(c) 2009 Century Media Records
[rating:.5/5]
Imagine, if you will, that Korn went to Alice in Wonderland-land and attempted to pick a fight with the Cheshire Cat. After the fracas begins, Evanescence pops up along with Paul Gilbert and Barney from Napalm Death and everyone starts smacking each other around with guitars and vocal processors and junk. In the end everyone tires themselves out from ridiculous amount of fronting and lame-ass boredom. Nobody wins. If this CD was a joke it wouldn’t be nearly as funny as the fact that it’s not. Suffer! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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ggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhh
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hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this is what it would sound like if you tried to sing along)
Jerry Actually
So ya think hardcore can’t come from the left coast? Well you’re wrong. L.A. Based Terror flippin’ rips it up old school. Forever Crossing The Line (5 Years In The Making) comes correct in all ways. Driving rhythms, pounding drums, crushing guitar, vox with just enough menace but not too much growl. You get 17 tracks, some live, of what is ostensibly East Coast Hardcore albeit from the West Coast. Just because you have palm trees and white sand beaches doesn’t mean you ever get to see ’em. Any way, I know that this review is hella late and Terror even has a new one out (The Damned The Shamed). I was cleaning my office and found it at the bottom of the stack. I feel that this disc is worthy of attention for its true to form hardcore. 
We are The D. We are The D. We are The D. We are The D. … er wait they’re VW Trainwreck. They are also a three piece punk-n-roll band from Tempe, AZ. Don’t get me wrong by the D reference. I enjoy the D and VW Trainwreck offers some of that same appeal (albeit without the dead on comedy approach except maybe on #5 VW ThemeWreck ) Dramaturgy kicks out 16 heavy tracks. Some of these tracks are over 4 minutes. Unless you are making a Rock Opera, this is unacceptable. All tracks over four minutes will only be listened to for 2:15 (I get to pick which parts) … ah yes, that is much better. If you wanna know what the band is all about, here is a bit from the one sheet, “The album revolves heavily around”. Sure that is way out of context, but I think it sums up Dramaturgy nicely. It is mostly heavy. It revolves around. On a more real note this disc is decent but runs a little too far into the rock vein for my personal preference. I would like to check out a live show though as it does appear that they know how to rock.
I know that I’m pretty lax on getting reviews up promptly a lot of the time, but from the copyright date to my door took two years, so I guess I’m not so bad… but on to the review. Queens New York natives, Dead On A Friday certainly have tenacity. Founded in 2002 they went through three drummers, several hazardous apartments, a nervous breakdown and countless hours of therapy (according to their bio) Finally after five long years, the band finally put it to wax so to speak. Hope It Was Worth It is 13 tracks of melodic punk. They have a very Bad Religion feel to me, but with the kind of cold gray edge you’d expect from East Coast winters. The music is tight, good quick pace, no epic length (over 3 minute) BS tracks. For sake of brevity, go find these guys and like them. Like them as much as your little heart can muster. Hope It Was Worth It does in fact seem every bit worth it.
Do you like NOFX? They like you. Wanna know how I know? It’s because they keep putting out totally sweet punk rock cds. This new one, Coaster, even has music included. You know this because it says so right on the cover. Pretty sweet, huh? Aside from the sweet retro bar theme The disc also includes 12 tracks of wisdom and boozedom. Tales of middle class America gone by and the joys and laments of being a drug abusing alcoholic. Oh and lesbian Canadians. What more could you really want? Comedic discourse aside, if you haven’t cared for the last couple of releases (shame on you, but I understand) give ol’ NOFX another try. Coaster might just bring you back into the fold.
Excuse The Blood is a Bay area 3-piece outfit with a pretty eclectic mix of sounds. Without trying to pigeon hole them, they sound like a mix of Slapshot-esque hardcore and a reggae/ska/punk blend ala Op Ivy or perhaps Rudiments. Despite the obvious influence the music feels fresh. The tempo keeps a good pace through the five tracks. That the disc is only a demo perhaps is the biggest shortcoming. Since I don’t have more of a sampling I’m going with a 3/5 instead of possibly higher. I’d like to hear more from Excuse The Blood. Until such time that a new release comes out, you can check the band out at their website 
Here’s a headline: Bristol’s Bolsheviks’ Bring It! … “Ok”, you say, “smart guy”. “What is it that these Bolsheviks are bringing?” Well sir, it’s the muthafukin’ rock and roll for one and for two refer to number one. Seriously though, Action Reaction, the new CD from The Bolsheviks is hard to place but hard to put down at the same time. It is an eclectic mix of sound. I hear flashes of spacial sounding guitars ala Voivod and hard driving bass lines akin to Hogan’s Heroes. Hell they even remind me a bit of the Cadillac Tramps on track 6 “Stole My Name”. With all that is a crazy mash up of haunted house psychobilly grooves and an undeniable mod rock Clash factor. Though in all fairness I have no idea if these blokes ever listened to either of those bands, I do know there is a bit o’ psycho in ’em. The Bolsheviks formed in 2005 from the remnants of bands such as Lux, Rout and Misdormeanour. The wide-ranging prior influences of the collective memebers comes together for what works out to be a damn good CD. Apparently the band forewent any digital recording on the CD and went full analog. This decision lends well to the rather basement dwelling / garage haunting vibe that Action Reaction is all about. 11 tracks that combine punk, rock, psycho and and a strong retro vibe. If you can find them on this side of the pond, by all means do. Otherwise I suggest packin’ up the fam and moving to jolly ol’ England to catch some of this.
Hot damn, it’s good to listen to old-fashioned, ass-kicking hardcore punk! I hope these guys have stock in bass drum heads and throat lozenges; I’m sure they go through a lot of them.