Ezekiel 24: The Edge of the Earth

If you went to Hellfest 2001, there's a good chance you saw some kids dressed as Amish folk moshing. You also may have noticed them selling something next to the Pizza Hut which directly next to the roller rink. They were selling a cassette of their band "Ezekiel 24", the first Amish Straight Edge hardcore band. While they ended up not really being Amish, I bought the cassette and proceeded to go nuts. The music was fast and heavy with 3 singers screaming about killing tourists and stabbing tourists with their pitchforks. The lyrics which have been posted above had great lines like "with your camera you stole my soul, with my pitchfork Ill steal your life". Amazing. I do remember being seriously bummed out when I found out they werent really Amish...rumor had it that Eulogy would have signed them if they were really Amish.
Anyway, the recording isnt that great, Im not gonna lie. But its defintely listenable and still after all these years I still listen to it pretty regularly. All the scans have been included in the mediafire folder as well. Make sure to read the story about how the band formed...classic.

EDIT: For some reasom I seem to be missing the lyrics to the first track. Ill see if I can find it

*NEW LINK*

Ezekiel 24 - The Edge of the Earth

Barrit - 7"

This Barrit 7" contains only two songs; Godless Disease, and Transient, which was later re-recorded for the full length that Chip posted last week. It was the first release on Ellington Records. If memory serves me correctly, the guy that ran Ellington became a college professor, and ended up moving to San Francisco from MA. He kept the label running for a short time after his move, but then it seemed to just fade away. I have two copies of this 7" for some reason, although neither of them are on the limited color of red, but one of them has an insert detailing some of the first releases to come out on Ellington:

A very old Barrit website can still be found here.

Barrit - self titled 7"
[1996 - Ellington Records]
http://www.mediafire.com/?m1jetjmmodt

Eternity: East Coast Harcore Compilation

Great comp released by Outback Records from Melbourne, Florida. Some of the bands included are Damnation AD, Battery, Resurrection, Ashes, and Dayspring. They sure don't make comps like they used to...expect a feature on 90s comps in the next day or so

Eternity: East Coast Hardcore Compilation

http://www.mediafire.com/?juec5n1mjnv

Starkweather - Crossbearer

Starkweather have always seemed to be one of those bands that polarize people. It's either love or hate, and not much much middle ground. Well, I for one, love Starkweather. Their songs are heavy, punishing, eerie, and often times, manic. Rennie is a true lyricist, and that can't be said of many people that write songs within the realm of hardcore/metal. He knows how to finely craft his words into a story fit for music. Starkweather are still together, and are currently working on a new record, so keep up to date on them here: www.myspace.com/starkweather666. In the meantime, here's their long out of print, debut full length from 1994.

Starkweather - Crossbearer
[1994 - Too Damn Hype Records]
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q7CX3BZH

Excessive Force interview

Here's an Excessive Force interview from issue #3 of the Back Ta Basics zine. I'm pretty sure that this is from mid 1995, and it's solely with EF's singer, Dan Gump. There's a downloadable PDF version down at the bottom of the post as well.

PDF version:

http://www.mediafire.com/?hmoy3yxnzmj

New Poll: Heaviest 90s Hardcore Band

New poll has been added, Heaviest 90 Hardcore Band. Check it out and vote

Barrit - Smiles Upon The Stroke That Murders Me

My friend Frank asked for this so here it is. Metal with a touch of hardcore from members of Bane, Ink Cartridge Funeral, Silent Drive, and Im pretty sure Cave In. This was originally released on Ellington Records and has been out of print for quite some time. Great record. "THIS TIME WE SHOOT TO KILL!!!!"

Barrit - Smiles Upon The Stroke That Murders Me

http://www.mediafire.com/?xwmt3nzzjtt

Another Victim - For The Liars and the Cheaters Demo layout, Japanese release

So I was going through my CDs at my parents house and came across this gem. My friend Erin gave this to me many years ago and I still don't know much about it. I can't remember if AV went to Japan or not (being that its a Japanese pressing, one would assume they did) Im guessing this was pressed for that tour. The layout is beautiful. Wings fold out to reveal the lyrics on the inside. I did the best I could to scan it so bear with me. Overall, beautiful layout. Closed Casket Activities just released this on 5 inch vinyl for the first time as well as the double disc discography so head over to their webstore to order.

Surface - Seven Times Over Fold

I didn't hear about Surface until slightly after they had broken up. They were only around for about two years in Southern California, and I've never known if any of the members went onto other bands. Surface played great mid 90s hardcore with a large metal influence taking control of many of their riffs. What little information that I do know about the band, has come from the internet:

"During the mid-winter of 1994, in the affluent suburbs of Los Angeles, came the powerful tunes of Surface. Within just three months of birth these four kids caused an earthquake throughout the punk scene of Southern California. It was at this point that the band began to realize that they could progress from tiny house shows to being an influential part of hardcore. They also began to remove themselves from their basic hardcore sound to a more innovative, emotional hardcore style. This was also when they felt that they were ready to record their first seven-inch, which was failed to be released by Watermark Records. Despite the many frustrations caused by this botched record deal, the band piled in their van for a four week tour of the United States. Upon their return home they found themselves at a loss for musical inspiration, but continued to play a number of local shows during the remaining months of 1995. It was almost exactly one year from their beginnings that a fifth, and long-awaited, individual joined the band. They now had the boost of energy that they needed and were back on track. Shows came and went, and the scene gave them more enthusiasm than ever. It now seemed like the perfect opportunity to re-enter the recording studio, this time successfully recording seven songs for the "Seven Times Over Fold" LP, two for the "Posthumous" seven-inch, and a few extra tracks for various compilations. "Seven Times Over Fold" was released by ...and then there were none.records (now Satellite Transmissions) in April of 1996, while "Posthumous" hit the scene a few months later on Catchphraze Records. Surface has exceeded the expectations of its members and continues to dazzle listeners across the globe with their emotional lyrics, serious issues, and, most of all, excellent music."

I'm not sure who wrote that, but it definitely comes off like a label promotional blurb. This "discography" cd came out on Status Recordings (anyone else remember that zine/label?), and it combines the Seven Times Over Fold lp, the Posthumous 7", and one comp track. However, I've heard from various people that there are more recorded (unreleased) songs that aren't present on this cd.

Surface - Seven Time Over Fold
[1996 - Status Recordings]
http://www.mediafire.com/?tynnjoemixo

Poll Ends. And the winner is...

This one wasnt even close. Buried Alive killed it live, recorded, and in the poll. Despair and Slugfest were close for 2nd and3rd and Im glad to see that some people voted for Fadeaway. Im hoping one day for a reunion. Again like I said, Im working on getting a capture device so I can transfer the live video of their set at Hellfest 2000 which was seriously one of the most incredible spectacles. Justin and I are gonna brainstorm and figure out what the next poll is going to be so stay tuned for that. Thanks to everyone who voted.