BATTLESCARD

Ripping metallic traditional Japanese hardcore with screaming leads and that undeniable Japanese snarl/yowl from the vocals, presented with a subtle nod towards the breakneck mania of the modern noise punk set. Reminds me of the first DSB single, but the drummer is playing that stripped down thrash 1-2-1-2 instead of the beats I normally associate with rampaging far east hardcore. Five song banger recently given the pro treatment by Black Konflik, don't pass this one up.

MOTORCHARGE

CORRUPTED MORALS

So many forgotten bands from this era of hardcore punk...listen to this 10 song banger from Pinole, California and tell me the late '80s sucked. Eat shit, man - this is fukkn brilliant. You don't have to listen if you don't want to, but it's in your best interest to do so.

CORRUPTED MORALS

SIAMESE TWINS

This is for all of the people who do not have their finger on the pulse. I heard this when I was in Boston in January (our show ruled, by the way)...Paul played it for me and I was instantly hooked, as much breathy modern pop as '80s new wave sounds, with two distinctly different female vocalists. Just as I was falling head over heels for this six song tape, everybody in the joint started exclaiming how much they loved it. Wait a minute, I thought....how do these people know about this exclusive thing that my friend is playing me? How do all of these people somehow have their finger on the pulse of the thing I thought I had my finger on the pulse of? Apparently, these people look at the internet, and I just put things on the internet and don't look at it enough - and apparently my priorities are all screwed up, because I missed out on several quality months where I could have been listening to SIAMESE TWINS every day. The wave of '80s worship sweeping the punks is more than evident here, but I hear COCTEAU TWINS, STONE ROSES and THE HOUSE OF LOVE. Everyone will tell you that the vocals are the star here, but the reverbed guitar plays front and center in each one of these songs, every bit as breathy and ethereal as the vocals want to be (think THE PRIMITIVES on downers - fukkn perfect combination). Brilliantly crafted pop music that has already been shared generously on the internet - I Could Die Tomorrow and Cosmic Hearse have already offered this cassette - and they are both far better at this sharing thing than I am...but just in case you also languish in the shadows and miss out on the next cool thing until after it's no longer the next cool thing but the last cool thing? This shit is for you. Just as amazing as when it was unknown and undiscovered (to me), SIAMESE TWINS will carry you to new heights.

SIAMESE TWINS

BREATHLESS: THE HARDCORE COMPILATION

Six band Indonesian hardcore comp from 1999. Two songs from each band, covering all the bases: DEADLY GROUND steal the show with their UNIFORM CHOICE styled attack, INSIDE FRONT sound like a beefed up EARTH CRISIS weened on '90s SEPULTURA; STEP FORWARD come off exactly as I would expect based on the name (if you listen to youth crew, then you know just what I mean); BURGER KILL take as much from HELMET as from basketball jerseys; DEAD PITS are stuck in second gear, but if crew vocals and midpaced metallic chugs are your jams then you just struck gold; O.O.S. make me want to blast 7 SECONDS while I make breakfast. Did I mention that this comp is from Indonesia...I went there once, and I loved it. I hope to go back someday.

BREATHLESS: THE HARDCORE COMPILATION

BLIND AMONGST THE FLOWERS

While 1987's Dementia Americana single is a deliberate goth punk stomper somewhere between early P.I.L. and KILLING JOKE, this unmarked demo from 1984(?) is an unhinged primitive blast of psyched out UK punk. The second track sounds like a marriage of SUBHUMANS and HAWKWIND, and they only get weirder from there. The fifth song could be a lost Rough Trade no wave/post punk nugget, as much in common with snotty '70s art/noise as with any era of English punk. "All your religions: Nothing. All your politics: Nothing. All your art: Nothing. All your thoughts: Nothing. All your ideals: Nothing. Free yourselves and feel nothing." Damaged and brilliantly raw...and punk as shit.

BLIND AMONGST THE FLOWERS

UNBROKEN BONES

Received a killer package from Drunk With Power last week, and I've been blasting the UNBROKEN BONES demo ever since. Sick late '80s UK metal/punk crossover madness from Russia - blistering madness with gratuitous leads and massive presentation, with crew backing vocals to seal the deal - this is a four song masterpiece. Get amongst this NOW.

UNBROKEN BONES

Drunk With Power order info: punkwithpower(at)yahoo(dot(com)

FRACASO

Mind = Blown. Tortured DBeat hardcore insanity from Venezuela. Perfect execution, and recently repressed in the states by IFB. I know this tape has been blogged and gushed over and shared elsewhere, but these jams are not to be missed. I like to be thorough.

DEMO DEMO DEMO GRABADO EN 2011