Say Goodbye - Anti- Social EP

Say Goodbye were a great hardcore/punk band from the Boston area that put out a handful of stellar releases, particularly their debut 7" entitled Anti-Social. The songs are fast, raw punk/hardcore that remind me of an updated take on early 80's Boston bands. Don't get me wrong, they aren't merely an '82 rehash band like a lot of what's been coming out. Say Goodbye mixes it up and know when to slow it down to deliver these crushing, non-broish mosh parts. The lyrics are overflowing with hate and disgust and the vocal delivery matches perfectly. I had the good fortune to see them once and I thought they were great, but it seemed like they weren't as appreciated as they should have been. Perhaps that's just how things were here. Either way, check out this record and anything else you may come across by them.

Say Goodbye - Anti-Social EP

Mental - Live on WERS -04/17/04

For a period of time Mental were one of best bands in hardcore and absolutely one of the most interesting straight edge bands of the time. Led by charismatic singer Greg Wilmott and rounded out by serious multi-tasker and drummer DFJ, Mental released several impressive demo's, 7"s, comp tracks and topped it off with a a great LP that showed their evolution as a band of masterful hardcore songwriters. Then in the blink of an eye their popularity vanished as word spread that some of the members were no longer straight edge. Personally, I could have cared less, but it was like watching a hot air balloon being shot out of the sky. It was heartbreaking to see their final show in Chicago. Their shows here were insane and on the last tour so many people left before they even played. They broke up on tour shortly after that show.

However, in the spirit of celebration, I present this radio set is from the period around the release (if memory serves) of Get an Oxygen Tank. It is a fantastic representation of how great they were live and why they were such taste-makers within hardcore.

Mental - Live on WERS

Sex Positions - Pre-LP Demos

Sex Positions were a pretty short-lived band from Boston that put out and excellent LP on Deathwish Inc. They formed after the demise of their other short-lived band, The Dedication who put out a pretty decent EP on Deathwish as well. However, in my opinion the members didn't really hit their stride until they started writing for Sex Pos. The songs were far more intricate and developed and the lyrics were far more mature and literate.

Before their LP came out my buddy Rich sent me some demos of what they were working on. I was impressed. A lot of the songs had a Drive Like Jehu meets Ink & Dagger feel to them. Later on they re-recorded these and the songs from their demo tape, added a lot of programming and electronics to create their debut. I still feel it's a pretty underrated record. They did a lot of interesting things with hardcore that pushed the envelope without being some ridiculous metal-core band or straying too far from the path of straight-forward song writing. So, for those interested, here are these demos.

Sex Positions - Pre-LP Demos

Right Brigade - S/T

During my senior year of high school my friend Joe took me to the now defunct Reckless Records location in Evanston. I went actively searching for a copy of Chain of Strength's The One Thing That Still Holds True, but also picked up the Right Brigade EP on a whim. The summer after high school my friend Matt and I took a trip to the east coast to attend Hellfest in Syracuse and visit some friends in Boston. We listened to this EP a lot during that week and since then it has secured a spot in my Top 5 hardcore records of the past 10 years.

Right Brigade didn't really seem like anything out of the ordinary to me upon first listen, but it became clear after repeated listening that they were everything a good hardcore band should be - fast, angry and have breaks so hard they make me want to get in random, unnecessary fights on the street. They were a fairly short lived band and only released a demo, this 7", a split with A Poor Excuse and an ill-fated LP on Revelation. However, in the few years after their break-up it became apparent just how influential they were. So many bands bit them left and right, especially in the early part of the decade - Frostbite, Outbreak, Murder Weapon, even early American Nightmare had some tinges of what Right Brigade were doing. Ultimately, they were just a solid hardcore band and if the 7 songs on this EP weren't enough, check the video for further proof - front flips, stage moshing, a good Agnostic Front reference and double handed mic grips. So hard.




Right Brigade - S/T

New Lows - Live on WERS

Though I have a decent idea what is going on in hardcore right now, only a few bands seem to stick out to me. I never wanted to be that guy, but I think it happens to everyone after a certain time of being beaten over the head with the same types of riffs for years and years. However, New Lows from Boston write the type of riffs I love being beaten over the head with because they are so incredibly heavy and pissed, it makes me feel like a teenager just getting into hardcore. Another thing that drew me to New Lows initially is that their demo sounds like absolute garbage. In this day and age of pro-tools and sound replacing it was refreshing to hear a heavy hardcore band that sounded raw and primal which coincidentally made them sound even heavier.

This is a live set they did they did on an excellent program called "Radiobeat" (I don't think it's on the air anymore) on WERS in Boston. All of these songs are on their demo and the 7" they released on Lockin' Out, but they are good versions and worth a listen.


New Lows - Live on WERS

Track Listing

01. Hatchethead
02. Lowest Depths
03. Hung Up on the Crossroads
04. Loathe
05. Lucifer Crucified
06. Compulsive Repulsion (It Never Ends)

American Nightmare - Live at CBGB - 1/22/02

I don't have a story to go along with this, but I wish I was at this show. I still feel American Nightmare were the best hardcore band of the 2000's and this set is another testament to that. The sound quality is board quality and their set is comprised mostly of songs offBackground Music.

American Nightmare - Live at CBGB - 1/22/02