Bloodkrow Butcher - Nigh Hell (2013)

Yo! Sorry for my relative absence for the past month, been busy between a small tour/working a lot/being sick/etc. etc., not that anyone cares. Anyways, here's a heater -- Bloodkrow Butcher was a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They could probably fit under d-beat but I hesitate to use that term, because even though it's extremely obvious that these guys loved Discharge and they were probably their biggest influence, they seem equally as likely to have a Bastard tattoo as they would a SNFU tattoo.

Nigh Hell is their final offering, and, in my opinion, their best. I initially found this band through their excellent (and more raw) demo, but they fully develop their sound on this LP to be fantastically well-written, fun, catchy, yet without compromising any of the anger or speed. I find that a lot of d-beat bands lean more into the raw crasher style, which is good and fun and I love, but the side of the genre I adore even more is the verse/chorus/verse/chorus UK82-inspired incredibly catchy fast punk, and this embodies this perfectly. It's no shock that some of these guys were also in the Ramones-ripoff band Lude Boys, which will be posted later.

This download also contains 3 extra tracks included on the cassette reissue of this record from 2015, all of which are just as excellent as the original LP. Every time I put on anything from this record, I listen to the whole thing at least twice in a row, and have a hell of a time doing it. Check it out:

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The Farewell Bend - The Farewell Bend (1998)

 The Farewell Bend was an emo/indie rock band from Kansas City and Washington D.C., perhaps best known for being the band that spawned after the split of both Boys Life and Giants Chair. Musically, they continued in the same style as both of those bands -- technical yet tunefully idiosyncratic finger-plucked Midwest emo -- yet with even more of a poppy sensibility.

This is an all-time favorite band of mine, and one of the best in genre, which is a sentiment I've heard echoed by a huge amount of other deep cut emo nerds, which is bizarre given how deeply overlooked they are. For my money they were much better than both the bands they grew out of, which says so much considering that both those bands are phenomenal in their own rite. On-3 has some of the best lyrics I have ever read, by the way.

I also strongly recommend giving a listen to the LP, which is on streaming. In the meantime, check out this 7".

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Subconscious - Discography (1992-97)

 

Subconscious was a brutal death metal band from Fort Wayne, Indiana. In the age of hardcore kids jocking BDM, it's hard for me to emphasize enough how awesome this band is. Embodying the true 90's sweet spot between obviously longhaired and yet writing utterly fucking stupid dance riffs in like 75% of their songs, this is a band that should serve as a well of inspiration for anyone trying to be the next Demonstration of Power or Final Resting Place (not that I endorse trying to be that, cuz you're probably not gonna do it as good as them).

This discography has an interesting yet somewhat subtle natural progression. Funnily enough, even though it was released in 1992, the first demo might be the most danceable and "hard" by modern standards -- littered with breakdowns and hilariously pitch shifted vocals that make it sound like you're being chased by a monster, it's easy to imagine the tracks playing to a room full of kids in baggy cargo pants kicking the fuck out of each other. From there, it sticks to the obvious BDM roots but gets a little weirder, with the releases afterwards full of unbelievably fast chugs, less insane sounding vocals, and songwriting that gets shorter and more satisfyingly straightforward with each demo. There's even some weird, borderline Gorguts soloing here and there.

Subconscious were not NYDM guys who were used to going to like, Merauder shows, though make no mistake, they were certainly disciples of Suffocation and their ilk. They were through and through metal guys making through and through metal music, and it's fucking badass, even (if not especially) to my hardcore-poisoned brain. Every demo is worth a full listen. Check it.

Download for Torrid Inhumation (1992)

Download for Demo 93 (1993)

Download for Indignant Scripture (1994)

Download for Abominant Rendering (1997)

Wish - Demo 1992 (1992)

Wish were a post-hardcore/emo band from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. They are probably best known for being the band of Pushbutton Warfare vocalist/Withstand guitarist Justin Markou. They released two demos and a split with Focust before morphing into the more straightforwardly hardcore band Outlet.

I once described this demo to a friend as if Jawbreaker had been from the forests of the Berkshires and reared on consistent violence. It has a tough, obviously hc bite to it, but it's also shockingly melodic and, dare I say, emo. It's kind ahead of its time, especially for the region; I feel like most of the stuff like this, that sort of predates what we'd come to know as pop punk, was happening on the other side of the country. Regardless, this is a really good slab of what is obviously some kids from a shitty nowhere town (much love Pittsfield, shoutout Harrison) who loved both punk and 70's rock (hell, the last song is a Grateful Dead cover, lol) jamming out in a garage and putting out a product that, if you're a nerd, holds up pretty damn well and has a metric shit ton amount of charm.

As alluded to before, Justin from this band went on to be in a number of amazing WMHC bands, many of which will get posted on this blog at some point. Really, all 3 members of this band were in some fantastic hardcore bands. Anyways, if you fuck with punk/hardcore that leans melodic, check this out.

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Wrought: Ironsmile - Wrought: Ironsmile (1997)

Wrought: Ironsmile was an emo/post-hardcore band from Victoria/Sidney, BC, Canada. They existed from 1997 to 1999, played around western Canada/U.S., dropped a couple all-timer EPs, and then called it quits. Like many of their regional contemporaries (Engine Kid, Ache Hour Credo), they were obviously influenced equally by the sprawling soundscapes of Slint, the melodics of Cap'n Jazz, and the catchy emotionally charged rawness of Sunny Day Real Estate. Probably the three most basic building blocks for all emo, I know, but... bear with me.

Vancouver Island in the mid-90's experienced a weird influx of exceptional emo bands, with the aforementioned Ache Hour Credo at the forefront, along with Daddy's Hands, a concurrent/subsequent project with many of the same members. As good and known as those two are, though, this EP is probably the best thing to come out of the scene; Wrought: Ironsmile manage to, in just 3 tracks, capture the feeling of both warmth and desolation inherent to the northwest. Combining a really uncommon and profound sense of atmospherics with a nauseatingly good knack for melodics, this stands among bands like Old Hearts Club for how innovative, interesting, and yet oh-so easy to listen to it is.

From my research, members haven't done much that would be very interesting (musically speaking, at least) to most people who would read this, but they are wonderful and prolific artists in their own rite. This is one of my favorite emo EPs ever and, if you held me at gunpoint and forced me to make a list, I'd probably put Valentine's Day as one of my 3 favorite emo songs ever. I recommend this for repeat listening on a drive from Portland to BC around sunset on a spring day. Check it out.

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Frenzy - Demo (2002)

 Frenzy was a hardcore punk band from western Mass/Connecticut active in 2002. I can't find any record of shows they played, but I'm sure they played around in the area. They are notable, even in their obscurity, for being the first recorded project of Kyle Naumec of Laid 2 Rest/Jagged Visions, and Ryan Pitz of Fucking Invincible/High Command.

This is an absolutely excellent document of blisteringly fast, exceptionally fun, yet fucking mean youthful punk. Not a single song is over a minute long, and the 50 second ones feel almost slow after you've been  bombarded with 3 20-28 second songs right before them. There's a certain New England flair to this where you can tell that as much as they loved bands like Out Cold, they were more than tapped into youth crew at the time -- just listen to the break in the first track. This is really good, really fun, and really addictive stuff that I find myself listening to multiple times a week. Check it out.

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Gris - Il Était Une Forêt... (2007)

 

I strongly recommend buying this album directly from the artist, especially a physical copy. This post exists purely to democratize amazing music.

Gris were (are?) an incredible DSBM band from Quebec. A two piece of Icare (guitar/bass) and Neptune (lead vocals/drums/seemingly everything else), they originally formed as Niflheim in 2004, releasing a wonderful LP and a promo under that name in 2006. Since then, they changed their name and have released this record, and "À L'Âme Enflammée, L'Äme Constellée...", another LP, in 2013. Since then, both members have also joined the project Misere Luminis, which released a record as recently as 2023.

This record is generally seen as Gris' masterpiece, and obviously so. It's probably the single best record in all of DSBM, and it's arrestingly obvious from just the first track how far above the pack it is. No kitsch, no posturing, even among its dramatics it doesn't feel dramatic -- this isn't DSBM that relies on sounding creepy or disturbing or crazy to maintain your attention, though it can certainly contain moments that evoke all of those emotions at different points. This is extremely well-written and well-played music that is, in a sense, profoundly listenable and enjoyable beyond just the extremity factor inherent to the genre.

If you've seen this record mentioned, you've probably heard people talk about the vocals, which is more than deserved. This is probably the single greatest and most pained vocal performance in the history of metal, maybe ever. The track "Veux-tu danser?" is particularly strained -- there's moments in that song where his voice will stop me in my tracks, and even regardless of the vocals that song stands as perhaps the main highlight of the record for me. Check it out.

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Withstand - Rites of Passage Demo (1993)

 Withstand were a hardcore band from Troy, NY, and Pittsfield, MA. Within the "troycore" group of bands, this is one that if you mention it around an oldhead you'll get an approving head nod and a "they were so dope". Among a crowd of progenitors in hardcore, they stood at the forefront, and yet don't get nearly the same credit that most bands do. I truly believe this band was ahead of its time enough that if they had been from like, NYC instead of upstate, or Boston, or somewhere that wasn't Capital Region/western Mass, they would be talked about in the same breath as some of the greats.

This demo might be the best example of that -- some of the riffing is like, insanely trailblazing for hardcore. Fusing metal and NYHC swag in this exact way wasn't really a thing bands were fully doing in 92/93 but Withstand was -- it was really just them and Conviction (post soon perhaps?). For fucks sake, Room To Room contains what has to be one of the very first examples of rapping in a hardcore song.

I'd be amiss to not mention the insane sounding production on this demo. It genuinely kinda took me aback the first time I heard it because of how just... unbelievably lo-fi it is. It adds so much to it. The drums sound like they were recorded in a cavern and the snare has to be turned off. So awesome.

Members were in so many good bands: Dying Breed, Catheter, Bloodwar, and particularly of interest to this blog, Wish and Pushbutton Warfare, both of which will be posted in the next week. I will also post more Withstand stuff later down the line because the whole discography is worth checking out.

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Canon - The Solution (1994)

 

Couldn't go this first batch without having an XVX band on. Canon were a vegan straight edge metallic hardcore band from Doylestown, PA. When it comes to the first batch of Earth Crisis/Conviction/Green Rage imitators, this might be the absolute best.

This is another band there isn't much backstory on online, but it's hard to imagine they formed in any other way beyond being the only five vegan straight edge high schoolers in the general Doylestown area at a time just before hardcore got its first big break by having Sick of it All on MTV and shit. Before you listen to this, I'd recommend watching this video of them playing NJ in 1994, sound muted, because I guarantee you will know exactly how it sounds purely from how they look and behave on stage. Masterclass of early/mid 90's XXXXXL 100 lbs soaking wet swagger. Rage fueled by tahini and the worst meat substitutes of all time.

What Canon lacks in instrumental proficiency they make up for with a genuine songwriting knack, being mad as fucking hell, and an absolutely un-fuck-with-able amount of old school charm. It's truly infectious and behind the bad production (which I truly think enhances the experience) there's some fucking insanely hard riffs and songs on this. The lyrics speak for themselves too.

Members went on to do a couple different projects, most notably the drummer was in Philly area edge screamo legends Frail around the same time, who are getting a Numero reissue as I type this. Check them out too if you haven't, it's different from this but similarly awesome. In the meantime, listen to this timeless classic of an EP.

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Breakdown - Blacklisted (1997)

 

When it comes to hardcore records that aren't on streaming, this may well be the holy grail. I feel like asking someone the question "87 Demo or Blacklisted?", no matter what answer they give, is an essential exploratory method in gathering if someone is a Trve Head or just another herb/an eternal new jack. For my money, though, this is the way.

I don't have a ton in the way of historical context of this record as I honestly haven't bothered reading much about it, but you know Breakdown, I know Breakdown, everyone who knows their shit knows Breakdown. They might truly be the best NYHC band of their time, and they are truly a progenitor of what, for my money, is the best style of hardcore -- fully swagged out, full of drum breaks, and with some of the goofiest yet most legit and honest lyrics and vocals of any band ever. For my money, this is the apex of their discography, particularly the breakdown in Jail of Depression. If you cover that at a gig I'm attending I'm making that place into a warzone.

Members have been in so many other bands but I wanna give a special shoutout to Slumlords. Not enough kids jocking that these days. Anyways, check it out and study up.

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Three Shades of Dirty - Paper Roses (1990)

 

I figured I'd make my first real post on this blog a record I love. If you've talked to me about emo or indie you've probably heard me bring this little demo tape up, and if you've taken the time to listen you know exactly why.

The story is something like "The Hated broke up in 1989 but also kind of didn't but also mostly did and then a few of them decided to start another band to develop on their already trailblazing sound even more with another project" and as such the Annapolis, MD indie rock band Three Shades of Dirty was born. Paper Roses compiles the only recordings we have from them, and what an exceptional batch of songs it is; it's hard to believe indie rock of this quality and style was coming out as early as 1990. Clearly inspired by R.E.M. (as was The Hated) but replacing a lot of the produced college radio kitsch for excellent lo-fi-pop charm, TSOD loses absolutely zero of the songwriting that you want and expect from a band like this, and I've found this particular sound almost entirely unreplicated still. The bass is fucking insane from the get-go and the vocals are precisely what I want from an early indie rock band.

TSOD was, to my knowledge, only a three piece, though the excellent Jenny Toomey provides backing vocals on tracks 1 and 5. She also was in the band Slack that featured Dan Littleton and Collin Meeder from TSOD, which I highly recommend and will likely post at another point. Drummer Sandy Whitesel has done some recent stuff which I have not checked out but would be interested to at some point.

Please note that the following download is actually technically the tiniest bit faster than the actual tape; I know, I know, horrible of me to post, but it's the only rip that anyone had for literal decades, and honestly I'm choosing to post it because I truly like it more that way. If you want the correct version I could provide you with that to. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Download

Introducing...

Hi!

I figure that even though most of the people who see this first will know who I am, eventually (well, hopefully) others will come across this page while searching for new music/downloads of stuff they already know, and its good to start off with an intro of myself. My name is Valerie, but most people just call me Val -- she or they pronouns, please. As of writing, I am 22, and I live in northwestern Washington state in the US, where I attend (and occasionally book) hardcore (and other) shows super frequently. I've played in a number of bands, primarily as a vocalist; as of writing my two active projects are The Truth and Cry of Mankind.

I'm starting this blog not so much as an archival project -- most of what I post you can find in some other fashion online, and there's lots of people who's work I adore who do a better job of finding and digitizing stuff that no one's ever heard of than I could. I mostly just want a digital library of more cutty/hard to find stuff that I love and I wish people would've shown me when I was getting into hardcore, particularly stuff that only really exists via not-well-trafficked YouTube links or like, ancient downloads that don't work anymore. I don't like Soulseek, and Blogspots were a huge part of me finding stuff when I was younger, and there's plenty of stuff I have pretty painstakingly filed and archived that you can't really find downloads of easily. I'm a hater but I'm not a gatekeeper. If you like shit that I think is bad I want you to have access to shit I think is good.

My taste skews in a lot of different directions, but I'm particularly a fan of 80's USHC/NYHC, any 90's vegan edge heavy/metallic hc, 90's indie rock/emo, youth crew/revival, really any guitar music, along with a lot of noise and industrial shit. I'll readily admit to being in some regards overeducated on all this stuff and undereducated on other genres I should know more about, so feel free to send me any recommendations for other stuff that branches out into genres I don't really cover on this blog.

If any links break down the line please don't hesitate to reach out or comment and let me know. Even if it's a while from now and I haven't posted in a bit I will keep email notifications on so I can fix it ASAP. Upload frequency will probably be fast at first but taper off as I work through the backlog -- feel free to send in any requests for downloads. I can usually work something out pretty quickly and get it done.

Thanks for checking out the blog! I hope you enjoy your time and find some good stuff.