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Ruz = backbone of hardcore in st louis. "Blame the Badge" gives me goosebumps.
Our take: 2nd EP from St. Louis's Ruz for Lumpy Records, and they continue to be something of an odd duck in the label's roster. I mean, who would expect to see one of the band members wearing a Leeway t-shirt on a Lumpy release? Ruz don't sound like Leeway by a long shot, but they are the most straightforward hardcore band on the label by far, even having a whole heap of mosh-worthy parts in their songs. They're a killer band for sure, but I'm wondering if the artwork and Lumpy affiliation will throw people off because I could picture this being just as much at home on a label like Triple B, particularly if it has a less lo-fi recording. Anyway, good music is good music no matter what the label, so if you're a fan of straightforward, no-frills hardcore with slightly more modern songwriting but total 80s production values and aesthetics, this one is another winner from Lumpy.