![[shiny grey monotone]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd6KiHDAbQRs8CrRmxCtqbg5yoSbtwAR2w4FDFERXJfP-Wgf3Cz4jKCnaAK371bePkk6lKYG-xjoKhUdF7yW1blhH6YjV-KoEofpS4GD9XwZyDKQbxxbHb3Q5NFTmvea6ecFdMdVZWqoj/s854-r/1.jpg)
Label: Mountain
Year: 1996
You want to know what sub-sub-genre hasn't aged very well? Mid 90's emo, just as it morphed into mid 90's screamo. You know what I'm talking about, right, the bands that flailed about on the floor, used potato stamps to decorate their paper bag sleeved 7"s, and seemed to populate ever "fest" ever booked from 1995 - 1998. We've previously discussed on this blog before, my predilection for the more "mature" strain of 90's emo, the Car Vs Driver/Boilermaker/Castor/Shiner type stuff, where someone is actually singing a bit, and the music is firmly rooted in Emo mk 1 (i.e. Washington D.C. circa 1987). Well, I also will admit that there were a series of bands who were straddling the chasm between emo and screamo (remember the term "emo violence"...In/Humanity ruled didn't they?) and played a more controlled version of the chaotic screamo, still raw, and apt to fly off the hinges, but less reliant on the quiet/loud dynamic that was ham-fisted into oblivion by lesser bands. Shotmaker were a band that could do it well. Singlefileline was another. Frail was not. See where I'm coming from?
Republic Of Freedom Fighters were good at this style, and having just listened to this record for the first time in...well...let's just say a loooong time, I was surprised at how well it holds up. I doubt you will like it that much if you don't have a soft spot in your heart (your vagina?) for this style already, or you weren't one of those people who chose to suffer through the hellscape that was a three day weekend at Dayton Fest, or More Than Music Fest, or Goleta Fest, or whatever. But, if you survived the 90's hardcore scene intact, and can get down on some anti-The Man lyrics, this one might shake the cobwebs loose for a 30 minutes or so.
DL
haha, lets just say my opinion occupies the opposite end of the spectrum to yours on this particular subject. i still dig shit like constantine sankathi, current, chino horde, ect. however right now im much more into the more complex mathy/moody/explosive shit that was around back then ala shale/max colby/sleepytime trio/staynless....barring the overflow of hardline vegan/femenist/leftist stupidity, the fests/fashion/music were generally much better then than it is now with all the tightpants and rediculous hair (yea the san diego style that pretty much gave birth to this "emo" style today was pretty out there but whatever) and people who dont have the balls to take any kind of political stance whatsoever today.
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