SLAVE ONE (1996 - 1999)

Without the tiniest inkling of doubt in my mind, I can safely say that Slave One is, by far, the heaviest hardcore band I have listened to in my short existence on this planet. What makes me even prouder is to know they came from Texas, more specifically, the DFW area (Dallas-Fort Worth) where I'm from. Slave One's unique approach to metallic hardcore combines equal parts Integrity, His Hero Is Gone, and Slayer.  My favorite aspect of the band has to be the vocals, delivered in a low, guttural, death-metal style which adds even more weight to the heaviness of the band's sound. 

 I've luckily found the LP on my own, but most of the information I've learned about them came from the (Mostly) Blue Skies Above Us blog, which also has an early 7" and a split they did. 

Oh yeah, and the Star Wars reference is pretty obvious; Slave One being the ship Boba Fett used to track bounty heads across the galaxy. Being the perennial Star Wars geek that I am, I can't help but mention what a badass Boba Fett is. I mean, the guy fuckin' fought Darth Vader twice. Anyways, self-titled LP below.

Slave One s/t

Tracklisting:

1) Sleeping With The Enemy

2) Jaded Tree

3) The Wounds Of Lost Love

4) Passionate Kisses

5) Loose Cannons

6) Cease To Exist

7) Bloodied Body

NERDS ATTACK!

Nerds Attack! is a DIY hardcore/queercore band from the Sao Paulo, Brazil scene. This stuff is really fast, thrashy and a lot of fun, I tell ya. Similar to Scholastic Deth, Flash Gordon, or Limp Wrist. The 2006 Demo is all I've been able to locate, but their more recent output is awesome if not better.

myspace.com/nerdsattackfast

Punk Is Nerd? Demo 2006

1. Intro

2. Respeite Sua Escolha

3. Ultima Bolacha do Pacote

4. Criancas Brincando no Jardim de Cimento

5. Crenca

6. Voce Prefere 4 ou de Bruco

7. Bombas Nucleares Feitas Em Ritmo De Festa

8. O Punk Foi Vendido A Preco De Banana

9. O Rodeio Faz Voce Feliz E O Animal Infeliz

10. Book Attack (Scholastic Deth cover)

SACRED SHOCK

Pissed-off hardcore punk from Austin, Texas with Alex from Hatred Surge on vocals. But that shouldn't be the only reason you should check this out. The demo is pretty lo-fi, but good nonetheless. Born Against meets Battalion of Saints.

myspace.com/sacredshockatx

Sacred Shock 7"

1. Deadlines

2. Pedestal

3. Planet Decay

4. Bridge Burner

5. Best Interest

6. Sacred Shock

ETTIL VRYE (1996 - 2000)

Ettil Vrye was an emo/hardcore band from Andover, MA. For one of many bands that truly exemplified the intellectual mentality of emo, look no further than Ettil Vrye. Complete with the precise stop-start dynamic characteristic of the genre and the Indian Summer-esque hushed-to-scream transition, Ettil Vrye channels the darkest recesses of the human psyche. Similar to the likes of Policy of 3, Bob Tilton, and Native Nod.  Two members of Ettil Vrye, Brendan Campbell and Pat Moran, went on to form Sinaloa. 

Below is their first 7" and the split with Tipping Canoe. The 7" sounds a lot rougher than than the split in terms of sound quality, but is still amazing nonetheless. In my opinion, it adds a sort of esoteric element to the songs. I might also upload the Tipping Canoe discog. in the near future.
 

Ettil Vrye 7"

1. Debt Of Days

2. Did The Flash Catch It In Time

3. Stolen Shoes In A Pile

Ettil Vrye/Tipping Canoe split

EV Side

1. At The Birth Of An Orator

2. Hugs And Handshakes

3. He Doesn't Know He Is Primitive

4. Scream's Stop With Today's Meal, Tomorrow's Hunger Kills

5. Accelerate The Archaeologist

6. All Red Chess Set

7. S.O.S. *

TC Side

1. Life's A Rearview Mirror

2. Nomos 

3. Annabelle

4. Hangman

5. Hansel's Drive Home

CONTINENT

Continent is a tech-metal/grind/hardcore band from Tempe, Arizona. A constant, technical assault of grating intensity, they seem like a more spastic version of Graf Orlock or Trap Them and are just as heavy. Basically, this is the soundtrack to a trainwreck. As far as I know, they don't have any releases out, but all their tracks on their myspace are available to download. But anything they come out with is definitely worth waiting for.

"Push out on the tracks, I'm never coming back."

myspace.com/astralcontinent

Recrudescence, Repatriation, Restoration

Hey. 

To anyone who might frequent this blog, my hiatus is over. Pretty much a combination of school craziness and summer laziness. So, there's gonna be new stuff up in the next few days, or even hours for that matter. Also, I'll revive dead links and fix the c-box for ya. In the meantime, here's a distraction: Kehlvin/Rorcal split - Ascension Pt. I. 

-chadd.

HORROR CITY (2003? - 2005?)

On the verge of undescribable, Horror City was an emotive hardcore band from Cali with chaos, catharsis, and discord rivaled only by the likes of Textbook Traitors or Index for Potential Suicide at best. Some of the sickest drumming and epic riffs I have ever heard carry every single song with esoteric and enigmatic lyrics to match. Criminally underrated. Shared members with Sailboats, Hoods, A Company of Heroes, etc.

We Are The Tide EP

KOMM SUSSER TODD

BRUCE BANNER (2000 - 2007)

Catchy, twin vocal, balls-to-the-wall gamma-core/powerviolence from Stockholm, Sweden. ILFUN! is more in the vein of DS-13 or Despise You than some later releases which have a more 80's hardcore sound. They attack issues like blind patriotism and racism while still keeping a sense of fun and humor about them. Definitely one of my personal favorites.  Oh, and of course they do a sick Septic Death cover. 
I Love Fucked Up Noise ! - EP