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

The Abused - Loud and Clear

After years of rumors and talk of an official and definitive re-issue of The Abused epic 1983 release 'Loud and Clear'  Radio Raheem Records step up to make a true classic from New York Hardcore's early days available again.

'Loud and Clear' Collects 21 tracks which feature the "Loud and Clear" 7 inch, their 1982 demo and never before heard live tracks. If that's not impressive enough.
(And it very well should be.)
The album, which comes in all it's gatefold glory, is accompanied by an impressive 24-page, full color booklet containing photos, lyrics and the band's infamous show flyers drawn by their vocalist Kevin Crowley, as well as a sticker sheet replicating original Abused sticker designs. Classics like 'Wargames', 'Nuclear Threat', 'Blow Your Brains Out' and the oft covered 'Drug Free Youth' sound incredible. Essential listening for fans of early Agnostic Front, Cause For Alarm, The Mob and Urban Waste.

A lot of respect goes out to everyone involved with putting this together. The overall quality merits praise.Everything from the music to the art, layout, attention to quality and detail are so well done. It's great to see the band and it legacy get it's due. James Damion

Big Cartel  Get it Here

The High and the Mighty - "Crunch On" Demo 1984

For all you NYHC archeologists, Radio Raheem just dug up a sizable bone in The High and the Mighty.
The band, which featured former and now current members of Antidote played alongside some of the more notable bands of that rarely chronicled time, a list which includes, but is not limited to Urban Waste, Heart Attack, Murphy's Law and The Cro-Mags, The Psychos, Mental Abuse and Token Entry.

The record cover and title serve as the best description as to what
"Crunch On" Demo 84' offers. Fast, loud and raw first wave NYHC straight from the demo. Though originally purchased as more of an add on to my
'The Abused - Loud and Clear' order. Only 500 copies of this record exist, so get it while it's still available. Record comes packaged with a 12 page booklet featuring lyrics, images and flyers. Some seen here for the first and most likely, last time. This little addition has served me well. It's good to see that, even thirty years later, some of these recordings are getting their proper releases, packaging and respect. Let's keep that nostalgia train going strong.
Who knows what's still out there.
James Damion

Big Cartel  Get it Here

Back Off!! them there Casettes!!

If you had a chance to check out my review of Back Off's 2013 Demo Here you'd know how much I enjoyed getting a taste of the bands no holds barred old school sound. Well, if you are like me you appreciate physical copies of music a lot more than an impersonal digital download.
Well, here's a chance to get your hands on the real thing. Copies are very limited so jump that plane as soon as you can and reserve your copy NOW!!! James Damion

Back Off - Demo 2013

When my friend Mike Bullshit posted Back Off's demo on his Facebook page. I assumed that this was a recently recovered tape from a long forgotten, unsung New York Hardcore band circa 1982. And why not? Newly formed Back Off play straight up early Hardcore that would slip in seamlessly with bands like Major Conflict, The Abused, Antidote and 

NY's Psychos. Six songs of punishing Hardcore with fierce vocals, skull fucking guitar and lightning fast drumming.
With five of the six tracks coming in under a minute and the other scratching and clawing to make the one minute mark. It's "Fast, Loud, Rules" at it's very best. The bands Facebook page Here doesn't really tell us much but I'm sure there is much to come in the near future. James Damion

Band Camp  Back Off

Antidote - No Peace In Our Time

As a teenager growing up in the mid to late 80's New York Hardcore scene Antidote were already a legendary and somewhat mysterious band to many who entered the scene at the time. "Thou Shalt Not Kill" was already an almost unattainable, long out of print classic.
The EP rivaled and to many, even overshadowed that of Agnostic Front's "United Blood",
Cause for Alarm's self titled EP,  The Mob's "Upset the System" and The Abused
"Loud and Clear".

Thirty years later after a series of reunion shows that seemed to be born out of the monumentally shitty
 "American Hardcore" book and movie. The band has been promising a record of their first new material since the
Reagan Era. The wait seemed to be a long one but the band has delivered on their promise.

"No Peace in our Time" delivers ten songs of classic Hardcore sound in just over twenty minutes. The album feels a lot like what should have originally followed "Thou Shalt Not Kill" sometime in the mid 80's before crossover put a stranglehold on New York Hardcore. An element that really helps the record stand out amongst a lot of the more currently polished and metallic Hardcore acts. An element I strongly believe the band was dead set on accomplishing.

Though Drew Stone's vocals wore on me at times. I felt Rob Nunzio's guitar work was stellar and really helps to overshadow that shortcoming. "Uneffected" and the forty-three second "Time to fight, ready to fight" stand out as my favorites. Throw in a cover of Black Flag's "Rise Above" with guest vocals from Agnostic Front's Roger Miret'  and you have a strong foundation to build on.

Though this was not the monumental release many had hyped it to be. I feel that it captured a lof of the spirit and intensity of Antidote's original sound and that of some of the more notable early New York Hardcore sound. "No peace in our time" isn't a great record but it's good enough to make me want to dig up my re-issue of "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and try to remember what it was like to be thirteen years old again. James Damion

Get it Here