News

Kinetic Oribtal Strike photo by Razorblades & Aspirin

While the newsletter has been quiet over the past couple of months, it’s been a very busy summer for me. I’ve logged several thousand highway miles traveling up and down the east coast playing and attending shows. In fact, it’s only in the past day or two that things have calmed down for me. After the Scarecrow / Vidro tour ended on August 12 I stayed out on the road to catch a few dates of Appendix’s US tour, then I had two nights in my bed before Scarecrow was once again on the road playing a gig with Tozcos and Violencia in Charlotte. Then after that I hit the Sheer Mag gig in Durham this past Monday and drove up to Richmond for the Enzyme gig on Tuesday. When I woke up on Wednesday, my body was screaming “STOP!” Thankfully September looks quieter on the gig front. I’m looking forward to spending lots of time with the turntable spinning and my dog Patti sitting on my lap.

Since my mind is still in gig mode rather than record mode, I thought I’d use this staff pick to tell you about a few of my favorite bands I saw this summer. I saw a lot of incredible sets this summer, so if I don’t mention your / your favorite band, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it… in fact, I’d say I’ve enjoyed every set I saw this summer. However, here are the ones I hold in particularly high regard:

Phantom I didn’t have time to give Phantom’s demo tape a close listen before I embarked on my crazy summer of gigging, but we had packed up so many copies in your orders that I knew I should pay attention. They were the first band on the after-show on night 1 of Something to Talk About, which is a great time slot… the crowd was warmed up, but not yet exhausted. Phantom slayed that night, an explosion of unhinged energy with insane drumming. They were the first band of the day at Another Lost Weekend and while they sounded great, the crowd didn’t quite match their energy. However, when I they played at Cousin Danny’s with Scarecrow and Vidro, they were once again blazing. Phantom is right up my alley, musically dense and adventurous hardcore punk with inhuman tempos.

Kinetic Orbital Strike I knew going in that KOS was going to be great, but I wasn’t prepared for how thoroughly they leveled everything the two times I saw them. We know from their demo and their newly released 7” that KOS’s songs are lethal, but they clearly put a great deal of thought into their live show’s sound and presentation. In DC, Chris played out of a full stack that could peel the paint off the walls, and I’m pretty sure he played out of three speaker cabinets in Richmond the other night. Trish’s bass tone is also godly, so loud and full and furious. Other bands might try to sound like Disclose and Framtid, but experiencing KOS live feels like Disclose and Framtid have colonized your brain and taken it over from the inside. The one-two punch of Destruct and KOS in Richmond the other night was one of the most explosive pairings I have witnessed in my 20+ years going to gigs.

Appendix I went into Appendix with zero expectations… we all know things can go either way with bands from 80s. However, when they hit their first note at the Richmond gig, I was sold. These old guys scored zero points for style, wearing shorts and New York City t-shirts from Chinatown while they guzzled beer, ripped cigs, and laid down note-perfect renditions of the early catalog. I love this band, and the two sets I saw left huge smiles on my face.

Tozcos This was my first time seeing Tozcos, and they did not disappoint! It’s been five long years since their last record, Sueños Deceptivos, but the band’s m.o. sounds the same as ever… blistering hardcore punk that is as catchy as it is intense, drawing as much from classic punk as it does ripping hardcore. I love all the big guitar hooks, the walking bass lines, the explosive drumming, and the singer’s commanding vocals and stage presence. They mentioned they have a new album coming out in September, and I can’t wait to hear it.

Vidro I gotta give a HUGE shout-out to Scarecrow’s tour buddies in Vidro, whom we got to see annihilate every night. We were all blown away when we played with Vidro in Hamburg last summer, and in the flurry of activity leading up to tour I didn’t have time to build anticipation for seeing them again. However, as soon as they hit the first note at our first gig in Philly I was just like, “oh yeah… this band fucking brings it.” Vidro is an explosive ball of energy, and the members’ constant pogoing makes it seem like they’re riding the waves of pummeling sound emanating from their instruments. It seems like not too many people had heard them before they played, but every night there was a huge line at the merch table full of freshly blown away new fans.

Cicada The Richmond stop on the Scarecrow / Vidro tour featured Invertebrates and Cicada in the opening slots… if there was an award for the gig with the highest average Beats Per Minute this summer, this would have gotten it. Cicada’s sound was loose and explosive, with an unhinged energy that made me think of Koro, Deep Wound, or the most furious early 80s Italian hardcore. I am eagerly anticipating the 3-song tape they said is coming soon. And I’ll also give a quick shout-out to Hominid, who played our DC show share a guitarist with Cicada. Their vibe was similarly gnarly… they played about 5 minutes of explosive hardcore that reminded me of Siege and ended with a Negative Approach cover.

Snarling Dogs Snarling Dogs played our Pittsburgh show, and when I saw the band included Tom and Scud from innumerable great Pittsburgh bands of the past decade or two, I knew they would be good. I was not wrong. All their projects have a different vibe, and Snarling Dogs brings a little rock and roll into the mix, fast and furious but with catchy, pub rock-inspired guitar flourishes. Speaking of which…

Puffer Montreal’s Puffer blew me away at Something To Talk About. I had heard their recordings, but seeing them live was something different altogether. They write great songs, which comes across on record (“Sister Marie,” from their latest 7” on Roach Leg, is one of my favorite songs of 2023), but the wildness of the guitarist’s style gets muted by their lo-fi recordings. My eyes were fixated on his playing for their entire set. I wish I could rewind my brain and watch it again right now.

Alienator Alienator was one of the bands I was most looking forward to seeing this summer, and they delivered both times I caught them. The members’ physical presence is intimidating. I’m pretty sure the non-drumming members are all well over six feet tall, all of them with shaved heads, big muscles, and tons of tattoos… it’s like someone beamed in 4 copies of Al Barile circa 1982 and made them start a band together. The sound is just as burly as the visuals too, and watching them felt like being crushed by a bulldozer.

Personal Damage Personal Damage is one of my favorite bands of the past several years, and I finally got to see them live at Another Lost Weekend. It’s tough for a 3-piece hardcore band to bring the same energy as groups with an untethered frontperson, but Personal Damage leveled the place. Live, they were even faster and meaner than on their records, blasting through their short but catchy songs one right after the other, nailing the manic vocal trade-offs that are such a big part of their sound. This was Personal Damage’s first appearance on the east coast and I think many people didn’t know about them, but after their set everyone was buzzing about how great they were.

Public Acid I’ve seen many Public Acid sets over the years—including a few this summer—but I can’t go without mentioning their set with Appendix in Richmond last week. Heavy on new material from their upcoming 12”, the band sounded as vital and explosive as ever, and the new tracks’ metallic edge felt fresh and exciting. I hope I get to see more sets that lean on this new material in the coming months.

Damn, this is already long as hell, but there are still so many great bands I didn’t mention… Chainsaw, Laughing Corpse, Self Checkout… and of course impressive sets from veterans like Electric Chair and Warthog. If you didn’t see some of these great bands this summer, you fucked up!

Chin-Chin: Cry in Vain 12” (Sealed Records) I’m not sure what my official “song of the summer” for 2023 is, but I am 100% certain it’s on this brilliant retrospective album from Switzerland’s Chin-Chin. Sealed Records dropped Cry in Vain early in July, not quite the beginning of the summer, but early enough for the album to provide the soundtrack as I made my way up and down the US’s east coast several times this summer, its propulsive beats and huge melodies keeping me awake and alert on late night drives with the windows down and the stereo blasting. Chin-Chin is so good that it makes me wonder how, after over two decades of being a total music fanatic who adores high-energy pop songs, I hadn’t come across them before. The group started in Switzerland in 1982, taking inspiration from the poppy punk of the Ramones, Generation X, and Blondie and melding that sound with the sweet harmonies of 60s girl groups. While their bio notes the members’ lack of experience, you’d never know it from listening to Cry in Vain… not only is the playing powerful and confident but also the band displays a total mastery of pop song craft. Each song is a masterpiece, so immediate you wonder if you’ve heard it before, but with enough sophistication and tact you can play it over and over without losing any impact (and trust me, I’ve played these songs a LOT!). While Chin-Chin predated the UK’s wave of punky pop referred to as the C86 scene (with bands like the Shop Assistants, the Pastels, and the Rosehips), that crowd fell in love with the still-active group, and 1987 saw a Chin-Chin compilation released on the seminal label 53rd and 3rd. Chin-Chin also recorded a 4-song BBC session with host Janice Long in 1988, and those tracks appear here for the first time… so even if you’re cooler than me and you already own every Chin-Chin record, you’ll still need Cry in Vain for those songs. I’d call the BBC session tracks highlights, but Cry in Vain is a record that’s all highlights, with nary a moment that doesn’t directly target my brain’s pop pleasure center.

What’s up Sorry State readers? It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these. I hope everyone has been having a nice summer. It’s been real hot down here in North Carolina, but I’ve been trying to make the most of the season this year and go to the beach or river or just anywhere outdoors on my days off. We’re so lucky here in North Carolina to be able to go to the beach for the day or drive over to the mountains, so I’ve been trying to take advantage of it. Billy Strings came down the road to Cary for a three-night run and it was a blast. It was so fun getting to go to the shows with a bunch of different friends and seeing familiar faces around. Dom even came out to the first night! It was awesome to get to go to a show with him and hear a bunch of old bluegrass tunes we love listening to at the store together by some of our favorite artists like David Grisman, Flatt and Scruggs, and The Stanley Brothers, to name a few. One of my favorite memories of the weekend was for the encore of the first night, Billy played a cover of Ruby, in honor of Bobby Osborne, who just recently passed away, and Dom and I were out there cuttin a rug. Anyway it’s been a fun summer, but there’s been so much good music coming out it’s hard to keep up with. This week I was checking out some of the new stuff that had come in and came across this Haunted Mansion 7”. I decided to throw it on and was greeted with the sounds of quite literally, a spooky haunted mansion, only to be then hit by an onslaught of loud and raw hardcore punk for the next five minutes. All killer, no filler, straight to the point. It’s just right up my alley and I’ve had it on repeat since I picked up my copy. I highly recommend snagging this one. At the time of writing this I think we still have a couple copies left so grab it while you can!

Hi Sorry State readers! Long time no see/talk! Hope everyone has had a great summer so far. Summer here in NC is brutal, but we’re managing. I’ve been listening to tons of good stuff, reading good books, and staying indoors. It’s really nice to be back after a little bit of a staff pick hiatus, but there is no shortage of things I could write about.

I was thinking of going with the Primal Screamer book by the man, the myth, and the legend, Nick Blinko, of Rudimentary Peni. But I decided to go with a record instead. We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, if you haven’t read that book yet and you are a fan of Rudimentary Peni and/or Nick Blinko’s fascinating art, I highly suggest it. It’s a semi-autobiographical account of a very complex and troubled young man (likely Nick Blinko, if we had to guess) from the point of view of his psychiatrist. The main character, Nat, undergoes primal therapy to unearth his feelings and trauma, which turns out to be quite an ordeal and obviously the direct inspiration for the book’s title. Nat goes on to form a band. Spoiler alert: Rudimentary Peni, although the band is never mentioned by name. So you gain some insight into RP’s early days. Although it’s hard to tell which parts are exaggerated, it’s probably safe to say it aligns closely with the early adulthood of Blinko.

Onto my official staff pick. It’s the new Lafff Box S/T LP, released on Neon Taste. Some of you may have gotten your hands on the EP they released last year. I really enjoyed it, so I had been looking forward to the release of their full-length album. Lafff Box is from Germany and comprised of members of Liiek, Ex-White, Poky, and Lassie, to name a few. What could go wrong? Not a thing. Their sound isn’t very easy to describe or place in a box, which is always a good thing in my opinion. They bring a little bit of this and a little bit of that and smash it all together to create a manic, in your face burst of fantastic energy. It’s fast, unhinged, and really catchy stuff. It’s fresh and modern, but with no synths in sight. The singer’s snarling, distorted vocals and dual guitars create the sound of perfect chaos. Don’t get me wrong, the album is thoughtful and sharp, with fast and clean beats. It’s also a good balance of mosh-worthy punk and more melodic tracks. The song Master is a perfect example of the latter. A mid-tempo melodic track with sharp infectious riffs and a catchy sing-along style chorus, but before you get too comfortable, the vocals turn absolutely manic. Which is totally my jam. I just love it when a good power pop track goes off the rails. The song Just a Fool seems to be a favorite, for good reason. It leans more on the power pop side and very catchy. The placement of this track in the middle of the album is smart because the sound is a bit more structured and formulaic in the middle of faster and more chaotic sounding tracks. All in all, this is a really good album and tons of fun to listen to. It’s the jolt of energy you need to get your day going. And well worth the wait. Check it out!

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

-Angela

Hello and thanks for reading. It’s been a while. I hope everyone has been doing well. I recently got Covid and I have been trying to catch up here at work before we leave for VIDRO/SCARECROW East Coast tour. There have been a ton of killer records in stock since I last wrote a staff pick, but most of them have sold out already. (Especially that new DELETÄR 12”... damn that is a good record.) To coincide with our upcoming tour, I chose a photo taken by our amazing driver from our European tour, Liese. This is from the gig in Hamburg, Germany where we played with VIDRO. If not for this gig, we probably would not be touring together! Since Jeff was perfectly blocked from sight in the live shot, I included a cute shot of him from after the gig. I look forward to the upcoming tour A LOT… blah blah… I could go on forever about being excited to hang with friends in different cities and sweat our asses off in the van with VIDRO, but now it’s time to talk about records.

Funny enough, In a staff pick from almost a year ago, I wrote about the two things I wanted to mention today. NUKIES! This shit is so good to me. They did a cassette version before this record came out. I actually wrote about it here when Sorry State got some copies. Rarely is there a cassette I actually want to buy, especially when I know it’s coming out as a proper record later. ELECTRIC CHAIR was the last cassette I went out of my way to get. Even though I knew it was coming out on LP, I really wanted to hear the entire thing. I know I could have probably just streamed it online or something, but I don’t know... nothing can ever beat playing the physical format of a release. Don’t get me wrong, I use Bandcamp and YouTube to check out bands all the time. Anyway, NUKIES really hits the spot for me, so I was eager to get the cassette version to hold me over until this hot ass slab was finally released. The LP is finally here, so don’t sleep. If you haven’t heard them, I would stop what you’re doing right now and check them out. I don’t understand what there is not to love about this shit.

Another thing I wrote about that day was BLACK UNIFORMS. I am so happy to have these in stock. I remember when I first heard them, they were a bit too metallic for me. I’m not sure what made it click for me, but now I can never get enough BLACK UNIFORMS. Everyone needs this record. While the song is not on their full-length, “Suck My Cock” is like my life paraphrased into a song, so naturally I am obsessed with the band. When I first wrote about them in that staff pick, I was writing about this bootleg that was in circulation late last year. We never could find out where to get a bunch of copies at an OK price, though. It was peculiar how spot-on the boot was to the original. It even included the original catalogue number in the matrix. It was also interesting I recently heard Mats Bodenmalm passed away very early this year. And more recently, I saw Charlie Cimex post from Facebook where he warns readers to not deal with Cliff for CIMEX shit and that he is a speed freak, haha. I know Cliff probably played a bigger role in BLACK UNIFORMS, but I have no idea who has the rights to reissue their stuff. Is any of this stuff related? Probably not, but I can’t help but wonder and laugh a bit about the whole thing. Anyway, Unrest Records has got this bad boy back in print officially and I could not be more excited. They changed the insert a bit and updated the font on the front cover. I think the update on the front was a nice touch, alongside hand-numbering that out of 1,000 copies. Yes, there is only 1,000, so sleep now and forever hold your peace. Hilariously as I write this, I had this video playing. I know the two bands beefed, but I can happily enjoy both. Alright, I’ve got to get on with some other work now. Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for the support!! Cheers!

Hi there, how’s your summer going? Apparently, in some parts, there hasn’t been much of a summer so far for you, but down here in North Carolina we are currently chilling with temps in the high 90s and not much change in sight. The good news is that the UPS driver’s union won their dispute and there will now be a/c units in the delivery vans, so they don’t have to drop from heat exhaustion and hopefully the shipments of vinyl they are carrying won’t be exposed to 100+ degrees also. Always a big concern shipping and receiving records in the height of summer. A good time to listen to Billy Bragg’s There’s Power In A Union.

We’ve been keeping busy here at Sorry State with plenty of new and used records coming through the doors each week, but have taken a brief break from writing our staff picks. Not that there hasn’t been plenty to write about. As I type, we are receiving the latest releases from Iron Lung Records and Static Shock Records. I’m curious to hear The Steves singles and am excited to see new ones from The Hazmats and Powerplant. We’re constantly adding good, cool used records to our inventory and have been keeping the store as full as possible and not slowing down on the used new arrivals drops each week. It truly is so satisfying and rewarding seeing good records being appreciated and bought by you, our fantastic customers. We thank you for your continued support.

In a recent social media post, we had the old man of the place (me) with his nose in a pile of books wearing his cheaters. Apparently that made some of you smile, but there were some excellent books in that stack, and with that in mind I thought I would recommend a book for you today. If you are lucky to be taking a summer vacation this year at the beach or somewhere else where the plan is to relax and do very little, you might need something good to read. It’s been a few years since I have had a “vacation”, but I can recall how I used to get through several books during a typical week’s holiday. One decent read that I could recommend to you which I am just finishing up is Music Is History by Questlove with Ben Greenman, published by Abrams Image. It’s an easy, fun and informative read covering the years 1971 to the present in musical history as seen through the eyes of Questlove. Each short chapter covers a year and begins with a bullet point list of the year’s key events and happenings and then has Questlove’s thoughts regarding records that came out that year and how the music and news events connect and affect each other along with plenty of other interesting factoids and asides. The focus is almost entirely on America and the American experience, but that shouldn’t make it any less appealing to folks from other parts of the world. Assuming, that is, that you have more than a passing interest in American history, music and politics and know and care who Questlove is.

I, as a fan of The Roots and Questlove and a resident of America and a lover of music and history found plenty to be amused and informed by.

One of the chapters talks about Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, where there’s an interesting story about how Thomas Dolby almost contributed a cut to the record, but things didn’t work out, so he took the song, Hyperactive, and recorded it himself. Questlove tells it much better, but the real point of the story was how it was around this time in his life that the author was experiencing music directly and not second hand via his parents or from the established gatekeepers telling him what mattered and what was or was not good. I’m just a couple of years older than him and can relate to that emotion. The feeling of discovering music yourself and experiencing things directly as they happen as opposed to reading about the past or watching it told back in a documentary or something. Also, being of age that you could participate in some way was the crucial factor. Being able to claim music, bands, artists as your own.

I’m not as avid a reader as I used to be, and I’ve held on to this book for too long since we were gifted one here at the store from the publishers, and I know Daniel wants to read it also. Our copy came with a doodle graph signed by Questlove, too. Pretty cool. Grab yourself a copy for your beach holiday. Sorry Daniel for holding on to it for so long to miss your beach getaway, but you probably had plenty of other good reads with you, right?

Cheers everyone, enjoy your summer and stay cool.

-Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Holy shit, it’s been a while huh? I can’t remember how long it’s been since I sat down to write one of these things—let alone wrap my brain around producing coherent thoughts in written form. I’ll give it my best. I’m honestly feeling just a bit rusty. Time to shake the dust off!

What’s everybody been up to this summer? I feel like since last time we assembled a newsletter I’ve been out of town quite a bit. Shomo Fest 2023 in Philly was a fuckin’ blast. It was rad with Public Acid to reunite with our homies in Warthog. There was epicly hot gig underneath a bridge in Richmond where I got to see Subdued and Nosferatu up close and personal, with dust flying from hard moshtastic dancing and fireworks poppin’ off in the background. Also, my new band Meat House went on tour along with our buddies in Sorry State family members Mutant Strain, playing mostly gigs in the Midwest. Even though the tour was pretty short, it was one of the funnest tours I’ve ever been on. We partied, goofed off, and got into trouble. It ruled. Speaking of which, the Meat House 12” EP is out now, and thanks to everyone who’s grabbed a copy so far! We’re stoked that people seem to be diggin’ it.

In just about one week from today, Scarecrow are going on tour with our friends from Sweden, Vidro! They’re one of the best live bands I’ve seen in recent memory. Hope to some of y’all out at those gigs! Lookin’ forward to it.

So many great new releases have come out since we last did one of these. The new Deletär LP (sold out, but we have more on the way!) and the Nukies 12” pressing of their tape from earlier have both been on heavy rotation in the last week or so. But being the way I am, I thought I’d go a totally different route and talk about a reissue. I would never claim to be an expert on Canadian punk. Some deep cuts I love include the Unruled 7”, the Stretch Marks 7”, the Genetic Control 7”… definitely some serious bangers. But another band I love from Toronto is Youth Youth Youth. They released one 12” EP in 1983 called Sin, and until now in the Lord’s year 2023, the record has never had an official reissue.

The reissue is on a label called Blue Fog Records, which is a Toronto-based label that I think puts out lots of different kinds of music, definitely not just 80s hardcore punk reissues. There are some graphic design elements that they abandon from the original that I miss, but overall, I think it’s a pretty slick, clean looking reissue. You get a lyric insert and a printed inner sleeve with what I always refer to as “punk porn”—just a totally jam-packed collage of cool old black n white photos. Not unlike another compilation that I have called Repackaged, the A-side is the og 1983 EP in its entirety, and then the B-side is demo recordings. . The demos kinda remind of more song-based CA hardcore like Shattered Faith or Code of Honor. But by the time we get to the actual 1983 EP, musically, YYY play fast hardcore, but are definitely on the more melodic, tuneful end of the spectrum. What really stands out to me about YYY though are the lyrics and the singer’s delivery. He’s got that kind of self-serious, earnest demeanor, with often poetic, prophetic lyrics. A couple of the songs rather boldly and emphatically titled things like “Philosophy” or “Greed,” where a Canadian teenager breaks down some heavy topics with defiant conviction and seemingly no sense of irony whatsoever. Which honestly, I’m not even trying to poke fun at it. I just feel like it’s a rare thing to experience nowadays. It’s funny to even draw this comparison, but the vibe is not unlike 7 Seconds, but lyrically, YYY are probably more well-read I would say. Honestly, I feel like Bad Religion’s Suffer owes a debt to Youth Youth Youth from 5 or 6 years prior. YYY is definitely more hardcore and rougher around the edges, but the musicianship is top-notch and they’ve got that similar jangly guitar style and melodic riffing. Even the bass player’s (Paul Bishop’s?) rumbling, scale-walking style reminds me a lot of Jay Bentley.

All that aside, I think this YYY EP is an underappreciated gem of 80s Canadian hardcore. I’m stoked that this record is back in print so all of us hardcore nerds can rage to it without having to track down an original on Discogs and worry about it getting through Canadian customs haha. We’ve sold a few, but we’ve still got a good amount of copies of this reissue in stock here at Sorry State. So scoop one if ya can! Glad to be back on this newsletter grind.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week?

-Jeff

No Allegiance: Mad 12” (Destiny Records, 1986)

One of my favorite moments of 2023 so far is when Scarecrow played with Lasso in Norfolk, Virginia a few months ago. The bands all stayed at the newly opened Not for the Weak Records, and after the gig everyone hung out at the shop late into the night, sipping beers and listening to music. Eventually things degenerated (as they tend to do) into drunken OpIvy and Specials singalongs (with Greenough displaying an impressively deep command of even the densest OpIvy verses), but for most of the night Chris from Bato was spinning hardcore deep cuts from his collection. There were jams galore, including a handful of things I didn’t know… how had I never checked out the Special Forces LP? My want list definitely grew by a few items that night.

Another band Chris played for us that night that I didn’t know was Germany’s No Allegiance. Actually, after some subsequent research I realized I did know No Allegiance, at least kind of. The band’s original name was Porno Patrol, whose underrated 1984 7” I was familiar with. However, Porno Patrol (wisely?) changed their name to No Allegiance in 1985 and released two LPs, Mad and No Cash Value, on the singer’s label Destiny Records. Destiny Records has a long history, including at least a few cool records like the Porno Patrol 7”, the Combat Not Conform LP, Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers’ Live in SO.36 LP (which I still need a copy of!), and Squandered Message’s Getting Blunt LP. It appears the label’s tour booking arm also helped to bring a bunch of American bands to Europe in the 80s… I’m guessing the label’s releases from US bands like Capitol Punishment, R.K.L., M.D.C., and Verbal Abuse coincided with those bands’ tours. I bet there are a lot of stories to be told about all that.

Back to No Allegiance. I was in New York for Another Lost Weekend, and of course I hit a bunch of record stores while I was there. I hadn’t been to Generation Records in probably 15 years. The last time I went, I’m pretty sure the store sucked… if I remember correctly, the upstairs was all CDs and merch and all the vinyl was downstairs, but I don’t remember buying a single thing. This time around, it was a different story. There were lots of crazy records on the wall (for crazy prices, of course), and while I didn’t buy any of that stuff, I found a lot of cool, more reasonably priced records in the used LP bins. (Side note: every record store I went to in New York just calls their entire used section “new arrivals,” which is probably a good way to get people to look through everything.) There were a bunch of 80s German hardcore LPs, which I have to assume came from the same collection. One of them was No Allegiance’s first album, Mad, which I eagerly nabbed.

Sometimes when you hear a band at a party after a few beers, add it to your wantlist, and track down a copy weeks, months, or years later, it doesn’t hold up as well as you remember. While Chris had played No Cash Value, No Allegiance’s second album, Mad was no disappointment. In fact, I think it’s pretty killer. It reminds me of better-produced US hardcore records from the mid-80s, when bands started getting stronger recordings… I’m thinking of records like the FU’s Do We Really Want to Hurt You and DRI’s Dealing With It… bigger-budget records from bands that still played loud and fast. RKL might be another good comparison. Basically, if you like the bands that were still riding for hardcore in the mid-80s without going melodic or metal, you’re probably going to dig this.

It looks like both of No Allegiance’s records fly so far under the radar that they barely sell for anything on Discogs. (I paid the New York City premium price for my copy, but I’m OK with it.) So, if you can track down these records, they shouldn’t cost you much at all. And if you ask me, they punch way above their weight.

Bloody Flag: S/T 12” (Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes) The short tag line for this tape is “Disclose worship from Chris Ulsh” (he of Impalers, Power Trip, Mammoth Grinder, Quarantine, Vaaska, Devil Master, Hatred Surge, and many others). When I heard this was in the works, I was intrigued because I’m a huge fan of Chris’s music… of course projects like Impalers and Quarantine are right up my alley, but even when he works in genres I’m not as attached to, I still find the music riveting. Bloody Flag, though, falls firmly in the category of “musician I love playing a style I love.” If you’re a big fan of Impalers, you can hear that group’s bones in Bloody Flag, particularly their burly, charging rhythms and the commanding yet shredded vocals. These strengths are a perfect match for the stylistic elements Bloody Flag borrows from Disclose, like the heavy reliance on fast palm-muting and the wandering, “nuclear rain” guitar leads. That mix of blaring ferocity with loose, almost psychedelic elements is a big part of what made Disclose so great, particularly in their Disbones phase, and Bloody Flag channels that perfectly while allowing room for Ulsh’s playing style to shine through. Chris from Warthog also provides harsh noise interludes, adding even more depth and texture to the release and nodding to Kawakami’s Goatworshipper project. I’ve had this tape on repeat since I first laid my hands on it, and it’s one of my favorite hardcore releases of 2023. While this is already sold out from the label and nearly sold out from us, I hear a second tape is on the way, so keep your eyes peeled.

The Hell: S/T 12” (Not for the Weak Records) “This one goes out to the bad boys” is inscribed at the bottom of the insert for the Hell’s debut LP on Not for the Weak Records. It’s the only information aside from the lyrics on the record’s layout, but it says what you need to know about this group from Cleveland, Ohio (the bad boy’s natural habitat). While the Hell plays at hardcore tempos, they remind me more of a nasty, Dead Boys-inspired punk band, with snot-crusted vocals and riffs that strut like a dirtbag gakked to the gills. A stark contrast to the militaristic and ritualistic intensity of hardcore descended from the Minor Threat branch of the family tree, this makes me think of New Jersey’s the Worst, Boston’s Vile, the Dwarves circa Blood, Guts & Pussy… bands that sounded like hardcore because it annoyed the norms, but if too many hardcore kids liked them, they’d find a way to alienate that audience too. While a true bad boy might take this record as a holy scripture, even a dweeb like me can thrash to the Hell… I just probably won’t invite them to stay at my place after the gig.