strain

shield

reality

Early 90’s Reality from Salt Lake City, Utah was Chris Carlton - guitar, Trent Falcone - vocals, Brad Butterfield - bass, Justin Spencer - drums, & Spencer Jacobs - guitar. They played a style of hardcore similar to later Insight meets Outspoken. reality - 1992 - something hurts 7'' (flatline records) http://www.mediafire.com/?wwl34xe5iw7ux37

fly

90's emo post hardcore. fly - 1992 - st 7'' (sun spot records) http://www.mediafire.com/?9655w11657t6g1e

shield

motive

Motive began in 1995 when Atif [originally on bass] and I (Ryan) [guitar] met Pete [drums] at a Hardcore show at the Huntington YMCA. Atif and I were looking to start a new hardcore band after being exposed to hardcore music in the senior year of our dead end william floyd high school senior year. We instantly clicked with Pete and he really was the perfect drummer as he was tight and played like a machine. Also he was already playing out the short lived LIHC band Derailed. Before playing with Pete, Atif and I played in a violent metal band Crooked Stick who unfortunately broke up. So it was great to meet someone new who was already a good drummer and start up a brand new project. I remember early on, we rehearsed in the Northport basement of of “Maxx the punk” and wrote most of our early tunes. The sound was a mix of old school hardcore with a biting metallic tinge. At first, we tried out friend Macky, but eventually decided to not work with him and kept looking for a vocalist… In walks Al. AL brought with him a wealth of knowledge and hardcore ideology on vocals that immediately fit in with our newly formed “straight edge” version of Motive. [Not Pete- he still smoked butts!] We recorded the first demo “Demonstration” at the old ARTI studio. Shortly after we also recorded 2 songs for the “516 Comp” on None of the Above Records and we instantly were playing shows in the thriving Long Island Hardcore Scene. Next was an ill-fated 7” “Underneath The Principleless Terrain” on the instantly defunct label Bittersweet Records where only 100 copies are said to have made it out into circulation. [The other 900 copies were rumored to have been destroyed.] The recording showcased the first sign of our advancing sound with dissonant chords, a boost of chaotic energy and Jay May at the helm at Outeast Studios. Unfortunately Al Carter (RIP) didn’t work out (long long story) with our increasing taste for darker and acidic music and we decided to part ways with him. Somewhere around this time, we were picked up by the NYC label Exit/Wreckage. Atif took over on vocals and unleashed this insane roar that I swear could be heard without a fucking PA! What followed was a return to Outeast Studios and 3 new songs that were regarded by most as Motives finest hour: “A Doctrine of Scripted Torture”. The sound was solidfied with a new bassist “Ballpoint” Pete who previously played with the LIHC band “the Motoba Erehwon Conspiracy”. Constant intense live shows followed and we kept writing more intense songs. We were eventually tempted by the poisons and Atif and I “sold out” to our drug free life style. This happened to coincide with the release of “I Vs. the Beckoning of Darkness”. We injected a huge new influence of technical and progressive metal guitar riffs and drumming with strong and increased dark texture topped off with depressing words of isolation screamed as intensely as possible by Atif. I think this record went over lots of peoples heads, including Wreckage, who hated our guitar solos and metal parts hahaha!. Clearly we made a decision not everyone liked, but back then we were damn proud of our sound because we regarded it as original and pure! We recorded the Album with Davide and Ian love in NYC. It was an awesome experience. I experimented with lots of guitar pedals and Atif had the time to really put alot of work into his vocals. This was the first time we were in a “pro-studio” so the sound sounds a bit “strange” when I listen back. Meaning: not exactly like we sounded live. Anyway, to our surprise, lots of people on Long Island embraced our progressed sound on the record and we played lots of great shows on LI and even a self booked US tour as well! We partied hard and eventually sobriety was now a distant memory. Motive progressed into a equal parts Metal band as much we were a HC band. Unfortunately, Ballpoint who was still sxe, could not tolerate us anymore, and we parted ways with him never to hear from him again. Due to our increasingly drunken/stoned actions and increased unpopular tech/death metal influence most Hardcore Kids wanted nothing to do with these long hair metal heads! After a failed attempt at recruiting a new bassist Ray, the new motive was further solidified with the addition of bassist “Dogmaster” Todd. Todd was a talented metal guitarist-turned-emergency metal bassist from our home town Mastic/Shirley.[also the singer and guitarist in crooked stick] Due to lots of fighting with the people in the LIHC scene we decreased in popularity and less and less people came to see Motive play. Yet… we still carried on and wrote some of our most advanced songs ever. A harsher darker Motive emerged. We returned to Jay May in Laurel (!) and recorded the great yet unreleased 4 song demo “Fetus Shall Become Ash”. Two songs off that “Fetus” demo got released out on some random compilations but eventually [more or less … this time period is a bit blurry] motive went to sleep and the story fades… Until 2006 as we regroup 7 years later to play some songs again one last time! -Ryan2006 Discography: “Demonstration” Cassette 1996 [Self Released Demo] 1. Vigor 2. Guilty by Default 3. Reverence 4. Pick Yourself Up “516 Hardcore Compilation” 2xcd 1996 [None Of The Above] 1. First Quarter 2. Borders “Underneath the Principleless Terrain” 7” 1996 [Bittersweet] A. Inaudible / Studies B. Wolf In Sheeps Clothing / Submission “A Doctrine Of Scripted Torture” 7” 1997 [Exit/Wreckage] A. Farewell to the Actor / Thickest of Glass B. Virile “I Vs. The Beckoning Of Darkness” CD/ Cassette 1998 [Exit/Wreckage] 1. The Dormancy Pill 2. Furthering the Demonic Destriny 3. Time Capsule 4. Icicles 5. Blue Grey Black 6. The Crooked Stick and Its Divine Music Box 7. The Twan Maratea Theory 8. Circle Place 9. First Quarter 10. The Battle of the Ants 11. I Vs. the Beckoning of Darkness “Mindset Overhaul” Compilation CD 1998 [Exit/Wreckage] The Dormancy Pill “Fetus Shall Become Ash” Cassette 1998 [Self Released Demo] 1. Dreams of Funerals and Morbid Freedom 2. Destroying Every Hex 2. Fetus Shall Become Ash 4. Implosion of Existence “One Hell Of A Compilation” CD Tribute to Anton LaVey 1999 [ Blasphemor Records] Dreams of Funeral and Morbid Freedom “Appropriate Response” Compilation CD 1999 Implosion of Existence Band members: atif: vocals, original bassist pete: drums ryan: guitars, backing vocals ballpoint: bass todd: bass on final demo al: early vocalist ray: bassist http://www.myspace.com/motivefuckyou motive - 1997 - a doctrine of scripted torture 7'' (exit records) http://www.mediafire.com/?3vyz83mhzd4m1x8

method

Method was a Hardcore band from Milwaukee, WI, and were creating some pretty wicked riffs for the era. Living on the West Coast, I never really gathered a ton of information on these guys, but my friend Parker helped fill in a few holes when I saw him a couple of years ago here in Portland. Apparently Method’s singer had a nickname of Survivor, which he gained by riding a bike across state lines to attend a hardline gathering. The same dude also served briefly as an original member of Killtheslavemaster. method - 1997 - st 7'' (self released) http://www.mediafire.com/?t06idjg0cfde22z

fuel

Fuel formed in 1989 and thrived in the early 90’s post-hardcore scene. They were from the San Francisco Bay Area, though you wouldn’t know it to listen to them. They combined melody, power, and raw emotion to create both personal and political songs. They had a post-punk “DC” sound akin to Fugazi or early Hot Water Music with twin guitars and dueling rough post hardcore vocals and aggressive and intricate drumming. If anything, they were a bridge between the coasts since the bands they were closest to in terms of friendship were Jawbreaker (in fact, they recorded a Jawbreaker cover, but put an unused vocal track from a different song over it), Samiam, Cringer, and Monsula. After a few recording sessions at Gilman, they had their own self-published demo. A song recorded with Alex Sergay in the fall of 1989 later ended up on the Very Small Records compilation “If You Can See Through it… It Ain’t Coffee.” They recorded with Kevin Army in February and March of 1990, and released their self-titled LP “Fuel” in 1990 containing 10 songs on Sixth International/Rough Trade Records. The same recording sessions yielded four other songs which were released as a 7” on Lookout! Records the same year. Both were well received by critics. Over the next two years, they toured and played locally and hit the studio a few more times to lay down some tracks which would end up on split 7s with Phleg Camp and Angry son respectively as well as a few compilations. Most of their work was later re-released by Allied Records in 1995. The discography was called “Monuments to Excess” and featured more or less the same artwork as the original LP. Fuel split in 1991. Fuel was Mike Kirsch on guitar/vocals, Aaron Arroyo on bass, Jim Allison on guitar/vocals, and Jeff Stofan on drums. Mike Kirsch has been in numerous Bay Area bands such as The Skinflutes, early Pinhead Gunpowder, Navio Forge, Torches to Rome, Bread and Circuits, and Please Inform the Captain This is a Hijack. He’s currently playing guitar in Baader Brains. Jeff Stofan has also been in numerous bands including Monsula most notably. Twenty years later, and people still talk about Fuel. One of the members started and maintains the band’s official website as a tribute and scrapbook to a time he obviously loved. fuel - 1990 - take effect 7'' (lookout records) http://www.mediafire.com/?ay9h8za2zd3r2fz

deadguy

One night in the summer of 1994 Dave and Crispy went to CBGB’s in NYC to go see Cows and Unsane. It was hot. Cows (for those of you who aren’t familiar) are pretty entertaining, in fact I’d say they should have been much more popular than they were. Unsane had just reformed with Vinnie on drums and the other 2 original guys still playing. They were so unbelievably heavy (and loud) and so unlike the crappy bands in New Brunswick, New Jersey it seemed only natural to go buy all their records and start ripping off the cool parts and making a band around it. Admittedly this might seem kinda lame, but who cares, we just wanted to rock. No one ever believes this story but it is literally how the band started, if there had been something better on TV that nite, none of this would have ever happened. So you’re thinking, “Yeah, I guess they sounded a little like The Unsane, but not really.” That’s true, we found that The Unsane songs although cool and heavy weren’t very hard to play, that’s when we discovered a band from Tennessee called Today Is The Day (I had bought the cd a few weeks earlier), who we could rip off even more than The Unsane. The first TITD album, Supernova, is still one of my favorite records of all time. It’s so heavy and evil and the music is so crazy that there wasn’t even anything to compare it to. If you listen to 6 Dementia Satyr and then Black Dahlia (in that order) and then listen to Druid from our White Meat 7-inch you’ll see the inspiration (basically we stole it, Cool, huh?). Anyway, Crispy and I were housemates, along with a whole bunch of other knuckleheads at 149 Somerset Street, a house that became the practice space for Deadguy as well as a local punk rock venue. We knew we needed other people in order to become a band so we went through our roommate list and found 2 who could play instruments; Pops (a.k.a. Tim Naumann) and Bruce, (who later went to France and came back nuts, seriously.) So we started teaching Pops how to play bass, since that was what Crispy knew how to play. Then we had 2 bass players, so Crispy went and bought a guitar and became the guitar player. We were a cool power trio, like Rush, or Triumph, those 2 shared the vocals and it was cool. Somewhere along the lines we got suckered into bringing another singer so that Crispy and Pops could just play. At the time it seemed like a good idea and for a while it worked, unfortunately it became a real hassle. We played our first show in the basement of 149 Somerset Street a few months later, I think we had 5 songs which we hadn’t even named. Quick side note here: the origin of the name Deadguy came from the John Candy movie Only the Lonely where he’s carrying around dead bodies and people keep asking “Who’s the Deadguy?” So the show was kinda weird, I remember there being way too many people there and us being so loud that every one of them were covering their ears to escape the feedback and noise coming from us. It was a success though, we made a bunch of t-shirts and people wanted them and people seemed to sorta like the noise factor, when I say noise, I mean shit noise that makes your head hurt. At some point we moved to another apartment and built a practice space/bedroom. Crispy and I worked on new songs and parts pretty much every night. Somewhere before that happened we went and recorded the White Meat 7-inch at Trax East in NJ, I still like the songs on there, but the guitars should have been louder, overall it was a cool record and there wasn’t a whole lot of bands going for that sound at that point, so we were cool. That record came out on Dada/Popgun, a local label. The White Meat 7-inch got us some good press and notoriety so we started playing all over the East Coast and pretty soon had a good following (I think kids liked us cause we made new t-shirts all the time). After a show in NYC we met up with the jokers from Engine/Blackout Records who put out the Work Ethic 7-inch as well as a CDEP that contained both 7-inchers. The guys at Engine were pretty screwy after a while. We had gone and recorded the Fixation album and they couldn’t pay the studio for it, so we bailed and went to Victory. At the time Victory was pretty much Tony and a few lackeys, he put the record out in February I think, even though it had been done in October. The first tour sucked, the booking agent was a complete idiot and she screwed up the whole West Coast, so by the time we got to LA we only had one show left in Seattle. You might say that tempers started to flare as certain members of the band were treating this tour as a vacation while others of us were there to rock. (Never mind we were living on $2-$5 a day, whereas they had a bunch of money from their parents or wherever and we were eating bread sandwiches.) The whole thing came to a head at the home of our former housemate Gabe, the poor bastard never knew what happened. We got to his house and in about 15 minutes, three of us (Dave, Crispy and Pops) were not talking to the other 2, we were out of money, out of shows and they were accusing of us of “ruining their good time” because we didn’t want to stay in Seattle for 3 extra days. We drove back to NJ only stopping for gas. 50 hours, basically non-stop with the 3 of us against the 2 of them. After that they decided to move to Seattle. We decided they were jackasses and stayed in NJ. About this time, we switched Pops from bass over to vocals; it took a while for him to really learn how to scream and breath, but in the end I like his voice a million times better. We also recruited our former roadie (and Destroyer of Babylon) Tom Yak to come and play 2nd guitar. At that point the bass player search began, it sucked. Eventually the mighty Rob Leecock convinced us to let Jim Baglino join, we had been hesitant since Jim was in Human Remains, but those guys were pretty dysfunctional, plus Jim wanted to play bass, so it worked out. We started practicing at his studio in Red Bank and that’s where we wrote most of the songs for Screamin (although we still played in the basement). Somewhere within this whole story we met lots of interesting people and played with lots of great bands (and plenty of terrible ones) including Today Is The Day, so when it came time to record we called Steve Austin, who flew to NJ to record Screamin with us. It was an experience and I think the record is great, that was the sound we were always going for and I think there wasn’t anything left for us after that recording. The next tour was set up by the people at Victory, we went out with Bloodlet for about 2 months over the whole country. This tour was much better; we actually got paid, had shows and all got along. Along the way we fought a midget, crashed into some foreigners, Crispy chipped his tooth on Jim’s bass, we lived in Orlando for a week and had a great roadie, named Samson. Despite the fact that this tour was good, it was grueling both physically (Pops and I lost 10 pounds each) and mentally (Tom decided he was no longer a rock star). Young Tom’s final shows were cool, the first one was with Misfits and a whole cast of others at the WSOU anniversary in Asbury Park, NJ, there were about 4,000 people there. His last show was at the Wetlands in NYC for CMJ, we had to stop at Jim’s dad’s house on the way in and as we were sitting outside a bird dropped dead out of the sky right at our feet, I think it was an omen. Tom took to the trees after that and began a reclusive lifestyle. We continued to play around the East Coast (now with our friend Chris from Doc Hopper on guitar), and began an unbelievable epidemic of breaking down at every possible point. We played our last show in New Brunswick in May of 1997, Jim didn’t want to stop being a band and he got mad at us at that show and no one heard from him for about 3 months. People often wonder what happened to everyone after that; Jim owns a rehearsal studio in Red Bank, NJ and continues to rock. Chris from Doc Hopper also continues to rock. Pops went back to playing bass and finally is finishing college after 10 years. Crispy became a professional gambler for a while but stopped when his car blew up mysteriously one night (seriously). Tom took to the trees as they say, kind of like a survivalist who lives in the woods and I (Dave) have been on a quest to become the first punk rocker to become an internet millionaire. DISCOGRAPHY: White Meat 7” (Dada/ Popgun Records, 1994) Work Ethic 7” (Engine/ Blackout Records, 1994) Work Ethic EP (Blackout Records, 1994; Re-Released 2002) Fixation on a Co-Worker LP (Victory Records, 1995) Screamin’ With the Deadguy Quintet EP (Victory Records, 1996) I Know Your Tragedy - Live at CBGBs (Hawthorne Street Records, 2000) deadguy - 1994 - whitemeat 7'' (dada records) Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?l7fgll731lpasi3

day of suffering

unbroken

Secret show from Prague.

daydream

Daydream is 90's influenced newschool hardcore from Prague, Czech Republic. On my opinion they are influenced by Ressurection, Unbroken and sometimes Cave In. Check their demo http://daydreamxxx.bandcamp.com/

slugfest

by the grace of god

Started for fun in 1995 by (ex) members of Guilt, Endpoint, Enkindel, Empathy, and Falling Forward, By The Grace Of God took center stage in their hometown of Louisville Kentucky, rather quickly. Taking up touring, their first and second records came by way of Chicago’s Victory records. After Victory’s support of bands like One Life Crew, promotions in porn magazines (and videos), and general unease within the band, BTGOG released 3 Steps To A Better Democracy in 1999 on hometown label 3 Little Girls. Seeing a limited release, the band continued for only a short while longer, playing a slew of “last shows”. The band reunited in October 2005 for a show in Louisville to benefit a sick friend, and also to release 3 Steps… remastered with extra material on Initial Records. It was Initial’s final release. Members of the band now play in Black Cross, Minnow, D. Biddle, and Us Lions. One of my favourite bands! by the grace of god - 1996 - for the love of indie rock 7'' (victory records) http://www.mediafire.com/?kwuab3l73zzcyo4 by the grace of god - 1997 - perspective (victory records) http://www.mediafire.com/?9uu1k61gs6ap58v

despair

prevail

Prevail was an underground hardcore from Scranton/Florence/Conway/Columbia, SC. They played between the years of 1994-1998. They released a demo tape, a 7 inch on Insurgent Sounds, a 12 inch on King of the Monsters, a split 7 inch with Stretch Arm Strong on Insurgent Sounds, a 7 inch on Concurrent Records, songs on several compilations, and a CD discography on Hanged Hero. They shared members with Rinse, Hassan I Sabbah, Homeland Security. They played in the vein of Canon, Green Rage, Abnegation etc. prevail - 1995 - ...with such emotion 7'' (insurgent records) http://www.mediafire.com/?0a88d1vkc1ariew

1066

Sorry no info about this band, but they are fucking awesome. Mix of Focal Point, Unbroken and Mean Season. Check them for sure!!! 1066 - 1997 - st 7'' (billy the kid records) http://www.mediafire.com/?47cx7l9oljgdh5x

ritual

Ritual is a new school hardcore band from Elowood, NJ. They had released only one 7'' with 3 songs on it in 1993. Super angry metalcore with acoustic parts. ritual - 1993 - st 7'' (self released) http://www.mediafire.com/?pajpfsdmfb6yc03

spirit

Unfortunately I don't have any info about this band..They played mix of old school hc with some influences of newschool. Maybe in the vein of Edgewise...Check this band for sure. Thanks to facextomorrow for info - as I know SPIRIT was a band from New Jersey. It was kinda pre-FLOORPUNCH with members of ENDEAVOR. Band was formerly known as KURBJAW. spirit - st 7'' (resurrection a.d. records) http://www.mediafire.com/?dababvbiea617za

unbroken