FREE SOCIETY: DISTRO: 7" VINYL

IMAGE	RELEASE DESCRIPTION	# LEFT
	ABOUT TO SNAP: S/T Demo 7" This is a 7" release of the demo. ABOUT TO SNAP have been playing a lot of shows through 2006 all over the place. They play angry and mostly fast hardcore that strives to maintain momentum throughout the recording, and their live sets, but also incorporating abrupt changes and stops. Lyrics on this deal a lot with frustration and dissatisfaction with life, consumerism, and the loss of substance in the hardcore scene. This is a one-sided 7" that came mostly on gray vinyl with a yellow silk-screen on the one side. (2006 - Specimen 32 Records)	3 LEFT
	AFTER THE BOMBS: Bloody Aftermath/Black Horse of Famine EP Another new EP by Montreal’s AFTER THE BOMBS. More of the thrash metal influenced d-beat with the reverbed out SACRILEGE style vocals I love. Lyrics for ‘Bloody Aftermath’ are pretty standard horror of war type stuff, but ‘Black Horse of Famine’ is about people suffering starvation throughout the world while the wealthy nations look on, fed and uncaring. Last song is an ONSLAUGHT cover called ‘Black Horse of Famine’ which is pretty fuckin rad. (2007 - Distort Reality Records – DISTORT 4)	$5 2 LEFT
	ATTITUDE: Piss and Vinegar 7" ATTITUDE is from NY and play intelligent, aggressive hardcore, that feels to me like it still has the spirit of the late ‘80’s youth crew style bands. At times it reminds me of the ‘Wash Off the Lies’ record by INTENSITY, but with more group vocals. ‘Old Glory’ is about blind patriotism, and has a rad group vocal chorus, “Old glory fades/old glory fades/old glory fades and frays…” ‘Flip the Switch’ is about how computers, TVs and other media can absorb ones life, and about rejecting that. ‘Yours Not Mine’ is a stay-true type of song. ‘That Joke Wasn’t Funny in the First Place’ is about lame racist jokes, and ‘You’ve Been Cut’ seems to be a song about an ex-partner. The second and third songs blow my ass out. The others are decent. (2005 - Specimen 32 Records)	1 LEFT
	BLACKBIRDS: S/T Fast and manic hardcore, with random breaks, that’s not structured in a verse-chorus style, with angry and often emotive lyrics, that are always personal. There is however a pretty angry and emotive song about destroying corporate vivisector property – which is pretty rad. Overall, there is a lot of emotion throughout this release – it’s pretty sweet. (2006 - Specimen 32 Records)	2 LEFT
	BOOMFANCY: S/T Punk rock with male/femail yelled out vocals. Pretty neat. Reminds me of the chaos of Aaron Cometbus punk bands but with more technical guitar at points. (Harlan Records)	1 LEFT
	CLUSTER BOMB UNIT: ... and the dirty little weapons Discharge influenced hardcore from Germany. This is pretty intense. As far as I can tell, either lyrics were not included, or they are in German. There's a long writing about what CBU is. Interesting. (1999 - Havoc Records, HC 7020)	1 LEFT
	COMPLICATIONS: Blinded/Coffin Apparently a teaser for an upcoming full-length, COMPLICATIONS follow up their amazing 2004/5 Demo with this two song EP. Both songs are rockin' numbers, the first of which is a unique critique of the belief in God. This band is often compared to KILLING JOKE. Has members of the legendary BORN DEAD ICONS. (2007 - Feral Ward Records - YAN-042)	1 LEFT
	CONTRAVENE: S/T This is a reissue of the debut 7” by this now well-known (and now defunct) anarcho punk group from Phoenix, AZ, USA. Their style is a fusion of the ‘90’s US anarcho/hardcore sound with a heavy influence of UK ‘80’s anarcho punk, a little tiny bit of metal that became more noticeable on their later releases. This particular 7” includes three songs: ‘Insecurity’, ‘Organize’, and ‘Man Made Borders, Man Made Lies’. ‘Insecurity’ deals with elitist attitudes in the punk/hc community, ‘Organize’ is about getting organized to struggle against the system, while ‘Man Made Borders…’ is about fighting back against borders physically, ideologically, etc… The fold-out cover of this release is almost the same as the original (the only change being reducing the size of the text on the thanks list to enable info about the reissue label), and includes lyrics and explanations for all three songs. This was great when it came out, and it still holds up today. (2000 – Feast of Freedom Records – 001)	4 LEFT
	CREOSOTE: Life Lessons This is the first vinyl release of Flagstaff, AZ's CREOSOTE, and although it's only got two songs on it, it certainly whets the appetite for more. Musically, this is heavy, yet melodic crusty anarcho punk with two female vocalists. One often sings in a more 'sung', melodic style, while the other sings gruffly, sometimes reminiscent of Erin Scarum, original lead vocalist of HARUM SCARUM. Lyrics seem very personal, dealing with pain, hope and strength and other emotions under circumstances of oppression, and resistance. Comes with a foldout poster with lyrics on the back. (2007 - Self-Released)	6 LEFT
	GERM ATTAK: Zapatista GERM ATTAK’s (from Ottawa, ON) second 7”, ‘Zapatista’ carries on where the last one left off: unrelenting, no frills, early ‘80’s UK style punk. Lyrics about political prisoners, the experience of the homeless, the EZLN, the perversion of Remembrance Day, and even another anthem called ‘Noise Punk’. On top of all this, there’s a sweet quote from Bakunin on the bottom fold. (2007 – Whispers In Darkness Label – 014)	2 LEFT
	H-100'S: Texas Death Match Fast and chaotic hardcore with crazy vocals that remind me of some of the more original vocal approaches from the 80's. Lyrics are pretty straight-up, rudimentary, and actually kind of funny. Apparently members of this band formed NINE SHOCKS TERROR afterwards. (1995 - Havoc Records, HC 7007)	1 LEFT
	THE KILL DECIBEL: The Reaper Cometh The Revelation store compares this to “the vocalist of TRIAL auditioning for ASSCHAPEL”. I wouldn’t give them the same level of technicality and evilness as ASSCHAPEL, but that’s a pretty good indication of what type of synthesis this is. In general, this is a pretty heavy fucking release and it’s definitely worth comparing to crossover thrash. The title song has a riff that reminds me so much of TERRORIZOR at the start. There’s also a fair share of mosh parts as well. Lyrics are angry and dark talking about inner struggle, struggle with society, and death. (2006 - Specimen 32 Records)	1 LEFT
	KYKLOOPPIEN SUKUPUUTTO: Kuuluuko Meidän Todella? Raw and manic hardcore from Finland that will actually ignore your asshole and completely blow out your taint. It would be false to call it ‘Finnish hardcore’ because this would bring to mind bands like KAAOS or something. This band has those elements and the Finnish vocal sound (because of the language), but musically it’s just so manic it’s gotta have some sort of fastcore influence. Maybe some DEVOID OF FAITH or some weird hc? Lyrics deal with social/political issues from a personal perspective. (2005 – Tuska & Ahdistus Records – T&A-001)	1 LEFT
	LIVING DARKNESS: S/T Darkness is right. The band’s grim music and lyrics do a great job of encapsulating their name. ‘Alive In A Pointless Life’ is a mid-paced number that reminds me a little of ‘Warsaw’ by JOY DIVISION/WARSAW at the beginning, but then of course it departs from there. “I wanna be buried in an unmarked grave/The earth will cover up a life I hate.” Damn. ’20 Years’ picks up the pace to a modern hardcore speed perhaps a little comparable to SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, maybe a little Japanese hardcore. There’s this sweet riff near the end of the song that can’t be denied. Lyrics seem to be about the loss of a friend. ‘Fits’ is a totally misanthropic, driving d-beat hardcore song, while the final song on the 7”, ‘Waking Nightmares’, is another mid-paced song that does a good job bringing the 7” to a close. This is the first release on Chris Colohan’s (CURSED, THE SWARM, LEFT FOR DEAD, CHOKEHOLD, etc…) label. (2007 – High Anxiety Records – ANX001)	5 LEFT
	NAMES FOR GRAVES: Worst Kid Ever EP Positive, yet critical and emotional hardcore from Ohio. The music is mostly fast with occasional mid-paced parts and breaks with crowd vocals. The lyrics seem to be mostly abstract and personal, however, ‘The Movement’ does relate to the hardcore scene. Decent, but didn’t knock the wind out of me. Sleeve folds out into a poster. (2005 - Specimen 32 Records)	3 LEFT
	PATH OF DESTRUCTION: 1:00 AM Dark hardcore crust from Minneapolis, MN, USA. Musically this has been compared to POISON IDEA and I guess I would say I agree to a certain extent. Definitely in spirit, this emits drunken destruction... Not surprising given the addition of Pignose who used to sing for the drunkest band in Minneapolis, the legendary ASSRASH. Prior to this 7" there was a S/T 7", a split 7" w/ PROVOKED, and since this there has been a split release with MISERY. This doesn't really deviate too much from the first two releases and I haven't heard the split with MISERY so I can't compare. (2003 - Havoc Records, HC 7031)	1 LEFT
	RAKKAUS: Kuolevan Maailman Hiljainen Kirous I didn’t think it was possible for a vocalist to sound more pissed than their last release, but this one has even more anger and spite. This is fast Finnish hardcore that’s treading a little more into melodic territory than the last release, with mostly female voice as well. Lyrics deal with issues mostly from a personal perspective. The most pissed song is ‘Et pyaty piiloutumaan’ which makes sense after reading the lyrics. This is pretty crucial stuff. (2006 – Tuska & Ahdistus Records – T&A-006)	2 LEFT
	SAWHORSE: S/T Emotive and intelligent hardcore from the early 1990’s. Apparently this band started as THE SKINFLUTES and had a song on ‘The Thing That Ate Floyd’ compilation released on Lookout! Records. Kent McLard of Ebullition Records notes that SAWHORSE had a “solid SWIZ influence”. I checked out SWIZ online and found this to be an accurate comparison, but would probably add some other mid-80’s emotive hc bands from DC to the mix as well. This 7” also includes one of Kent’s super-small zines that frequently appeared in Ebullition releases. This one is on the ‘back-from-the-dead’ thing with old bands coming back to make money. (Ebullition Records – #7)	2 LEFT
	SKELETON: What Will You Do? Raw and stripped-down d-beat crustcore from Manitoba, Canada, with gruff, crusty vocals. Lyrics are dark, often about death and meaninglessness of life. This is somewhere between DISCHARGE and DISRUPT, with a spoonful of MASSKONTROLL for your rippin' lead riff enjoyment. Numbered out of 400. (2004 - Cries of Pain Records - COP 010)	$4 2 LEFT
	SLEDGEHAMMER: Your Arsonist Heavy hardcore, rumoured to be from the Netherlands, with Dwid (INTEGRITY) on vocals. This has a really heavy sound, with some breakdown type parts, and a lot of really eerie shit throughout... Dwid laughing maniacally, weird choruses, etc... like on the song ‘I’m Watching You’ – which I think is cool. The important thing is that there's a lot of fast shit with Dwid's awesome vocals. The shitty thing is that there is no lyric sheet provided, but a piece of cardstock with a strange photo on it. (2005 - Specimen 32 Records)	1 LEFT
	TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM: Spaghetti Western Fast thrashy hc punk with mostly funny lyrics that contain a degree of social comment. Friends of mine from Orleans/Ottawa, ON. (Sir Punkly Records)	1 LEFT
	THE TOTAL END: S/T This 7" is a surprise gem by a band I'd never heard, but ordered anyway. THE TOTAL END was from West Hartford, CT, USA, and played dark but melodic crust, although maybe not quite approaching the TRAGEDY style of things. I think there's a great deal of influence from the rawer elements of the 'crust' spectrum. For example, when the first song started, I immediately thought of MISERY, but then the song went into something so much more developed. The vocal delivery has a quality of urgency seldom heard, which is most likely due to the well-written lyrics addressing issues from the local to the international. This 7" is some crucial listening. (2004 - The Total End Records - 002)	$4 2 LEFT
	UNITED SUPER VILLAINS: Escapist Fast and angry hardcore from LaCrosse, WI, USA. Pissed lyrics screamed about cops, rapists, fighting, society, etc... (1999 - Havoc Records, HC 7019)	2 LEFT
	URINE SPECIMEN: Raw Anarcho-punk that is from Finland evidently. The cover is a little misleading, but rest assured this is good shit. Spirited music accompanies sincere lyrics covering topics like meat consumption, male aggression, humanity, etc... There are also explanations. Quite good. (Catchphraze Records)	2 LEFT
	THE VICIOUS: Obsessive Sweden's THE VICIOUS play clean and catchy punk that I couldn't help but enjoy. This 7" features two songs later featured on the 'Alienated' 12", 'Obsessive' and 'It's All A Lie', and two other songs 'Psychotic Mind' and 'Dead Town'. (2006 - Feral Ward Records - YAN-033)	4 LEFT
	THE VICIOUS: Igen More of the same catchy punk from THE VICIOUS. This time it's a three-song 7", two songs in Swedish, one in English. 'Masshysteri' takes the cake for the catchiest song of the year and I don't even know what it's about. You just can't argue with the chorus. (2007 - Feral Ward Records - YAN-033)	3 LEFT
	WALK ASIDE: This Ain't No Market Anti-capitalist hardcore from Montreal, QC, definitely taking musical cues from the 80's hc (including TEEN IDLES cover), but I would also say most of the similarity would be to later 80's posi hc with the melodic elements and the more complex music. It's fuckin good shit. They're fun live too. (2004 - Carte Blanche Records, CBR-1)	1 LEFT
	WARDANCE ORANGE: S/T If I remember correctly, often melodic punk rock with interesting introspective lyrics. (Tribal War Records)	1 LEFT
	WASTED TIME: S/T ‘80’s style hardcore with lyrics about conformity, human behaviour, alienation, hype, etc… My description sounds pretty basic, but I fuckin love it. (Grave Mistake/Brain Grenade Records – #13/#3)	1 LEFT
	AOS / CROSSING CHAOS ANOTHER OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM was from CT, USA, and played the brutal Scandi-thrash in the style of STATE OF FEAR. Lyrics are dark, decently written, and angry, talking about war and the negation of freedom. CROSSING CHAOS has been a favourite of mine since I heard that bright red 7" on Yellow Dog Records. Fast Swedish crustcore with songs about religious wars and the ultimate rejection of religion. (2004 - Cries of Pain Records - COP 007)	$4 3 LEFT
	BESTHÖVEN / TRIOXIN 245 BESTHÖVEN is a 'drunk one man army' from Brazil, delivering 'DIS-beat crust horrorcore' as the cover proclaims. Obviously, there's the DISCHARGE influence, but I think it would be unfair to lump this with DIS-clone-ism. The lyrics do cover the horrors of war, but the sound really reminds me of a less thrashy/more simplistic, and a little toned-down vocally, version of Sweden's NO SECURITY. Definitely a pleasant surprise, as I hadn't really heard this band before. TRIOXIN 245 strike me a little differently than their 'The Experiment' CD. Since it's only one song, you don't get as much of a range of sound, but the song that is on there is a rockin' metallic rock number. 'Deconnexion' seems to be about depression and constantly struggling against feelings of misery. The vocals have a really cool effect and the recording sounds really good. The song fades out with a rippin' guitar solo. (2007 - Muerte Negra Discos - MND003)	2 LEFT
	DEHUMANIZED EARTH / DIS-EASED A great split of Quebec bands. DEHUMANIZED EARTH, is from St Hyacinthe, QC and play brutal, grinding crustcore with the two-vocal style of low growl alternating with screaming. No lyrics provided. Bum-out. DIS-EASED, Quebec City, QC, plays classic, straight-ahead d-beat. This band features the drummer and bass player of international grind maniacs MESRINE. It’s undeniable stuff. Hilarious record label name. (2007 – Outrageous Defecation Records – ODR005)	$4 4 LEFT
	EXHALE / DIALLO EXHALE are from Japan and deliver some hardcore in the tradition of other Japanese hc greats like DEATH SIDE. There's a vocal style influenced by Ishiya, and the style of riffs is dramatic, characteristic of this style. Lyrics are all in Japanese. I think this, or a split 7" with ARTIMUS PYLE, was the final release from DIALLO and I must say this stuff impacts me more than the other 7" I have by them. DIALLO play extremely heavy crustcore, that does have some melody (quality riffing and solos, as well as undeniable build-ups), but the vocals keep it grounded in the traditional crustcore territory, rather than meandering too far into the TRAGEDY. (Cries of Pain Records - COP 003)	$4 4 LEFT
	KYKLOOPPIEN SUKUPUUTTO / DEATH TOKEN KYKLOOPPIEN SUKUPUUTTO carry on from their last release with even more manic and crazy hardcore and an extremely raw sound. Lyrics are grim indictments of humanity’s failure, shouted in Finnish (English translations provided). DEATH TOKEN start off with a silly keyboard intro that crashes into distorted bass reminding me of BORN AGAINST. This is where the comparison ends though. They bust out some incredibly rippin’ hardcore reminiscent of some DEATH SIDE musically, with reverbed-out vocals sung in English, covering topics like the media, and death in war. My favourite song would have to be ‘Chain of Rules// Chain of Fools’ for the rad lyrics. DEATH TOKEN are from Denmark.(2006 – Spild Af Vinyl/ Tuska & Ahdistus/ Hate Records – SAV#03/T&A-005/HATE06)	1 LEFT
	THIS IS MY FIST / GIANT HAYSTACKS THIS IS MY FIST play poppy punk with female vocals. The recording is from a couple of years ago, and also includes a cover of a Q FACTOR song. It’s impossible not to notice a MINUTEMEN influence on GIANT HAYSTACKS. The only difference is some of the lyrics seem to be more developed into songs and rhymes, whereas MINUTEMEN were more about fragmented thoughts. Cool shit. (2007 – Art of the Underground/625 Not So Fast – AOTU 034)	1 LEFT
	TRAILER PARK RIOT / BUREAU BRATS TPR plays fast punk with gruff vocals. Not quite crusty. BB are interesting yelly hc.	1 LEFT
	V/A: Heartbreakers and Rumpshakers The No City No State Revelation, Soophie Nun Squad, Red Forty, and the Divine Hookup. (Harlan Records)	2 LEFT