Reviews

Crucial Response

7 Inch Boots Tamped Concrete / Walkin’ Through LP

Here’s another cool artifact, this time from Germany’s 7 INCH BOOTS, a hardcore band active in the late ’80s who played a fairly intense take on the style. Included here is their Tamped Concrete EP on the A-side and their Walkin’ Through demo on the B-side, both impressive and showing a band with a unique sound and style. Rather than a speedier, in-your-face thrash, 7 INCH BOOTS opted to play at a slightly slower pace with some proto-powerviolence and metal mixed in. In addition to their heavier style, the band sang about racism and climate change as well as issues with misogyny, most notably on “Law of the Man,” a takedown of the unbalanced power dynamics between a woman and an abusive man. It’s compelling stuff and leaves you with the impression that 7 INCH BOOTS could have (and maybe should have) been bigger than they were.

Dead Stoolpigeon Hit the Bastards Where It Hurts 1995–1997 3xLP

I can never figure out why this band flew (and still flies) under the radar, but this collection will surely speak to any deniers. This is the embodiment of passionate political ’90s hardcore—the band was basically MANLIFTINGBANNER without the Van Den Berg brothers, but I always felt like BORN AGAINST/UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMAGEDDON comparisons were more appropriate. This release contains everything and it’s packaged with the care and consideration that the band deserves. If you’re going to start somewhere with DEAD STOOLPIGEON, then I suppose you might as well start with everything.

Onward In a Different Place LP

Peter Amdam, a cornerstone of the youth crew scene in Norway and guitarist of ONWARD, died in 2016, and this vinyl reissue of ONWARD’s 1993 CD-only release is a tribute to his memory, with new cover art and a big insert with reminiscences alongside band photos. Sonically, ONWARD is contemplative, melodic youth crew not unlike CHAIN OF STRENGTH. Members went on to form SPORTSWEAR, whose over-the-top adherence to the youth crew aesthetic bordered on parody. You probably know already if you need this or not. It’s Euro youth crew—it’s not going to make any new fans, but if you’ve been missing this from your life, you’re probably stoked to see it get the vinyl treatment.

Team Spirit O.C. Life EP

It’s hard to describe (or review) this record without mentioning how much I know 1997-me would have loved it. 2022-me also loves it, but in more of a nostalgic way (of course). For the uninitiated—TEAM SPIRIT was a positive Norwegian straight edge band, and this is their five-song demo from 1997. Fast and infectious with a heavy USHC influence. One tune is a total clunker, but I can listen to “Outside” and the title track every fukkn day.

Tiebreak Hardcore Bugs EP

Oslo’s TIEBREAK returns with Hardcore Bugs, their first release since 1998’s Stand Hard EP which made some waves before the band broke up a couple of years later for one reason or another. In spite of the band’s decades-long absence, they sound good here, playing youth crew hardcore that doesn’t sound at all out of place with the current crop of modern bands playing the same style. I really have no further notes other than that they unfortunately lose one point for the album artwork, which is confusing in my opinion. Anyway, if you’re into youth crew vets BERTHOLD CITY, you’ll like this.

Two Words Rejoining the Forces LP

To say that Italian youth crew group TWO WORDS wears their influences on their sleeves would be quite an understatement—this album literally begins with a montage of snippets of songs by the likes of YOUTH OF TODAY, UNIFORM CHOICE, and JUDGE. The intended effect is probably to transport the listener back to the glory days of straightedge youth crew;  however, it basically just reminds me that maybe I should be listening to the bands TWO WORDS are influenced by instead of continuing on with their own LP. Taking cues from the masters of their craft, Rejoining the Forces is a competent stab at that sound, and big youth crew fans will probably get quite a bit out of it. It’s not bad, but it’s not something that stands out either—a common complaint I have for other bands that sound like this in the modern day. If you’re a huge fan of the aforementioned bands, you’ll probably enjoy this quite a bit; if you aren’t, stay very far away.