RAID.

While I always felt that the vegan sXe thing was taken, oh, "just a bit too seriously", I gotta admit some of those bands fucking rocked, and Tennessee's Raid were pretty bad-ass at the whole jud-jud/breakdown/pick squeal/gang vocal thing.
This record is definitely a lost gem of the first-generation Hardline era - check it out if you like this kind of stuff. It ain't perfect - there are some corny-ass vocal moments on here - but overall the level of thick-neck / meat-head old-school metal 'core ranks highly.
I appreciate the sentiment - er - "level of caring", but overall I wonder if these guys actually feel this way now that they are in their late twenties / early thirties. Anyways, there ain't nothin' wrong with livin' your life for you, now is there?

Make your own decision on the issues presented to you here, but let it be known that this record is chock-full of some serious beatdown 'core!


Raid - Above The Law

Link in comments.

GATHER.

While I can easily say I was never a real fan of the hardline movement in HC - I can respect what you feel, bro, so respect mine too - there is something about this Bay Area female-fronted / sXe / vegan crew that compels me.

Call me a dick if you want, but I'm not really a fan of female vocalists in heavy music. Eva Genie, on the other hand, can seriously belt it out in a throat-shredding fashion that doesn't sound contrived or wimpy, and while they may not be the most original (the sub-genre itself is musically limited in many ways but is very enjoyable when done properly), they create a powerful dynamic that works well - especially with the choice of segue samples, etc.

They may not have been the greatest musicians, but the passion is what drove this band, and one can only wonder what they would sound like if they stayed together.

It's fucking hardcore, ya know? Love it or leave it.



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Gather - Beyond the Ruins



*This is my last post until next week - not that I've been that prolific in the posting department the past few months*

I'm heading up to Seattle (for a long "romant-ick" weekend w/ the lil lady) to visit some old friends, sk8 a bit, possibly see Blaine Accüsed's band TOE TAG & eat a burger from his restaurant, maybe buy some used CD's, definitely eat some good food & drink some good beer, buy a bunch of shit I don't need, drive around in the (new) Dodge Charger I rented, swim in the hotel pool, etc. A well-needed break is coming my way!

DOUGHNUTS.

Sweden.
The home of high-tech cellphones, extremely safe automobiles, assemble-it-yourself modular furniture, beautiful hockey and tennis stars, designer vodka, tasty meatballs, rippin' death metal & Abba.

Did I forget anything?

Oh yes...

Back in the early-to-mid Nineties, Sweden was home to an all-female vegan/sXe hardcore band from Umea that released a few records on Victory that pretty much flew under the radar - quite possibly due to their political stance. That, as well as the fact that the meathead sXe HC scene (associated with that label at the time) found the all-girl lineup somewhat a novelty - too bad, as these ladies put their own honest and unique twist (especially vocal-wise) on their output.
They were quite dark & melodic in their appraoch with lots of chugga-chugga/pick-squeals/breakdowns, etc.

While this may be a bit of a stretch for some of you, I find their entire catalog compelling & highly enjoyable, even 10+ years later.
I am also still intrigued by the history of this band - especially for what they accomplished in such a misogynistic scene back in the day...



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Doughnuts - The Age of the Circle