Night Fever - New Blood

Night Fever - New Blood

This is some fucking rocking hardcore out of Copenhagen, Denmark. This sounds a little like Annihilation Time, but mostly these dudes remind me of one of the best hardcore bands of the last ten years: DEAD FUCKING STOP. Eight totally rad old-school bangers that are sure to get your ass moving.

Daniel Romano - Sleep Beneath The Willow

Daniel Romano - Sleep Beneath The Willow

Daniel is the lead singer/main songwriter for Canadian indie band Attack In Black. This is his second solo album to see a wide release, and it is a doozy. Daniel plays country and folk with a confidence you don't usually find in a man his age. If you dig the work of Gram Parsons you'll be blown away by how good this album is. I can't wait to get this home and drop the needle on the first track, to hear that crackle and those gorgeous harmonies and Daniel's weathered baritone. Fucking great album.

Jay Mass Kiss

J. M. - SSOW

Basically just J. and his trusted Martin acoustic guitar (there are no drums on this thing and very little electrified guitar). I've been waiting months to get this and it does not disappoint. Tender jams from one of my favourite songwriters. There are a butt-load of guests on this thing too, namely Kurt Vile, Kevin Drew and Ben Bridwell. I always knew J.'s guitar playing could melt faces, now I know it can also melt hearts.

Stan Bush & Barrage

Stan Bush & Barrage - S/T

If anyone out there was all fired up after listening to those Blood Bros mixes and wants more rad and inspiring jams from the 80's then look no further. Before you go and put this on make sure you've got an extra pair of socks and pants handy because Stan Bush's music will rock your socks off while simultaneously making you cream your jeans (this dude can sing like Sammy Hagar and shred like Eddie Van Halen). Even the slow-jams are rad (and I hate slow-jams). This contains "The Touch" and "Dare" from the Transformers movie soundtrack (the 80's animated one) as well as three tracks from the Kickboxer soundtrack. Try and be angry while listening to this, it can't be done, I'm grinning from ear to ear just writing about how fucking cool this album is.

D.R.I. - Crossover

D.R.I. - Crossover

The perfect combination of hardcore and thrash (the genre term "crossover" was coined from the album's title). Some say Dealing With It! is the better album and on certain days I would agree with them, but this album really is fucking killer and one of their best. This was released on Death Records in 1987 and like most of their releases it is the shit.

Beyond Possession - ...Is Beyond Possession

Beyond Possession - ...Is Beyond Possession

Canadian thrash band from Calgary. These guys fucking slay big time. This album is so fucking fast and heavy it will scare the wrinkles off your balls. Jeff Hanneman and James Hetfield were both huge fans of these guys. This came out on the Metal Blade subsidiary Death Records in 1986 and it is definitely a classic. This thing is fucking hardcore, thrash and skate-rock all rolled into one. Crank this shit and go out and slay a bowl (like on a skateboard, not dropping a deuce). This is their only full length release (they recorded demos in 1989 but broke up shortly after).

Sepultura

Sepultura - Beneath The Remains

Sepultura - Arise

Sepultura are perhaps the greatest thing to have ever come out of Brazil (besides Pele and butt implants, natch). They had two rad albums before these and two after, but these two albums are their only truly essential releases. Sepultura seamlessly blend hardcore, death metal and thrash into one pissed-off assault on your eardrums. The band will always be loved and remembered because of these two albums and their radicalness. Max Cavalera has the perfect voice for heavy music, so in your face and aggressive, and on top of that guitarist Andreas Kisser just fucking shreds all over the place. Legendary Florida death metal producer Scott Burns recorded both of these albums (although only Arise was done at his Florida studio, Morrisound) and unlike a lot of his work the drums here don't sound like someone banging away at a typewriter in the least.

Dr. Know

Dr. Know - This Island Earth

Dr. Know - Wreckage In Flesh

After having released several albums and EPs on Mystic Records, Dr. Know signed to the Metal Blade subsidiary Death Records in 1986 and released their debut for the label (This Island Earth) later that year. This Island Earth is more hardcore than metal, but by the time the follow-up Wreckage In Flesh was released in 1988 they were a full-on thrash metal band. I love it when punk and hardcore bands go metal. Metal Blade's house engineer/producer Bill Metoyer even did the recording of Wreckage In Flesh. These are by no means classic releases, just rad mid-80's punk/metal albums from one of the best 80's labels, Death/Metal Blade who's roster at the time was un-fuck-withable (Cryptic Slaughter, C.O.C., D.R.I., The Mentors, Ugly Americans and Beyond Possession).

Sacred Reich

Sacred Reich - Ignorance

Sacred Reich - Surf Nicaragua

Sacred Reich - The American Way

Sacred Reich - Independent

Sacred Reich hailed from Phoenix, AZ and were around from 1985-2000. They were signed to Metal Blade Records who released these four albums (although Surf Nicaragua is actually an EP and Independent was co-released with Hollywood Records). Their debut album Ignorance is my favourite even though the follow-up, The American Way, is widely regarded as their best. Bill Metoyer (Slayer, C.O.C. and almost every Metal Blade act) produced the hell out of Ignorance and The American Way and they both totally shred. Like most thrash acts of the time their lyrics were about politics and social unrest. Well above average thrash metal. The video for American Way was also featured in the film Encino Man, which I believe was some kind of documentary about urban cavemen.

Atrophy

Atrophy - Socialized Hate

Atrophy - Violent by Nature

Thrash metal from Tucson, AZ. Both of these fine slabs-o-thrash were released by Roadrunner Records in the late 80's/early 90's. The band called it quits after founding guitarist (and main songwriter) Chris Lykins left to attend med-school. Quality thrash metal with all the hallmarks of the genre: Blazing solos, double-kick drumming and generic lyrics about social unrest (with the obligatory party song thrown in). This may not be on a Megadeth level of awesomeness, but it is definitely on par with anything Exodus or Testament put out. Like most old albums on Roadrunner these are long out of print.

Wasted Youth - Black Daze

Wasted Youth - Black Daze

Wasted Youth started out as a hardcore punk band in the early 80's (their singer is even on the cover of the book American Hardcore). However, on this release they went full on thrash metal. Bassist Dave Kushner went on to play guitar in Velvet Revolver and Drummer Joey Castillo went on to play with Danzig and Queens Of The Stone Age. The guitar work on this is fucking incredible, lead guitarist Rick Seccombe just shreds all over this thing with one face-melting solo after another. The musicianship overall is pretty rad and its a real shame these guys never took off. The artwork was done by Michael Seiff who also created cover art for Suicidal Tendencies, No Mercy, Excel and Beowülf.

Annihilation Time

Annihilation Time - I

Annihilation Time - II

Annihilation Time - III: Tales Of The Ancient Age

Annihilation Time were a hardcore band from California with some serious rock leanings whose sound reminds me of Black Flag mixed with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead. They broke up a couple years ago, which is a total bummer. The guitar work from this band was fucking awesome and there is some serious riffing on these albums. Lots of songs about partying and getting totally rad, which I can relate to (full disclosure: I get totally rad). I'm not sure what the members are up to now but hopefully they're getting another band together. If you like RKL, Suicide File and Turbonegro then you'll no doubt be into Annihilation Time.

Phantom Tollbooth - Power Toy & Beard Of Lightning

Phantom Tollbooth - Power Toy

Phantom Tollbooth - Beard Of Lightning

Phantom Tollbooth are a New York art-punk band who's members went on to play in Yo La Tengo, King Missile, B.A.L.L. and Bongwater. Gerard Cosloy signed them to Homestead Records in the 80's (Gerard was J. Mascis' college roommate who now runs Matador Records) and in 1988 they released Power Toy their final and best album before breaking up. On Power Toy they sound like an East-coast Minutemen, all jazzy and punky. Beard Of Lightning is the Power Toy album but with Robert Pollard of GBV fame singing his own lyrics. Bob had boasted (while drunk one night) that if he had sung on Power Toy the band would have "ruled the fucking world". The members of Phantom Tollbooth heard this and sent Bob the instrumental tracks to sing over, which he did, and Beard Of Lightning was the result.

Polvo & New Radiant Storm King - ...And Then I'm Gone

Polvo & New Radiant Storm King - ...And Then I'm Gone

Two rad bands each contributing two songs to this split 7". Polvo are one of the pioneers of math-rock, and their 90's output is all fucking killer. I had never heard of New Radiant Storm King before this release and they play totally rad 90's indie rock that any fan of Pavement, Seam and the Pixies will dig.

Guided By Voices - Live in Daytron ?6°

Guided By Voices - Live In Daytron ?6° Part 1

Guided By Voices - Live In Daytron ?6° Part 2

This was just released this month as a three LP/triple-gatefold album (on coloured vinyl no less) on Bob Pollards Rockathon Records. This isn't a recording from their most recent reunion tour, however, but a show in Dayton from 2001. 43 classic GBV tracks (over 2 hours of music) recorded by a mobile unit, so it sounds crisp and clear. Great live album from a truly legendary band.

Rich Kids On LSD

RKL - It's A Beautiful Feeling 7"

RKL - Keep Laughing

RKL - The Best Of RKL on Mystic Records

RKL - Rock 'N Roll Nightmare

RKL - Revenge Is A Beautiful Feeling

RKL - Greatest Hits: Double Live In Berlin

RKL - Reactivate

RKL - Riches To Rags

Here is everything I have from one of the greatest punk/metal/hardcore bands of all time. For me and my group of friends in high-school these dudes were the be-all-end-all. Every song is fucking killer. RKL are the best out of all the nardcore bands (even if they were from Santa Barbara). The stuff on Mystic Records suffered from shitty production, but the songs all totally slay so who gives a fuck. The progression in musicianship that these guys made in the two years between the release of Keep Laughing (1985) and Rock 'N Roll Nightmare (1987) is unreal. I mean they were technical as fuck. The Double Live In Berlin album is one of the best punk live albums and it really showcased their skill as a band, plus they played all the old Mystic stuff (which sounded way better than their studio versions). The Revenge Is A Beautiful Feeling album is just a best of released in Germany that contains their Mystic Records recordings (the band was finally able to make some money off those recordings, as their German label actually paid them). Then in 1989 they broke up. A couple years later they resurrected the band without vocalist Jason Sears (drummer Bomber took over vocal duties) and they released Reactivate through Epitaph Records in 1993. It was a total Butt Rock album that really turned fans off (whatever I like it) and was promptly deleted from Epitaph's catalog. During the European tour for Reactivate Bomber quit the band to do drugs and they flew Jason in to finish out the remaining dates. The re-invigorated RKL returned to the United States and recorded their best album, Riches To Rags, which is the perfect hybrid of hardcore and thrash. Members from this band went on to play in Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, The Other, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and Good Riddance.

False Confession - Left To Burn EP

False Confession - Left To Burn EP

Of all the nardcore bands I know the least about False Confession. As far as I can tell this is their only official release. What I do know is that these six songs are all fucking bangers, and probably sound the best out of all the Mystic albums I've heard. Guitarist Fred Matatquin totally wails all over this thing, dropping face-melting solos in almost every song. If you like RKL, Suicidal Tendencies and The Exploited then you'll blow your load over this band. Fucking rad shit right here.

Stäläg 13 - In Control

Stäläg 13 - In Control

Finally some more nardcore that wasn't released on Mystic Records. In Control differs from most nardcore in that it was recorded in a real studio and doesn't sound like ass. This is their only full length and it is a serious rager. Guitarist Dave Casillas went on to play in NOFX for a minute and here he seriously shreds. Stäläg 13 were influenced by Minor Threat and 7 Seconds (especially their clean vocal approach). This is not only one of the best nardcore albums, it is one of the best hardcore albums of all time. This here is the 2003 re-release of In Control that Dr. Strange Records put out and I'm pretty sure its still available, so do yourself a favour and pick it up because it seriously slays.

Guided By Voices - 1996-2004

Guided By Voices - Under The Bushes Under The Stars

Guided By Voices - Tonics And Twisted Chasers

Guided By Voices - Sunfish Holy Breakfast EP

Guided By Voices - Plantations Of Pale Pink EP

Guided By Voices - The Official Ironman Rally Song EP

Guided By Voices - Mag Earwhig!

Guided By Voices - Do The Collapse

Guided By Voices - Hold On Hope EP

Guided By Voices - Isolation Drills

Guided By Voices - Universal Truths And Cycles

Guided By Voices - Earthquake Glue

Guided By Voices - Half Smiles Of The Decomposed

So this is it, everything I have from the greatest band to ever emerge from Dayton, Ohio (and perhaps all of Ohio, sorry Trent Reznor). This is their "hi-fi" period (the exception being Tonics And Twisted Chasers which was a 4-track recording, like bee thousand, made by Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout as a fanclub LP) in which the band utilized 24 track consoles, proper studios and budgets that went to recording, not just alcohol. Some truly amazing material was released during this period. From the Kim Deal/Steve Albini produced Under The Bushes Under The Stars, the Rick Ocasek produced Do The Collapse and the Rob Schnapf produced Isolation Drills (the final three full lengths were produced by the band and Todd Tobias). Every one of these albums slays. Nobody sings with a better fake British accent than Robert Pollard. During this period they also released four boxsets (Suitcases 1-3 and Hardcore UFO's) several live discs and tons of singles. They are all worth hearing because their are only three types of GBV songs: Really great, plain great, and just good.

GobbleHoof

GobbleHoof - S/T

GobbleHoof - FreezerBurn

Both these albums were produced by J. Mascis (who also played drums on the self titled) and released on the Minutemen's New Alliance Records. GobbleHoof featured J. Mascis' childhood friends Charles Nakajima (former Deep Wound frontman) on vocals, Kurt Fedora (a frequent guest on Dinosaur Jr albums) on bass and future Dinosaur Jr member George Berz on drums (for the FreezerBurn album). The sound on the self titled is a hybrid of punk and metal, you can hear some Rollins Band, some Black Flag and even some Butthole Surfers. On FreezerBurn they upped the metal and added some wah-wah drenched guitar and some seriously rad guitar riffs (a-la Soundgarden and Tad). Pretty rad proto-grunge.