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The Frontline

Withstand
Grave Mistake (2005)

When hardcore started it was fast, powerful and had a strong positive message. While today much of hardcore has lost its sense of positivity, The Frontline brings a great message and great music back with their debut EP, Withstand. Frontline adds in an uplifting message without sacrificing the intensity, energy and power of the hardcore style. The lyrics speak of … Read more

Architecture in Helsinki

In Case We Die
Bar/None (2005)

Prog-pop: the new dancepunk/freakfolk/fleeting indie scene trend? Unlikely, but I suppose possible if enough bands found themselves with exceptional amounts of time and instruments on their hands. Blueberry Boat, The Fiery Furnaces' prog-pop behemoth, made quite a splash in '04, much to the unfiltered joy of some, myself included, and disgusted chagrin of others - probably including you. The Australian … Read more

Various Artists

Dead Band's Party: A Tribute to Oingo Boingo
Indianola (2005)

The 80's weren't really as bad as those VH1 specials make it out to be. Sure the fashion of those years was pretty atrocious, but try going to a concert today without laughing. It's hard, trust me. Throughout the decade there was quality music being made on all fronts - pop, hardcore, new-wave, hip hop, and punk. There were some … Read more

The Murder City Devils

The End
Music Video Distributors (2005)

Cost of ticket: $15.00 Cost of gas to drive to Seattle: $23.50 Doctor bill from cracked ribs received: $89.10 Seeing the Murder City Devils perform their last ever show: Priceless October 31, 2001. The Showbox, Seattle. I was there, kids and let me tell you, it was a sight to behold. For almost four years I've been telling everyone within … Read more

Giles

Giles
Victory (2005)

What the fuck? Let's pretend that your name is "Pablo." Pablo is a pretty unusual name. There are other people in the world named Pablo, but they all live in other countries so you don't know any of them. Your life is pretty interesting, because it's pretty hard for a kid named Pablo to turn out normal. But you're okay … Read more

Sons and Daughters

The Repulsion Box
Domino (2005)

So... that whole selling out thing. Can someone tell me what it actually means? Growing up listening to punk music, I always found that it was almost synonymous with signing to a major label, or about how many records the band sells. Generally, selling out was a popularity thing, and it got thrown at any band that had the audacity … Read more

Die Young

Survival Instinct
Immigrant Sun (2005)

Some people consider hardcore music to be quite contrived. And if you look at it from their point of view, they have a compelling argument. The music isn't technically difficult and the song structures are fairly basic when compared to other styles of music. Where hardcore has made its mark is in its lyrics. Hardcore defines itself on voicing one's … Read more

Vio-lence

Eternal Nightmare
Megaforce (2005)

Thrash: (verb) To move wildly or violently. In 1986, in the genre known as "Thrash Metal", there were what was known as the "Big 4", referring to the most popular bands at the time - Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth. With the exception of Metallica, whose huge mainstream success in later years could not have even been conceived at the … Read more

Juliette and The Licks

You're Speaking My Language
Fiddler (2005)

Hollywood has a running list of actors and actresses who attempt to extend their talents to the music industry. For some inexplicable reason, it seems that they believe having a music career is a right. It is not a right, but a choice. Many unfortunately choose to enter the music arena on the expense of everyone's ears. As a result, … Read more

Regulations

Regulations
Havoc (2005)

The west coast was a wild place to be from 1978 to 1981. Bands like The Germs, Black Flag, and Adolescents were breaking through California with throat strained-vocals & blazing, twangy guitars. Kids in sleeveless t-shirts, black jeans and biker boots wrapped in bandannas and chains were the norm at punk shows. The pigs would break up the shows. Junkies … Read more

Our Final Say

Same Mistakes
This Blessing, This Curse (2005)

The state of a Connecticut certainly has a grasp on the whole posi-hardcore revival trend that is sweeping the hardcore nation. Despite the state's minute size, it is home to one of the powerhouses of the trend - With Honor as well as the equally as impressive The Distance and The Risk Taken. Following in their wake, hoping to garner … Read more

Life in Your Way

Ignite and Rebuild
Indianola (2005)

Oh jeez, another one of these bands. You know the kind - screamo/emo band who wants anything but to be labeled as such. They come up with alternate and sometimes startlingly inaccurate descriptors such as "melodic hardcore" or "emotion rock," or they take the easy way out and spout off the classic "we don't like to label ourselves" or "our … Read more

Donnybrook

Lions in this Game
Hand of Hope (2005)

Donnybrook take their namesake from a famous festival in Ireland that is notorious for its brawls. So taking that into account, it isn't a surprise that the California outfit plays a variation of tough-guy hardcore. However, on the band's debut full-length, Lions in this Game, Donnybrook attempt to break the stigma that there is nothing more to a tough-guy hardcore … Read more

The Uncomfortables

Demo
Independent (2005)

When I first started to listen to this demo, I thought it sounded as if Motorhead had a side project that kind of sucked a little, but was still Motorhead, at least. Turns out, The Uncomfortables are more like if you mixed Soundgarden with something else that sucks and sucked it through a straw so you could have both Soundgarden … Read more

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