Updating the blog is hard these days. Mostly because my posts tend to be long-winded. I'm going to do my best to make shorter, yet more frequent posts, in an attempt to keep this as fresh as possible.
It's hard for me though because I get excited about a band halfway through the post and end up ranting for a lot longer than I'd like. I surprisingly do get a lot of e-mails from people thanking me for the time I put into this blog, however, and it's encouraging to keep it going. Atonement Records out of the UK recently sent their appreciation so I checked out their blog in return and read through some posts of theirs.
I noticed while browsing that I typically get mentioned alongside several other blogs/bloggers that are "90s-oriented". I just wanted to take a second to note the distinction between myself and "them". I'm not "stuck in the past" (that's not a personal jab, I simply can't think of any other wording) and I also don't take pride in being "jaded".
I'm sure that sounds hard to believe considering my musical preferences but, in reality, I'm always wishing and waiting for someone to show me new, inspiring bands. Unfortunately I am also a realist and refuse to buy into things for nostalgia and/or revival purposes ... which totally leaves me in this strange purgatory between hardcore kid and useless old fuck.
While my profession has mostly ruined live concerts for me; it has also made me appreciate recorded music more than I probably ever have. At the end of the day I'm still down to pit and have been traveling further and more frequently for shows while I've been enjoying digging through my record crates/CD library/Mp3 folder more now than ever.
Now, onto my Top 10 Hardcore Full Lengths From When I First Started Going To Shows List.
While the order changes almost daily for me, these albums have been rocked consistently by me since I first got into hardcore a little over 15 years ago now. Obviously there are albums I like better than these now, but if we are talking consistency and availability when I was entering the realm of hardcore ... this is the list for me. While Breed The Killers isn't my favorite Earth Crisis album, it was the one they were touring in support of when I first saw them ... and while Seasons In The Size Of Days isn't the pinnacle Integrity release, it was the only one I could find for a year or two, ya dig?
I'd post download links but you probably already own these and most of them were released on Victory Records (who still think their Mp3s are sacred).
1 - HATEBREED - Satisfaction Is The Death Is Desire (November 11th, 1997)
I think this HAS to be Number 1, right?
2 - ALL OUT WAR - For Those Who Were Crucified (October 18th, 1998)
How insane is it that these guys are gigging out and playing this in it's entirety!?!
3 - BURIED ALIVE - The Death Of Your Perfect World (May 4th, 1999)
Terror is sick, but this full length is perfection.
4 - 100 DEMONS - In The Eyes Of The Lord (October 17th, 2000)
Still, to this day, the angriest and most violent lyrics and vocals ever put to tape.
5 - EARTH CRISIS - Breed The Killers (September 8th, 1998)
Ultramilitance and guest vocals from Rob Flynn; a criminally underrated album.
6 - GODBELOW - Painted Images With The Blood Of (July 10th, 2000)
People don't typically like giving credit where due, but this album is the definition of heavy.
7 - RINGWORM - Birth Is Pain (October 23rd, 2001)
A comparatively "new" album but these songs were mostly demo'd and being played live for years.
8 - INTEGRITY - Seasons In The Size Of Days (June 3rd, 1997)
Yet another criminally underrated album due to the band's extensive catalog of perfection.
9 - TURMOIL - The Process Of (March 29th, 1999)
How could I have The Death Of Your Perfect World on the list without its predecessor?
10 - IN COLD BLOOD - Hell On Earth (March 3rd, 1998)
A typically overlooked one-off classic from the Melnicks released not long after their final Integrity release.
Honorable Mentions:
Death Threat - Peace & Security
Mushmouth - Out To Win
E-Town Concrete - The Second Coming
Fury Of Five - At War With The World
25 Ta Life - Friendship, Loyalty, Commitment
Like I said, this is moreso just a very personal list reflecting back on what records I STILL jam from when I was first getting into THE SCENE. As mentioned, the Integrity record I listed was the only one I could even find for a year or two so I have more of a connection with it than an album that was released in 1993 even if it is technically "better".
