Ecostrike - The Time Is Now 7"

South Florida's own Ecostrike is now streaming their new 7" via Carry The Weight Records. Boasting four new tracks of Vegan Straight Edge hardcore in the vein of bands like Strife, Spawn, and early Earth Crisis, the record will be available for pre-order in January. In the meantime, stream the 7" her...

video: Another Victim - Arlington Heights, IL 12/19/98

I was going through a pile of old VHS tapes the other day, and I came across this quick set of Another Victim playing at YMCAin Arlington Heights, IL on 12/19/98. ...

Video: Undying / Judas Cradle / Wage Of Sin / Misery Signals

I remember driving up to this show in Seattle, as there was no Oregon date booked for the tour. Definitely not a bad way to kick off 2003. ...

xElegyx - Demo

Don't finalize those "Favorite Demo of the Year" lists quite yet, as this late addition to the party for 2016 may tempt you to reconsider yours. xElegyx is a punishingly heavy new Vegan Straight Edge band from South Florida playing Metallic Hardcore in the "Edgemetal" style, specifically reminiscent of German bands like xMaroonx and early Caliban. Great stuff here, and along with bands like Castyoudown, Ecostrike, Drawing Last Breath, and Sandman,...

Undying - Demo 1998

  I can distinctly remember the first time I heard Undying. My friend had just gotten a shipment of new releases for his distro, and knowing how much I loved the Day Of Suffering CD, he heavily urged me to take a listen to Undying's 'This Day All Gods Die' EP. I went over to his house to pick it up along with some other new stuff, and it was the first thing that I put on in my car. That EP didn't just blow my mind, it splattered my brain...

Cannae - Demo 1999 (ex-fortydaysrain)

With an upcoming .fortydaysrain. reunion show on December 2nd in Worcester, MA and a discography cassette soon to be released on Blasphemour Records, this seemed like a good time to rip the Cannae demo. After .fortydaysrain. parted ways with their third singer, the remaining members shifted gears a bit and started Cannae along with a member of Grimlock. This three song demo was recorded over the course of one night by Adam Dutkiewicz at Zing...

Transmission - Demo '89 [pre-Conviction]

If you've been reading this site or had an affinity for 90s hardcore for long, I'm sure you're well aware of Conviction. They helped pioneer a distinct metallic turn in the realm of hardcore and straight edge in the early 90s. But before they went blazing down that trail, they went under the name Transmission. In 1989, Transmission recorded and released a seven song demo tape that fit more in line with other youth crew bands of the era than the...

Halfmast complete discography bandcamp

Halfmast broke up on July 23rd, 1996. Though there was some posthumous releases and an impromptu reunion during the summer of '97; that was it for the band. 20 years later we thought it would be cool to make everything available for free download including the complete recording of our unreleased Together LP for Conquer the World (which we later self release 1/2 the session as a 7") and the unreleased split 7" we recorded for Stillborn records...

Riot Stares - Demo

Hailing from Charleston, SC, Riot Stares is a badass new band who just dropped a refreshing demo out of nowhere. While lots of bands are currently trying to play the "90's metallic hardcore" sound, few bands are willing to explore the particular niche that these guys have honed in on, and few bands find that perfect balance between nailing their influences perfectly and not sounding too derivative. Taking heavy cues from the more "out there" side...

Nothing Left - s/t 7"

Let me start this post by stating that I cannot possibly express enough just how much of an unsung gem this 7" is, but especially in the realm of Northwest Hardcore in the 1990s. It has a dirty, visceral rage to it that not all bands are able to capture. Nothing Left existed for a brief period of time during the stretch of 1995 - 1996, and could practically be called more of a collective than a band. Featuring members that either came from...

Earth Crisis - Forced March / Forged In The Flames / Eden's Demise (Live Summer 96)

Recently got around to ripping part of an Earth Crisis live set from a VHS I was given. Not sure exactly where, when, or by whom this was filmed, but later in the set before they play Cease To Exist, they say it's going to be from an upcoming record that they had just finished recording and plan to release "in October". That record being Gomorrah's Season Ends, it's safe to guess this set was filmed in the Summer of 96. Anyways, here are the first three songs from the set. This is one of my favorite ExC videos, and they sound INCREDIBLY tig...

One Day Away - Demo '99

It's safe to assume most readers who frequent this blog are fairly familiar with the crop of metallic hardcore that emerged from South and Central Florida in the late 90's. While Poison the Well, Red Roses for a Blue Lady, and A Jealousy Issue are all recognizable names for enthusiasts of the genre, One Day Away, a South Florida based band who was a contemporary of the aforementioned bands, surely isn't as well known. The band's sole release,...

Soulstice - Demo 93

I don't think this post needs much introduction. If you've been following this site for a while or 90s hardcore in general, you probably already know upstate New York's Soulstice from their Dark Hour 7" on Scorched Earth and Raze The Earth CD on Lifeforce Records. This two song demo from 1993 pre-dates both of those releases, and you can definitely hear an inkling of what was soon to come from the band. Soulstice - Demo 93 https://www.med...

ECOSTRIKE - Demo 2016

South Florida has been pumping out tons of new hardcore bands lately, including this new Vegan Straight Edge band: ECOSTRIKE. This demo is 4 songs taking influence from demo-era Earth Crisis, Strife, Strain, Tension, Slugfest, etc. Check it out if you're looking to satisfy your urge for early 90's-style Vegan "Chugcore". Stream the demo here: https://ecostrike.bandcamp....

Mourn The Sun

There was a good amount of metallic hardcore being churned out of the Northwest in the late 90s, but Mourn The Sun were one of the few bands that were really bringing elements of serious metal into the hardcore scene.  In late1998, their singer, Myron, left the band, and I believe moved to California. He was briefly replaced by Fenny Perez, who came out of San Jose, CA and the band Cathy Ames. Unfortunately, Mourn The Sun didn't...

Grimlock - Songs Of Immortality [review]

Unless you've been living under a proverbial rock, you may have seen that Knives Out Records has been pumping out some great releases lately. Most recently, this has included a reissue of the Arkangel - Prayers Upon Deaf Ears 10", a Sworn Vengeance / St. Hood split 10" and this Grimlock - Songs Of Immortality reissue on picture disc 12". This reissue covers the Songs Of Self CD, which had never been previously issued on vinyl, and the Thirst...

RIP Jody Taylor [STRAIN] 1973 - 2016

All photos live by Carrie Whitney For those that haven't heard yet, it's with a heavy heart that we have to pass on the news of the passing of Jody Taylor. You surely all know him from his time as vocalist for Vancouver, BC's STRAIN. Last Thursday, Jody was killed in a work accident in British Columbia. He had worked as an arborist for the city for 16 years, and loved his job, but a large limb crushed him to death. An article detailing...

Ten New Metallic Hardcore Bands You Should be Listening To

It's safe to say that if you're a fan of this blog, you're a fan of metallic hardcore. While many view the 90's as the golden age for this particular brand of hardcore, there is a very strong crop of new bands carrying that torch proudly. Here are ten of my favorite new(er) bands playing a good variety of heavy, metal-tinged hardcore that is sure to pique the interest of readers who frequent the blog. Keep an eye out for these bands! DAY BY DAY - DAVIE, FL Hailing from South Florida, DAY BY DAY is one of my favorite bands in hardcore right...

Brethren remastered retrospective announced

Tying in with our most recent post about legendary Miami hardcore band Brethren's upcoming reunion, Eighty-Sixed records has announced the release of Once Again, a selected discography including Brethren's 19 songs of recorded output, remixed and remastered. Along with bands like MINDFRAME and OUT OF SPITE, Brethren epitomizes the style of bleak, heavy hardcore that dominated the landscape of Miami hardcore in the Mid-90's. This is the perfect introduction to the band for a new generation of hardcore kids. Once Again will be available on CD...

Miami Hardcore legends BRETHREN announce reunion show

Mid/Late 90's Miami hardcore legends BRETHREN have announced a second reunion show in April. The line up includes a reunion from Miami's own ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE, rare appearances from MALDITO and THE LOW LIFE, and two of South Florida's best new bands, GUILTY CONSCIENCE and DAY BY DAY. BRETHREN absolutely crushed it at their first reunion appearance last year in South Florida with Morning Again, so if you missed out on that, here's your chance...

Motive - Fetus Shall Become Ash [demo 1998]

Motive evolved heavily over the course of their time as a band, and this final recording from 1998 shows them moving much further into metal territory. Fetus Shall Become Ash contains four tracks clocking in at twenty two minutes. Two of these tracks did appear on compilation CDs a year later from Blasphemour Records and one other that I've never been able to find much information about. As I've listened to this demo over time, I find myself...

Interview with Damien Moyal (Culture, Morning Again, Bird Of Ill Omen, As Friends Rust)

Damien Moyal is a verified Florida legend who has been involved with such projects as Culture, Morning Again, Bird of Ill Omen, Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, etc. I was fortunate enough to catch this interview with him about several of those bands, his early days in South Florida's hardcore scene, and what some of these projects are up to now. This interview originally appeared in Plead Your Case Fanzine issue #13 and is being reprinted in the upcoming...

Safe And Sound - Dream music video

Tacoma's Safe And Sound will be releasing a new 7", Embers Still Remain, shortly via Life To Live Records and Assault Records. They've been flying the flag of vegan straight edge in the Northwest for some time now, and have no signs of slowing down, as they plan to tour the full US in March and hope to hit Europe by year's end. They just put out a video for the track "Dream" that can be seen below. If you're into the likes of One King Down, Burn and early era Morning Again, check it out. ...