Leeway - Born to Expire (Vinyl Reissue)

Growing up in Jackson Heights Queens. Astoria was our first right of passage as far as escaping the invisible borders of adjacent Elmhurst were concerned. In reality, the same thing could be said about New York Hardcore. While my first High School Msgnr. McClancy had it's small, yet tightly knit fabric of Hardcore kids to show me the ropes. It wasn't until my excursions in to Astoria with them when I was able to see and hear the real thing up close and personal.

Bands with names like
Token Entry whose fast and aggressive approaches to Punk and in Leeway's case "Crossover" would eventually bring me to the haloed doors of CBGB's, the Sunday Hardcore matinee and eventually
The Rock Hotel shows at the Ritz. Then, just as I had begun to find a home and an extended family in CBGB's and the clubs that were inviting this strange and sometimes dangerous form of street music in to their doors. Things seemed to change overnight. Crossover came and sucked away many of the bands. I hated it, with one glaring exception, Leeway.
The reason, Leeway were always a Crossover band. Even before Crossover became part of my vocabulary. For Leeway, owed more to Thrash Metal than they did to bands like Antidote, Agnostic Front or any other Hardcore band that may have come before them.
As 1985's "Enforcer" demo were a combination  calling card and wake up call. 1989's "Born to Expire" served as a perfect time capsule for the era and a landmark release for Leeway. One that would go on to define them as a band.

Upon hearing about a vinyl reissue of "Born to Expire" as well as their later releases began circulating. I knew that the redemption I had been seeking since deciding to sell all of my records in the year 2001 would finally arrive. Listening to old favorites like "Rise and Fall", "Mark of the Squealer", "Be Loud" and "Enforcer" on vinyl for the first time in over decade brought back my love and appreciation for the band. Recalling the first time I saw them live at the Ritz and getting my hands on a copy the day of it's original release in 1989. Listening to it this week with new ears, discovering a new favorite in the albums final track "Unexpected" only sweetened the pot. And while the live bonus tracks are great. I'm pretty confident in my belief that even the most pedestrian fan of the band would be happier with the incredible 1985 "Enforcer" demo. Overall,  this is an essential re-issue that satisfies on many levels. Whether you love Hardcore, Metal, Crossover or all of the above. This is a must have. One that will most likely go out of circulation before long.  The album, as well as Leeway's "Desperate Measures", "Adult Crash" and "Open Mouth Kiss" are available in various vinyl colors as well as CD format from Reality Records.
 James Damion

Available Here

Living Laser return with 3 song EP

New York favorites Living Laser have returned with a new three song EP cassette that's being made available through Frequency Deleted Records and online via stream. Living Laser have been a long time favorite of mine and Dave's. Having been featured here numerous times in the past. If you're into bands such as Bad Brains, Leeway, Burn, Cro-mags, Beyond or anything that's full of boundless energy and intensity. You'll surely love Living Laser.

https://livinglaser.bandcamp.com/

Living Laser - Place on Earth

Simply stated, Living Laser is one of the very best Hardcore bands playing and releasing records today. While the upstate NY Hardcore act formed in 2010. Their sound and influences can easily be traced to the Hardcores early days and spirit. Inspired by bands such as the Bad Brains, Leeway, Chain of Strength and even more closer to my heart,
New York's Beyond.

On Place on Earth, Living Laser continue to establish themselves as one of Hardcore's best and brightest acts. Fast, energetic and electric. Smart, introspective lyrics.
Metalic riffs that give muscle to the songs Hardcore spirit. Jay's higher pitch vocals bring to mind that of Eddie Sutton of Leeway fame. Five songs that inspire, while feeding the listener with a caffeine like energy. The breakdowns and choruses are all up front and present. Place on Earth is just perfect from start to finish. A total must have for fans of the band and hardcore music alike.

Living Laser have become a personal favorite of mine for some time now and Place on Earth only serves to heighten my appreciation for what they're doing, which is enforcing my appreciation and love for Hardcore music more than thirty years after being introduced to the genre. James Damion

Frequency Deleted Records  Get it Here
Living Laser  Bandcamp

25 Years Later. N.Y.H.C. Classics from 1989

1989 was a banner year for me. One year removed from High School. I was back in my hometown of Jackson Heights and had published a whopping thousand copies the second issue of Unite, I was in either the studio or a practice space somewhere in Queens or Manhattan and shared what was my first apartment with a couple of Gorilla Biscuits and the drummer for Beyond. My first car was on it's last leg but still kicking. I was going to shows two, three times a week at places like CBGB's, The Anthrax, The Sundance,
The Right Track Inn and The Pyramid to name just a few. Above all, it was a banner year for two music genres I found myself deeply immersed in, Hip Hop and Hardcore. As I begin to collect my very own, opinionated and albeit flawed list of favorites from 1989. I'll present you with my list of favorite LP's to come out of the bursting NYHC scene twenty five long years ago. Feel free to comment with yours. James Damion                                                             

Blackout Records - Where The Wild Things Are

Killing Time - Brightside

Leeway - Born to Expire

Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today

Sick of it All - Blood, Sweat and No Tears

Youth of Today - We're Not in this Alone

Judge - Bringin' it Down

Token Entry - Jaybird

Underdog - The Vanishing Point

Beyond - No Longer at Ease

Vexed - 2013 Demo

Growing up in Queens,
New York it felt as if there was a new Hardcore band forming on every corner and crevice of the apartments and
semi-attached houses within the (718) area code. As much as the Lower East Side was credited for the early days of Hardcore, Queens bore more than it's share of bands throughout the 80's, 90's and beyond.

Vexed make a very good first impression on the ears.
The six song demo opens with a good old "intro bust" kind of instrumental which indicates that Vexed offers something different and interesting musically. 'Twenty Six' follows, introducing the vocals of
John Ramos who you might recognize as the guitarist of brothers of the borough No Dice.
Ramos does an excellent job handling the singing duties, bringing to mind Leeway's
Eddie Sutton. Vexed's mid paced and sometimes stop/start style is well conceived and successfully achieved. There are some really interested riffs and some rather sick rhythms throughout. The band even manage to  throw in some excellent choruses and gang vocals for good measure. Vexed seem to have set themselves up for the future. It should be interesting watching this band make their way up the ladder. James Damion

Avoider - 2012 Demo

After witnessing  New Jersey's Avoider turn an opening spot at Maxwell's into a showcase of headlining promise. I was eager to dig a little deeper in order to see what the band had to offer.
Upon hearing this demo I see a band who's potential seems limitless. Avoider mixes elements of Metal, Hardcore, Sludge and Stoner Rock perfectly. Dishing out some really impressive results.
One can revel in the guitar work Arben Colaku displays on these six tracks. Switching up gears and varying from a full on Metal assault to a sludgier, somewhat evil grind. In particular, I really dug the swampy riffs that
"Toxic Sludge" offered. Warren Swan's vocal style rivals the oft baritone sound of his contemporaries with style that had me thinking back to the days of Leeway's Eddie Sutton. With song titles like "Pervert in a Candy Shop" and "Dick Parade", How can you possibly go wrong? Go download the bands demo on Bandcamp and be sure to check them out live. You will not be disappointed. James Damion

Avoider  Facebook