The Cysts Turn It Up or Throw It Away / S.I.S.T.S LP
At the time of this writing, this record is not available to be streamed, which is oddly fitting given the content. The CYSTS were active in the late ’00s, and everything about this album feels like it’s of that era. Not to say that what they produced doesn’t hold up—to the contrary, their style of angular hardcore seems to be experiencing a bit of a resurgence as of late. The gritty production and personal/political lyrical approach jets me back to Richmond, Virginia in the early ’00s. I’m thinking specifically of CITY OF CATERPILLAR, ULTRA DOLPHINS, LIGHT THE FUSE AND RUN, and FLESH EATING CREEPS. The CYSTS were from Portland and skew more towards punk than screamo (on whatever nexus is that broadly encompassing), but I’m not sure RVA and PDX were as far apart spiritually at that time as geography might imply. Anger, charm, and urgency are present in equal measure on this one. DIY punk forever!