Sheer Terror - Standing Up For Falling Down

If it were not for my close friend and fellow fanzine creator
Gina "Last Daze" Lawson,
(God rest her soul while providing it with plenty of drink, cigarettes and Hardcore.)
I probably would not have ever given much attention to
Sheer Terror. The truth of the matter is, that after first hearing them on my copy of
Big City Records
"One Big Crowd" compilation.
I never gave the band much more than a casual listen.
It wasn't until 2000's
"Bulldog Edition" that I really began to appreciate the bands legacy and well deserved reputation as the bastard sons of negative Hardcore.
"Standing Up for Falling Down", the bands first full length in eighteen years might be
Sheer Terror's best work to date. It would be hard to argue against it being their most cohesive. Raw, brutal, honest and surprisingly musical. Bulldozer guitar leads, dark bass lines and tribal beats led by Hardcores greatest MC and motivational sledgehammer,
Rev. Paul Bearer.  Perhaps Sheer Terror were an acquired taste for me personally.
As I get older though. I seem to find comfort in Sheer Terror's tongue in bleeding cheek style. Unlike many of their contemporaries. Sheer Terror just get bitter with age. If you love brutal, confrontational and honest Hardcore music. You have no excuse not to invest in this record. James Damion

Reaper Records  Buy it Here

Down To Nothing - All My Sons

Richmond's Down To Nothing have been a favorite of mine since first hearing their album 'The Most' on Revelation Records in 2007. The band has always struck me as somewhat of a blueprint for the what I love most about Hardcore. The band is heavy but doesn't tend to get too Metal or venture into the tough guy elements that often plague the music. The band has always incorporated a big guitar sound featuring lots of breakdowns and positive, uplifting lyrics. The band has this natural aura about them that always feels natural and unforced. It's as if they've found a niche they feel comfortable in and they don't feel a lot of pressure to stray far from what works for them.

This is Down To Nothing's first release on Reaper Records, with previous offerings  coming on Thorp and the aforementioned Revelation Records. The four songs featured on
'All My Sons' will satisfy any fan of the band or Hardcore in general. Although it's always good to see a band grow and change from record to record. It's also refreshing to find one that delivers consistently excellent music without straying too far from it's original direction and message. James Damion

Get it Here

Sheer Terror - Spite

Not much has changed since Sheer Terror formed back in 1984 and with their first release in almost fifteen years, it doesn't look as if Paul Bearer has mellowed with age.
Spite finds the band in top form, delivering Reverend Paul's signature misery, bitterness, depression and dark wit.
The record opens with
"Blue Shadows Will Fall" which features epic guitar parts and a chorus you'll find yourself growling to immediately. The next track. "Heresy on the Monkey Bars" is so dark and chaotic that I can only describe it as beautiful.
It's amazing when a band can capture a mood so perfectly. Neither song will, however, prepare you  for the records B side. Here, the band  covers the Old 97's "Salome" rather perfectly. The song choice and its delivery throws the listener a most unexpected curve. It's a rally cry to say the least.
One that will surely elicit countless sing alongs and pile ons.
Fans of Sheer Terror know what they're in for. They know exactly what to expect each and every time. It's brutal, angry, miserable.
It's fucking Sheer Terror.
James Damion

Reaper Records   Buy Here