptight to really sit down with Integrity and give them an honest listen. I know there’s some who don’t go past their first album because it’s not on the worst label of all time, and because of the rule in HC that “first albums always the best”. I’m confident this is the best Integrity album though. It outshines all their previous efforts by leaps and bounds, it set the bar for their next 2 almost as perfect releases, and it should make the pale imitation of the band that has been around since 1998 (’99?) in various forms, downright ashamed.
Systems Overload blends a variety of hardcore, punk and metal sounds into a seamless whole. I know when I’m slipping into the banality of hyperbole, and I know it’s happening now, but there’s no other group that can borrow from the Cro-Mags, Discharge, Metallica, and Entombed (the “classic” releases only by those bands) and make it count like this. It’s a generic list of influences, but upon hearing the album it obviously makes sense. You take that driving British tempo and muscle, temper it through the “behind-the-beat” NYHC crunch, mix in sombre melodies and solos of Burton and Hetfield, and give it the dark horror vibe and deranged delivery of Left Hand Path. It’s amazing working off influences that cast shadows so big can work this well, but the 1-2-3 punch of Incarnate365/No One/Systems Overload ought to be all the proof you need. I don’t know how to explain the kind of power riff that opens Incarnate. It’s so basic and simple… almost triumphant sounding. When the song speeds up and the main verse takes over, guitarist Aaron Melnick lays down a wild run of Kirk Hammett inspired shredding that fights for supremacy with the growling screaming vocals. Everything is emphasized by the juicy drum sound, led by a saturated and booming bass drum (with double kicks used for maximum effectiveness), and a primal echoing “roomy” sound on the kit. No drum triggering in sight. Just “THUD CRACK BOOM”.
With the bombast and in your face metal licks that dominate Incarnate, it’s a bit of a surprise that the next song, No One, is the most no frills hardcore song on the album. At only 45 seconds or so, there’s no time for finger tapping or even a proper breakdown. These 2 songs are a template for the majority of the rest of the album. A handful of the songs work to expand on the kind of meat and potatoes hardcore approach that No One takes, while the others juxtapose guitar acrobatics with slower moody sections and pseudo death metal crunch. A couple of songs, like Armanien Persectution and Salvations Malevolence also find the instrumental sections stretched out, and see diversions into ambient noise which both help to heighten the dark atmosphere as well as break for a couple minutes from the otherwise constant bludgeoning.Systems Overload can never truly get the recognition I want it to have. It’s in every way superior to the plodding, dated sound and style of Integrity’s debut lp “Those Who Fear Tomorrow”, and recorded hundreds of times better. Unfortunately by 1995 Integrity had already eclipsed their achievements with their infamous reputation as trouble makers. They had problems touring because they couldn’t keep a steady lineup and were often getting in fights, and with the rising attitude of 80’s revivalism in hardcore, they were increasingly labeled as “just a metal band”/”not hardcore”/ too thuggish. The record was well recognized at the time, make no mistake, but even if it was superior, in hindsight it wasn’t the career maker that “Those Who Fear Tomorrow” was able to be, (due as much to time and place and attitudes about the band as the songs on it). But where Those Who Fear Tomorrow sounds so stuck in its time and place now, Systems could be a contemporary album, even though its roots are firmly in 80’s hc and metal. For me I think that’s why it endures.The edition I’ve linked is on clear vinyl, it says 100 pressed, but my pressing info says 500. It’s still pretty hard to track down, so grab it if you can.
I like COC for a lot of reasons. One is that they have one of the all time coolest skull logos. But probably the number one reason is the Animosity lp. It’s kind of Crossover, but it’s still mostly Hardcore, and has been a standard in my rotation for years. It’s not your usual Crossover fair though, as the metal it crosses itself with seems to be more of the ominous doomy variety than your typical Metallica/Megadeth aping found on most “going metal” records of the 80s.
Side A opens with Loss For Words which begins with a roll across some roto-toms and a quick succession of palm muted 16th notes, immediately telling the listener this will be a progression from previous COC records. After some effective start-stop-start thrashing, the band drop into a heavy mosh riff that sounds like something Suicidal might have written if they were a better band. It’s got the same party-mosh beat that Suicide’s An Alternative cultivated, but with a much more menacing atmosphere and a deeper groove. COC doesn’t sound like speed freaks, they sound like pot-heads, and that’s meant to be a compliment. If there’s any doubt in your mind just wait til they shift down to first gear again to Sabbath type sludge, and a gloriously loose atonal solo, that sounds like the 2nd cousin of a classic Greg Ginn run. If there’s such a thing as Stoner-Thrash, this has to be it. Mike Dean’s vocals howl and growl their way into paranoid, angry oblivion with worlds more expression than previous “singers”, Eric Eycke and Benji Shelton, sounding absolutely sinister and disturbed. If more crossover bands had been able to display the kind of versatility that COC does just in the first 5 minutes of Animosity, maybe it wouldn’t have died such a quick death as a subgenre.Next up is Mad World, a reworking of a song originally on the No Core comp with a more rocked out delivery, and more manic vocals. Guitar player Woody Weatherman (great name!) tears a wild solo sure to make the likes of Bubba Dupree proud (or jealous) and Reed Mullin keeps the pace under control playing a little behind the beat for a more savage feel. Side note: I called Reed’s parents house from the number listed in the No Core comp, and while he was not available at the time, his mom was really nice. Consumed is track 3 and it opens with a heavy call response section between the bass and guitar before taking off with the main riff. Holier and Positive Outlook move things along well with some good gang back-up portions, and mind-melting riffs-a-plenty.
Side B of the album is in some ways an entirely different beast. Specifically, it’s from a very different sounding recording session, and while both sides have a heavy sound, Side-B is much more raw. The drums and vocals particularly have a lot of added distortion, the vocals even sound like they were probably sung through a distortion pedal. It’s sort of crazy to think that think that a record released on Enigma/Death records in 1985, that was trying to appeal to a wider audience would have had this sound for the b-side, but there it is. Things open with the album highlight “Prayer” which has Dean at his most demonic sounding, and one of the most menacing breakdowns ever with Dean and some backup shouters repeating the line: “Pray, pray, pray for power” against a riff half way between Pentagram and Discharge. The next song, “Intervention”, starts with some unaccompanied growls and rasps, sounding like someone spitting blood up, and then enters into a circular noodling bassline which eventually gives way to the full band. Most of the songs on this side sound like they were probably written before the songs on the A-side as they are a little bit simpler, and dirtier in their presentation. It makes me wonder if there might be an entire lp’s worth of tunes from this session. Kiss Of Death and Hungry Child flesh out this distort-o nightmare version of COC, and definitely cement Animosity, Side-B, as their most crazy sounding material. The album closes with an instrumental title track, a heavy dirging jam on a couple of sludgy endless riffs. It’s a good way to finish things out.
Reviews from the time tend to complain about the more metallic and “heavy” elements that COC introduced on this album, and I’m sure there are some purists today who still feel their best work is their first lp, Eye For An Eye. Looking retrospectively at their career and where this album fit into the larger hardcore and metal landscapes though, I’m fairly certain that this is their best work, and their most original work. Eye For An Eye is a good hardcore album, but Animosity is just a great album. You could call it hardcore or cross over, or maybe even metal, but I just know it’s extremely ferocious and brutalizing.By the way an added bonus to this album is that it features early Pushead art from before he’d developed his, at this point, extremely tired, dotted skulls+ swirly backgrounds aesthetic. Instead you get an angry bearded man, and some torn up pages from a calander? Hey, I just know it looks cool.
In my view, Inepsy are the best French Canadian band to exist since the classic lineup of VoiVod. When I first saw them they had snuck into the USA because of some kind of problematic criminal records. They all wore black leather and had spikey hair, and sounded like a punked out Motorhead. Every song raged. When their 7″ single finally came out it confirmed the promise of that first gig I caught. This was first rate punk, but also exceptionally good as rock ‘n roll. The See You In Hell e.p. has a deceptively simple formula. Take Motorhead circa Overkill-Iron Fist, season liberally with GBH and Discharge (lots of D-beats), tune to Venom (C I think), and toss in a couple of Hellhammer’s breakdowns… basically you get the catchiest music imaginable. It all makes sense, and it’s not hard to play “rocked out punk”, but Inepsy just had a really good knack for it starting with this record - “See You In Hell”. Germ Warfare kicks off and it’s kind of perverse a song with such atrocious subject matter be so toe-tapping. I mean, it’s not a huge deal for me, I like music that sounds like tv static, so to my ears this is tuneful. There’s some Hellhammer flavor in this one where they hit the low notes and there’s a heavy Tom Warrior style mosh part too. A rea. It’s a Time Bomb comes second, and its been a live staple since the time of this record, straight up Motorhead style riffing distilled to fit with punk drumming, but without losing the tendency for great choruses, and driving power-riffs. Hammer Hearth moves along an almost identical structure but why fix what isn’t broken. Finishing things up is The Reaper Watches The Game, which gets back to a little more Hellhammer style approach but also echos some Clay-era GBH in the start and stop moments. Its a fine beginning to a band that has provided 3 exceptional lps of punked out grimy rock n roll (at least one of which is a perfect 10). This is an early release on the always high-quality, Feral Ward. Hey Yannick, if you’re reading this, this record has been OOP for long enough. How about a 12″ pressing with the 4 added songs from the tour CDR the band had a little before the 7″ had come out. Someone out there’s gotta be able to engineer this into happening…
I like this seller’s spread a lot. Basically it’s a bunch of British hardcore, but with the Septic Death lp and Age of Quarrel thrown in. All hot pieces. BTW the Cro- Mags lp is a GWR pressing which I see a little less. The ills of society painting on the inside is black and white and without a censor bar.The Axegrinder lp, Rise Of the Serpent Men on Peaceville for sale is a cool chunk of OG Crust, or “Stench-Core” as they called themselves. I believe 3 of the 4 members have dreadlocks on the back cover. Axegrinder are a less subtle Amebix when you get it down to it. Remove the Killing Joke influence, add some doom metal, simplify your riffs a little bit, and you’re almost there. Axegrinder loved interludes and atmospherics and at times these parts sound almost black metal in tradition, delivered in minor keys sounding hopeless and sombre and occasionally embellished by cold synth lines. The songs themselves run on simple mid-paced chugging patterns, with ultra processed sounding drums (possibly a drum machine w/ overdubbed cymbals), and guitars, and though it’s maybe a bit to clean at times, the tunes manage to hold together fairly well. It sounds like it should be the music during the future scenes in the Terminator movies.One thing that sticks out a lot to me about Rise Of the Serpent Men though is the title and cover art, and their significance to the band. The cover depicts some kind of reptilian-human hybrid reeking havoc on various humans. This together with the title leads me to wonder whether the members of Axegrinder were turned onto conspiracy theories positing that there are a sect of the ruling class that are actually ruthless reptilian overlords disguised as human beings planning to enslave the human race. Even with hard core conspiracy theorists these views are considered to be laughable. Princess Diana was supposed to be one of them, and there’s a passing reference in one song to the belief that the Reptoids invented Christianity as a tool to enslave humanity. So where does that leave this album? I guess it just kind of makes for a semi-interesting angle for an overly dramatic, post-apocalyptic crust band. As this is their sole lp and vinyl release (other than their track on this comp from the same seller), Axegrinder never managed to flesh out their worldview beyond this album (although they did have a previous demo). I would have liked to see them go into more detail about the Serpent Men, if for no other reason than the sheer comic-book absurdity, though I wouldn’t mind more of their brand of sludgy crust metal either. You’d be better off with the first Sacrilege lp, Amebix “Monolith”, or some of the earlier Hellbastard or Deviated Instinct offerings, but Rise of the Serpent Men at least sits comfortably in the 2nd tier of Crust’s first wave.
G.I.S.M.’s “Detestation” lp is one of those records that is nearly impossible to judge in a vacuum. Its been subject to 25 solid years of mythologizing and collector worship. Its one of the few records that can still get an extreme reaction from people listening to it for the first time so long after it was first conceived. It’s one of the harshest most brutalizing rock records ever made. It’s also one of the strangest. It’s a landmark intersection point for punk, hardcore, and metal, doing its something to muddy up the gene pool of each. “Greater than the sum of its parts” is not even the half of things here. People who know G.I.S.M.’s music already know all about this, and those who don’t can’t really understand what it’s all about until hearing them.A lot of people were unknowingly exposed to G.I.S.M. for the first time via the “P.E.A.C.E.” compilation on R Radical records, where the first song from Detestation, “Endless Blockade For Pussyfooters” was given the prominent position of 2nd song on side A (right after Articles Of Faith’s “Up Against a Wall” no less). This song not only typifies everything about Detestation, but it was given visibility of the unavoidable sort in the lives of thousands of “punks” world wide. The guitars have a saturated “direct line”/”tone-knob-at-zero” sound, somewhere south of AF “United Blood”, but are played with the kind of dexterity you’d expect from Judas Priest’s K.K. Downing circa Stained Class or British Steel. There’s absolutely no concession for punk rock conventions made by guitarist Randy Uchida AT ALL. He plays speed metal riffs, he just happens to be in a raw hard core band. The rhythm session if less remarkable, is exactly what it needs to be, as much as they parallel the Rainy/Tez team of Discharge (who are certainly an influence here), they also are supporting Uchida the way Kerslake and Daisley did on Ozzy’s Blizzard of Oz. They’re the rock solid foundation. It ain’t about every member being in the spotlight, it’s about each one shining in their own way. Sometimes that means playing your bass like Micheal Anthony.Enough of that…It’s all forgotten the first time you hear the vocals, by the respected and feared, Sakevi Yokoyama. There’s dozens of tales of his insanity, of how he can kill with a look, of how he is the most feared man in Japanese punk. The Flannegan and Mcgowan times ten. Well, this is a music blog, and frankly when you hear the man’s vocals, you’ll know he’s crazy. I don’t need to recite tall tales. There’s talking, shouting, screaming, and gurgling. There’s echo, and phasing, and distortion. It’s unlike anything else from the time period, and pretty much still completely on its own as a musical statement. As far as hard core nothing even comes close in terms of unhinged mania. In metal the only thing close might be Bathory, and Quarthon was always much more 1-dimensional. When you put it all together G.I.S.M. is kind of like listening to Iron Maiden during a really bad acid trip with Discharge playing really loud in the next room. I don’t know how anyone thought to combine driving hardcore with NWOBHM and these unholy vocals, I just know it’s good. This is the original legit pressing of Detestation on Dogma label. My man on the street says you can tell by the tip-on jacket and because subsequent bootlegs removed the swastikas found in the art. Please no body get scared, this isn’t music for fascists, just music confronting them.
I’m pretty sure the seller here (athenar66) is Jaimie from Midnight*/Boulder, which if you were to be excited by that sort of thing should be exciting. The listings are minimal at best, so I’d guess some low prices are gonna be the final bids. He’s got the rather indispensable Ringworm demo 7″up for sale, which has a different mix than the version you can get on CD with added vocal effects, and with the Night Breed interludes removed. As so many people have wondered, why did they choose NIGHT BREED of all movies to steal the music from? Anyway you cut it though, this is the best Ringworm release. Ringworm is basically the perfect idea for a band if it’s 1991. Take the Raw Deal and Cro-Mags demos, combine with early Possessed and Death, maybe a little old Slayer, blend until it’s at maximum kill-your-mother headbanging potential, listen to 6 times a day.Now I celebrate their entire catalog, and I know this demo doesn’t open with Numb, but it’s pretty obvious the performance on here is just better than their subsequent lp, which they admit to having been a drunken and rushed recording session. It really doesn’t pack the same kind of punch as this demo because it’s got such a cheap production and that’s maybe the biggest travesty of their existence. Sounding much thinner, although to be fair, the 7″ version of this really doesn’t sound that great and is mostly a curiosity, and overall just delivered with less percision and power. Forget about remixing the lp though, Human Furnace traded one of the reels for Kiss memorabilia. :sad slide whistle: I mean no disrespect though, even with its imperfections, The Promise is still perfect, I just like the demo a little better.The sleeve for the record also doubles as issue #5 (I think) of Bloodbook fanzine, which is stapled inside the record sleeve. As I recall it’s borderline illegible due to small print and a questionable computer layout. I think Gehenna is interviewed, and there might be an article by Bobby Corpsegrinder. I think there’s a bunch of “noise” stuff too, like Lockweld covered in it. Not like you care. Definitely one of the less interesting issues of Bloodbook.If you’re so inclined to check out the other auctions here, don’t miss the S.D.S. “Scum Kill System” 7″, easily one of the best metallic hardcore records from Japan ever, or the TKO’s “Don’t Pull the Plug” 7″ which is a little known 90’s Cleveland punk gem. I can’t tell what edition that SOIA 7″ is so proceed w/ caution. Also if your name is Derek Scace, you’re gonna want all those Stiff Little Fingers singles.*Best current metal band in the world.
Occasionally I find myself struck with intense and/or frightening realizations of reality, and in these times there are only few a records I can listen to where I can get myself back to feeling normal and balanced. For some reason, Integrity is one. They shouldn’t be, due to the dark and intense nature of their sound, but somehow I find them calming.Integrity with the Melnick brothers is an all time favorite of mine, and so below I’ve noted a test pressing of the first full length release of that era: Those Who Fear Tomorrow. In truth I greatly prefer the work they did after this, however, for better or worse, since this is their first album it will always be the undisputed classic for most people. Almost every song starts with an open E-Chord ringing out, and basically every song sounds like it was based on 2 records: Bringin’ It Down & South Of Heaven. It’s cool, but the production is pretty dated, and some of the riffs are too. Starting with the Systems Overload lp I think Integrity became a rawer band, and really became a more interesting hybrid of metal+punk+hardcore. That’s not to diminish this album though, if you want some heavy E-Chord mosh and finger tapped arpeggios, this album’s got that non-stop. Don’t buy the recent reissue on Fractured Transmissions. It sounds like it was mastered off a shitty old DAT with the sound distorted and clipping, and I’m pretty sure none of the band members were paid for it except the singer.Weirdly I own a test press of this album and it doesn’t have Erika labels on it, however this one I’ve found for sale does. I’m not sure what the deal with that is, but I believe it was pressed two or three times by Toybox which may account for there being multiple test presses that look different. Its never been booted to my knowledge so I don’t think that possibility figures into it. Judging by the stickering on the cover this may have come from a band member.
Seller here has only 2 auctions even worth looking at, and they’re both the same record. Slipknot’s s/t 7″ on revelation, on black vinyl & limited red vinyl. Slipknot is a record best described as “infamous”, mostly for the fact that it sounds nothing like any of the other releases on the label at that time, but also for there being a famous band of the same name in the late 90’s. Unlike basically every record on Revelation up to that point which was derived from Youth Of Today, Agnostic Front, or somewhere in between, Slipknot were a bit of a “cross-over” band, that had most in common with Animosity-era Corrosion of Conformity, Money Talks phase Cryptic Slaughter, and maybe a bit of Septic Death as well. One thing they did keep in common with other bands on the label were message type lyrics, although they were more consistent with COC and Cryptic Slaughter type themes (anti-cop song, songs railing on the power elite). The record itself is quite ferocious and frankly I think the band could have had a decent career on NY’s Combat records, it’s funny how many people who would be into it aren’t familiar because of the Rev affiliation, the band name, and the sort of crappy sleeve on the thing.Whenst visiting RevHQ a couple years ago I saw founder Jordan Cooper sitting at one of the desks in the office. Cautiously I approached and asked for some Slipknot information, as if to illustrate how overlooked they are, he actually thought I was playing a joke. After I explained he opened up a little bit, but didn’t have much to offer in the way of info. There was a rehearsal demo produced by the band under the name Evil Dead, but they switched names probably because there was half a dozen other thrash metal bands with the same name. They were just some dudes from Conneticut doing the band mostly just to entertain themselves. They played CBGB’s one time and all the lights in the club went out which must have enhanced the sinister sound they had on display (or so I’d imagine). One thing people always said was Rev released this record because Jordan owed one of the band members money for pot (oh! the scandal!), but aside from it being denied of course, it sounds unlikely. It’s got a full color glossy cover, and my limited knowledge of the drug trade leads me to believe that’s just WAY too much pot for a dude to float you before asking for money.Here’s a photo of me holding the reels to the record as well as Breakdown the Walls: 
I like this seller’s listings. I’ve featured them before, but this set is kind of cooler because it’s several different things — a bunch of rap lps, a bunch of Japanese hardcore, some American grindcore, and a little bit of NYHC. I dunno, you could probably have a decent time hanging with this person.Here’s a tasty Japanese ripper… or something like that. LSD’s - Jast Last 7″. This is hardly the genre I’m most knowledgeable in, but this is one record that left an impression on me right from the get go. The vocals pour out in a mess of distortion and slurred growling, most likely double tracked (it could just me some kind of echo effect though?), but sounding pretty crazy. The music is kind of more controlled and somewhat metallic in the delivery, with fairly precise mid-paced type riffs. My favorite song is the 6 minute Karen Nash which begins with a clean guitar intro, and then builds up with a noodley riff, before kicking in full power with the most deranged vocal section on the entire record. The song pushes into hookier and more melodic territory, more-so than the other two on the record, or for that matter any other LSD song. By the time the maiden-esque solo kicks in 2 minutes deep it’s pretty obvious you’re hearing a masterwork. Finally at about the middle the sheets of distortion let up for a return to the same clean guitar work from the beginning. The buildup back into the song is cheesy and “of the time” as could be but it works because the band sell it, and to me it all sounds necessary, like there’s no fat to trim (which is absurd because in reality it’s a 6 minute song), they have me under the spell. When the speed really picks up again and the vocals come with tortured “whoas” echoing into 80’s reverb oblivion, it’s the payoff. I really have no idea what this song is actually about, but it just sounds moving. Maybe melodrama has a big effect on me. As a sequel to yesterday’s posting: a Crossed Out 7″. Of course if you know me at all, you know I’ve staked some of my creativity in this record’s legacy, much to the disappointment and annoyance of a person or three, but generally these are people that are old and/or Scottish. Seriously though, this one’s timeless. A template for a dozens and dozens of bands thereafter, none one tenth as good. Crossed Out said they were into Siege and the Skitslickers, it really can’t get much more straight forward than that. It’s that kind of simplicity that permeates the sound and style of the record. There’s nothing tricky or hard to grasp, it just sounds like a hammer beating against your skull really fast, and then really slow. There are a couple of 90’s bootlegs of this but the seller has taken care to list attributes that verify it as an original (matrix numbers being the give away). If you’re ever not sure about one of these, look at the between song gaps, the original pressing has long silences between each song, like 5-10 seconds, you should be able to see them just by looking at the vinyl.
