My Rifle - Fall On Your Sword

Label: Wardance
Year: 2011

Honk if you love Life's Blood with everything in you.
My Rifle came to my attention because the vocals are from Jason O'Toole, formerly of Life's Blood, who, in my opinionated opinion, are pound for pound the best hardcore band to ever come out of the fertile gutters of New York City. That's my opinion, but I'm also right.
My Rifle would be a "supergroup" to me, maybe you, and about 7500 other humans on Earth. To the vast majority of folks on this planet, I assure you the co-joining of this particular assemblage of dudes means less than nothing. But...I mean...fuck most people. Right?
So, as I said, you get Jason O'Toole on vocals, from Life's Blood, Factory, Scene Crime, Herr Lounge Corps, and as legend would have it, a brief stint as a cop in Conyers, GA. You also get Andy Guida on drums, from Supertouch, Absolution, Altercation, One Sided War, Running Like Thieves, Still Born, While We Wait, The Mistaken, Real, and others. On guitar is Hobi Klapuri who was in Our Gang, Hell No, Serpico, and Sleeper. Then on bass there's Lewis Dimmick who you will remember from Our Gang, True Colors, Sleeper, Serpico, and Gutwrench.
And if those names and bands mean nothing, you certainly won't be impressed by the Sean Taggert cover art. 

DL

The Mercury Players / Festering Rinyanyons - Don't Run, It's Your Dreamgirl

Label: Big Yucky
Year: 1992

The previous Festering Rinyanyons post below earned me a 24 hour ban from Facebook when I inadvertently posted the cover in a link to the posting...oops. Hopefully no one was too offended.

So, why not post some more Festering Rinyanyons? And this time its Festering Rinyanyons teamed up with their buddies(?) from up the road in Chicago, The Mercury Players.

Both bands get two songs, and combined, no member of your immediate family will like a single one. Promise. The Mercury Players trudge through some strangulated punk sludge that drills home the point that it's half-past time for you to go out and get a fucking job. Sort of a Butthole Surfers meets Cows, with a dash of Cherubs kind of damage. Noisy and meant to irritate the uninitiated. Festering Rinyanyons sound completely unhinged on this split, with two blown out, overdriven punishers that will bring a tear to a glass eye. Super nasty and bruising.

Fingers crossed this post keeps me in good standing with our Facebook overlords!

DL

Festering Rinyanyons - Peaceful Easy Feelin'

Label: Bovine
Year: 1993

Two songs, both essential bruisers that bring the Midwestern hurt down. Super warped and nasty noise rock that reaches deep into their Dekalb, Illinois agricultural roots to sprinkle in the faintest of cow-punk insults. So, shades of Crucifucks, Cows, and Killdozer...but more aggro.
It's on Bovine, that's sorta the answer to any questions you may have.
This one is essential if you never heard it.
Members of Virgo Snakes, Friday Mile, Double Boar, and others.

DL

Chrome Cranks / The Rails - Split

Label: Manx
Year: 1995

Two songs, one a piece. Chrome Cranks offer up a live (at CBGBs nonetheless) garage blues dirge that originally appeared on their 1993 Sympathy For The Record Industry 7", "Way-Out Lover". Damaged. Did you know that William Weber from the Chrome Cranks played with GG Allin in the Murder Junkies? Weird, right? More famously, the members of Chrome Cranks were in Sonic Youth, Action Swingers, Pussy Galore, Famous Monsters, Honeymoon Killers, Boss Hog, and the Knoxville Girls. Plus, now we know, the Murder Junkies.
The Rails were a revelation to me, I had never heard them prior to this record, and I hate to say, haven't heard them since. So, this one track is all I know if the band, and it's a shockingly great one track. Makes me think maybe I shouldn't have been so lazy...maybe done a little research...dug a little deeper...bought their album or something. Or maybe this one, maximum rock-n-roll stomper, is the best song they ever recorded and everything else will be a let down. Maybe I'm just protecting my heart? Don't die wondering? Vision Street Wear?

DL

Am - Ba

Label:
Year: 2020

The release year of 2020 is a little deceiving, since these songs were recorded a decade ago, but it doesn't really matter...you won't know the difference.
Special shout out to our Polish correspondent in the field, Przemek Zwias, for turning us on to this band, who are a long running institution in Poland, having been putting out records since 1986! And it should be noted, Przemak plays bass in the band, so I guess that makes him a "long running institution" himself.
For old guys (which I can say, as an "old guy" myself) they don't seem to have lost any of their step as the band entered their quarter century mark. They manage to combine hardcore, post hardcore, and punk rock into a really...I want to say "pleasing", but that doesn't sound right...a really tightly honed sound. It has elements of some old hardcore bands like B.G.K., mixed with newer sounds of a band like Refused, mixed with something freewheeling like The Yah Mos or something. It all adds up to something very...I'll say it...PLEASING.

Try it out, I think you'll be pleased.

DL

Hater - Circles

Label: Sub Pop
Year: 1993

Two quick songs, but two songs very worth the time. The first one is (I think) the same as the album version of the song 'Circles' that is also included on the band's first album. It's one of those "perfect songs" in my opinion; perfectly crafted rock-n-roll that plays it fast, loose, and catchy with nods to proto-punk, garage rock, and mod rock. The second song is 'Gen-O-Cide', which would appear to be a "fucking around in the studio" kinda deal. A very sloppy, drone-y, freakout jammer. It's enjoyable even if they saw it as a throw away.
Hater was most known as a Soundgarden side project, or a super group of sorts, which, I suppose is fair. There are well known folks playing on these songs, so sure, a super group it is.
the band:
Matt Cameron - Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Wellwater Conspiracy, Skin Yard, Temple Of The Dog
Ben Shepard - Soundgarden, Wellwater Conspiracy, Desert Sessions,
John McBain - Monster Magnet, Wellwater Conspiracy, Desert Sessions
John Waterman - Devilhead
Brian Wood - Devilhead, Fire Ants

DL

V/A - Deadly Sins

Label: Hater Of God
Year: 2001

This smartly packaged compilation of four 7"s (one is single sided) seemed to come out under the radar, even though it had some relative "big names" on it. Emphasis on "relative". If you were into gnarly hardcore, especially the kind that flirted with power violence, at the time, then I would think you would have been all over this. Maybe you were?
The bands:
The Black Hand - big, swarming, mean shit. A real underrated band
members of: Ire, Cursed, Drift, Born Dead Icons, One Eyed God Prophecy, Human Greed, Shitfit, Cobra Noir, and Land Of Kush
Catharsis - professional grade metallic hardcore crust
members of: Divide & Conquer, Unsettled, Umlaut, Paint It Black, Requiem, 3 Inches Of Blood, Walls Of Jericho, Trial, Prong(?!), Himsa, Heiress, and Undying
Damad - nobody can really touch this band's queasy style of southern sludge damage.
members of: Kylesa, Karst, Tank 18, Indian Giver, Indestroy, Black Cougar Shock Unit, Antischism, Initial State, and I'm sure a million more
Ruination - scathing hardcore that reaches back in time...so far back that they actually grab a song by The Freeze and cover it here.
members of: Cursed, Left For Dead, Burning Love, Sect, The Swarm, Los Crudos, Charles Broson, Affront, MK-Ultra (heeeeyyyy...wait a minute), Fucked Up, and Earthmover
Kill The Man Who Questions - dual vocal Philly caterwaul that roughs up the edges.
members of: An Albatross, R.A.M.B.O., Crossed Keys, The Curse, Limp Wrist, and Amateur Party
MK-Ultra - whirling dervish styled attack versions of four covers (BGK, Faith, Feederz, and Life's Blood)
members of: Silence, Sick/Tired, Charles Bronson, Ruination (wrinkle in time), Affront, Los Crudos, and a bunch more
Unruh - bring a metallic crunch to their desert baked caveman stomp hardcore, with a song I believe they wrote specifically for this compilation. So, kudos on that!
members of: Antique Scream, Wellington, Landmine Marathon, Northside Kings (who still owe Danzig an apology), and Black Hell

DL

Sheer Terror / Crawlpappy - Split

Label: Blackout!
Year: 1990

Look, Sheer Terror start this 7" off (which accompanied issue #29 of the wonderful Suburban Voice fanzine) all fine and good. They romp through their version of The Dead Boys' "I Need Lunch" with the expected tongue-in-cheek Paul Bearer black coffee cynicism, and you'll enjoy it. It's fun. But the real reason I've brought you here is for the flip side, the Crawlpappy side. I've gone to great lengths to convince anyone within earshot (which is rare, honestly) that they are the most underrated band to ever come out of NYC. I can't imagine anyone actually listens, but I will repeat: Crawlpappy is the best band to come out of NYC that nobody seems to give a shit about. And this song, on this split 7" is their best song. The best version even, of their best song (it would be re-recorded and released on the 'Deluxe" album). It's honestly one of my favorite songs of all time. Which, I understand is kinda weird. But it's true. I love this fucking song, and would appreciate if you arrange to have it played at my funeral (which will be an underwhelming affair I'm certain, sparsely attended and poorly catered). And I truly think you will love it too...if you even love me at all.

DL

The Chrisbald 96 - Uglified

Label: Glitterhouse
Year: 1990

Here is a little jammer of special interest to the harDCore and Revolution Summer heads out there. A posthardcore two song 7" that continues in the vein of the player's prior pursuits.
Chris Bald is actually Chris Kirschten (as his mother would tell you), and he did time in some pretty heavy hitters; The Faith, Embrace, and Ignition. Chris' brother Jon was in the DC band Rain and later in Las Mordidas. So, you know, street cred. Julian Weber from the old German band Everything Falls Apart is there too, as is Ralf Nemetschek from German band Schwermut Forest (who you will be excused if you never heard).

DL

Tad - Salem

Label: Sub Pop
Year: 1992

There is a three song 12" version of this ep, but I only own the two song 7" version. Sorry?

Did I ever tell the story of having a new kid move to town while I was in middle school, and we played soccer together and became buddies? He had a fucking righteous Samantha Fox poster on his bedroom wall. He had moved from Los Angeles and had apparently lived near Kirk Cameron, who he reported would ride his bicycle around the neighborhood with his pet snake around his neck. But those weren't the important details. The important part of the story is when he found out I was really into music, and he said, "my uncle is in a band, they are pretty much like what you listen to. His name is Tad Doyle, the band is Tad". This was in maybe 1989...so I guess I was a freshman in high school at this point. Doesn't matter though.
The Samantha Fox poster remained the coolest thing about my buddy Shad Doyle, but finding out his uncle was Tad Doyle was a close second.

DL

Ninefinger - Torque / Bad Wheel

Year: 1992
Label: Deaf American Recordings

Two songs, that were originally released in 1992 by a record label called Compulsiv Music (sp) under the band's original name; Spore. But not the band Spore out of Boston. And the "re-release" of the record was essentially taking the original 7"s and slapping a Ninefinger sticker over where it said Spore. Pretty low-tech.
More importantly than the release history, is the release personnel and the unholy racket they manage. This power trio packs more power than the average power trio. When you have Mike Dean (Corrosion Of Conformity, Snake Nation, Righteous Fool) on bass and vocals, that's a pretty good indicator of the power lying within. Add Rich Hoak (Exit-13, Brutal Truth, Total Fucking Destruction) on drums and that'll generally ramp things up as well.
The power in discussion here comes in the vein of gnarled COC lurch-and-pound style ugliness. It's not a hardcore record, there is too much swampy grime at the waterline, but it for sure plays on its hardcore roots.

DL