After about a month of deliberating with myself, this is my final word on top 10 CD/vinyl releases for this year. I know you were just dying to find out what I liked. Thanks again for the support in 2008, we’ll be getting back to the regularly scheduled programing next week and we’ll be introducing some new features as the year unfolds. Enjoy your sparkling apple cider tonight.
Top Ten 12″/CD releases”
1. Breathing Fire - Years Of Lead (Painkiller)
Yes, this is on my label, but I still think it’s the best album of the year. One of the clearest misanthropic visions I’ve ever been party to. The busted sounding Traynors and tape hiss and shredded vocal chords are as dank and real as it can get.2. Running For Cover - Dark Well(625/Art of the Underground)
This took 3 or 4 years to come out but it was worth the wait. Some of the wildest bass shit I’ve heard on a hardcore record and with much feeling. Almost on a No Comment level here.
3. Harvey Milk - Life Is The Best Game In Town (Hydra Head)
I am not a Harvey Milk O.G., but this album is great. Probably the best “white blues” lp this year. Just stinkin’ sludged out booze soaked shit kickers here. Def. better than the new Melvins.4. Motorhead - Motorizer (Steamhammer/SPV)
Their 2nd best this decade, but a very good lp on its own. If you don’t like Motorhead, you’re dead to me.5. Outlaw Order - Dragging Down The Enforcer (Season Of Mist)
Out of nowhere this one comes. 4/5ths of Eyehategod doing an album pretty similar to Confederacy Of Ruined Lives era EHG. Mike Williams hate-screams are still pure catharisis.6. Sex/Vid - Communal Living (Dom America)
Couldn’t get away from these dudes this year if you follow hardcore, but they deserve the attention. Tearing apart at the seams, thrashing punked out HC tunes. Get your Deep Wound, Aspirin Feast, Neos, type fix, and thankfully they aren’t slowing down yet.7. Extortion - Sick (Deep 6)
Absolutely 100% the best band on the planet for Ripcord/Voorhees/CapCas(early) skull in a vice style hardcore. Each proper release has improved on the previous for these guys and this is a fucking great hardcore lp. One of the best blast-beat heavy bands you can hear these days.8. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours (Goner)
I guess this is my curve ball pick. Enjoyed this band’s other recs, but I can’t stop playing this one. Totally foot-tappin’ UK DIY vibe. Kinda pubby and kinda twee, but the tunes stick in your head and that’s what counts.9. Midnight - Farewell To Hell + bonus 7″ (Nuclear War Now)
Even though Midnight is kind of punk, they’re my favorite current metal band. Perfect Venom/Fingernails/Warfare type stuff.10. Walls - 1-sided 12″ (Iron Lung)
Kinda regressing for these guys, bringing some more speed and hardcore parts, but I think it sounds good, definitely more intense than their album from last year. Some Rorschach shit, some Unsane shit, the right amount of angular moments and pure HC fury IMO.
Top Ten 7″s/Singles/EPs
1. Sex/Vid - Nests (Dom America)
This dropped early in the year and sort of solidified Sex/Vid’s “hot shit” status. “Excorcism” is my favorite jam by the band. Some people were bummed they just chopped and screwed a stooges riff for “Always Home”, but I say “that’s art”. Or “punk”. But thankfully this isn’t art punk.2. Hatred Surge - Servant b/w “Bestial (Deer Healer)
This EP is like a little Swans tribute. Mostly just metallic clanging and screams that bash against your speaker cones. A brilliant curve ball from the best grindcore band, and it’s well executed at that. I’d like to see it worked into the live set some day.3. Dead Section - s/t (self)
New band for “journeyman” Insane-Bartek. I never met the guy but he is really good at screaming in punk bands. Loved Religious War, and most of the other records hes loaned his vox to. This one goes back to the semi-metallic Swedecore of the Religious War lp with tasty results. Lots of tremolo style 16th notes and trashy solos. Best spikey punk I heard this year.4. Iron Age - The Way Is Narrow(Painkiler/Dead and Gone)
I did participate in the domestic release of this but fuck off, it’s a good single. Iron Age are finally reaching the heights I always knew they could. All the chunky crossover power of my favorite COC, Icemen, and Cro Mags parts, and finally some good production too.5. Slang - 20th aniversery 3×7″ (HG Fact/MCR/Bloodsucker)
One of Japan’s long standing powerhouses mark their 20th anniversary by going back to their roots a bit. Just thick, driving, hardcore with some dis-core overtones and burly vocals too.6. Double Negative - Raw Energy (Sorry State)
Probably the best of the 80’s revival crowd at this point, although they were all around to see the real thing, so I’m not sure what that means. This time they offer some self recorded tracks on an E.P. Basically the same thing as their 12″ but with less polish than before. Gets you in that COC, Attitude Adjustment, Final Conflict, mode, and it’s good.7. Inmates - Now We Talkin’ Hardcore (Even Worse/Way Back When)
Cleveland heroes return with their first new recording this decade. Riffs from the Thrash Til Death school, but with the lyrical sensibility of A.O.D. Obnoxious spiteful kick you in the teeth kind of hardcore. Glad these guys are still out there doing it.8. Pig Heart Transplant - Nature b/w Nurture (Deer Healer)
I’m not a noise guy, and this works in just the right amount of pure noise and fractured hardcore to hold my interest. Feedback screeching, cavernous drums, ranting shouts. Like a fucking migraine.9. No Peace - Zombie Brains (Decision of Fate)
Another Cleveland cult classic in the 90’s style. Great live in studio style recording, kinda has that early discharge style fuzz and rickety drum sound, but with plenty of that Americanized Japanese sound that H-100s/early 9 Shocks did. Lofi hate punk that doesn’t suck.10. Satanic Threat - Into Hell (Gloom/Hell’s Headbangers)
Occasionally a novelty record can be cool. This one is in the style of Unity/7 Seconds/Minor Threat but with Satanic lyrics courtesy of the Nunslaughter guys, and Shaun (formerly of Gordon Solie MF’s and Annihilation Time). Perfect Unity style vocals, perfect early 80’s tuneful hardcore, and ridiculous Satanic lyrics.
Top Ten reissues
1. Hellhammer - Demon Entrails 3xLP (Century Media)
It would have been extremely easy to fuck this up, and I was worried, but I have to say this is one of the best reissue jobs I’ve ever seen. Great sounding audio transfer, beautiful packaging with lots of rare photos and drawings, for one of the most important heavy bands of the last 30 years. It goes above and beyond several times over. I kind of can’t believe this is on Century Media. Long overdue, but thankfully not rushed.2. Paintbox - Earth Ball Sports Tournament vinyl (Prank)
The day I found out Chelsea from Paintbox died I got depressed. This is not something that generally happens to me when a musician dies. His playing is so consistently brilliant though, and Paintbox as an ensemble on this album are incredible…unmatched…perfect. One of the best ever. Seriously. I’m very happy it’s finally pressed to vinyl. Always playing this.3. Cro Mags - Age Of Quarrel w/ unreleased demo tracks CD (self)
Okay the only reasons this isn’t @ #1 is because it’s not on vinyl and because there are more tracks from this unreleased demo session that aren’t included. HOWEVER, this does include some unheard demo songs recorded by Don Fury, 2 of which were never on a Cro Mags album, or official demo release. They are heavy as hell obviously.4. The Icemen - The Iceman b/w It’ll Be Your Grave (Reaper)
The Icemen are a love ‘em/hate ‘em NYHC/Crossover band that only ever managed a couple of singles for releases, so unearthing 2 pro recorded demo tracks for a new single is a real treat. This thing sounds great (good remix/mastering job), has the same visual aesthetic as the band’s previous releases, and the music rips. This is how it’s done people.5. Systematic Death - Systemania 4xLP (Partners In Crime)
Aside from these being a great “everything in one place” set, they are really nicely made, and I have to admire someone that is willing to basically put out 2 double lps at once of the same band. And a hell of a band they are. Essential early thrash paving the way for so many after.6.Black Sabbath - The Rules Of Hell 4xCD boxset (Rhino)
Finally a decent remaster of Sabbath’s Dio Years with some good behind the scenes style liner notes too. Heaven and Hell is, IMO the best power-metal lp ever so it’s nice that the world is acknowledging Sabbath made good music after ‘75 again.7. Amebix - No Sanctuary (The Spiderleg Recordings) (Alternative Tentacles)
This phase of the Amebix is kind of my favorite so I like that this is all nice and neat on one disc that can be got anywhere. Dark and dirgy, Killing Joke via a punk squat.8. Gauze - Binbou Yusuri No Rizumu Ni Notte vinyl (Prank)
I know this album just came out last year, so it’s kind of not a reissue, but I’m just happy it’s on vinyl. It’s a great album, and like every other Gauze recording there’s certain things about it that make it unique in their lexicon. I love the rough recording and it sounds killer on wax.9. Adrenalin O.D. - Wacky Hijinks Of… 2xCD (Chunksaah Records)
I’m happy this is back available for the masses and not on shitty GTA records at that. This has tons of extra stuff including the amazing Let’s BBQ 7″, which has one of the best punk leadoff tracks ever played. Shit AOD vs. Godzilla, you’re moshing with a bowling pin. Hopefully some young impressionable Bouncing Souls fans will grip this and get a clue about real deal NJ punk.10. H-100’s - Dismantle + outtakes 12″ (self)
A stone-cold Cleveland HC/Punk classic available again at last, and as a big loud 12″. This is as raw and real as it gets. Some cool outtake curiosities pad out the sides, but this is really about the original 7″ tracks which are remastered and loud as fuck. “I was born/so now I suffer”.