Labels: Gravity
Review by: Joe Caithness
I think this is a record that surprised a lot of people who are fanatical about the early 90s hardcore scene, me included, but surprised in the best possible way!
This record is basically a load of chaps from San Diego bands in the mid 90s ten (plus) years on, plus an old local, doing some punk rock! Most notable connected bands are probably Heroin, possibly the blueprint for screamy emo hardcore and Clikatat Ikatowi, who then in turn turned that style on it’s head and made dark and dingy dischordant post-emo mayhem. So stylistically this is a very interesting little LP. And as well as being interesting its pretty fucking good! Very good infact. Style wise it definitely shows these guys were around back in the early 90s, it’s got signs of earlier Born Against and UOA in there, but that infamous “San Diego” sound keeps creeping in to remind you, sometimes just for a verse there is a bit of an off kitler riff thrown in, and it works so well, it’s good to see some well written thought out, yet simple hardcore punk coming out at the moment. The lyrics leave nothing to be desired also; topical, angsty and just enough imagry thrown in to actually be enjoyable on paper. Maybe it will inspire the current generation.
All in all this is a great record, short and to the point, mixing the old with the new in a subtle way which makes you think and wanna air drum at the same time.