Fuckheads - 2011 Summer Tour Tape

Artist: Fuckheads
Title: 2011 Summer Tour Tape
Release: 2011
Label: self released

1. Lion
2. Sit Around
3. Grinder
4. Traitor
5. Choke
6. Empty

This has been sitting in my tape player for a while now. I just never got around to ripping it until recently.

Fuckheads are from Boston and play crazy distorted noise in the same vein as D-Clone. Their longest song is a minute and 13 seconds so they never even come close to breaking the two minute rule. You'll either love this or think it shouldn't even be considered music.

Download: Fuckheads - 2011 Summer Tour Tape (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Organism - Hope

Artist: Organism
Title: Hope...
Release: 2007
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Hope
2. Neet
3. Humanity
4. Hell
5. Judge
6. Production of Desires
7. No Freedom
8. Self

Here's Organism. Raging hardcore from Osaka. Kinda like a waking seizure. This really ought to be more well known than it is.

As is often the case, this has been posted elsewhere. But this rip is better. I guarantee it.



Download: Organism - Hope... (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

No multiupload.com link since it appears to no longer exist.

Masakari - Sleep // Rot

Artist: Masakari
Title: Sleep // Rot
Release: 2011
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Sleep
2. Rot

I would have posted this sooner but I still use my parent's house as my mailing address. I've probably mentioned before that I love Masakari. If I haven't I'm saying it now. They're as bad ass live as they are recorded.

This record is sadly only one sided with a mere two songs. One very short, the other a little longer, but both awesome. The B side is blank with some cool art silk screened on it.

Download: Masakari - Sleep // Rot (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Masakari - Sleep // Rot (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Hands of the Few - Hands of the Few

Artist: Hands of the Few
Title: Hands of the Few
Release: 2006
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Intro
2. This Is Oak Cliff
3. Take Your Life Back
4. For Your Sake
5. Living Nightmare
6. Another Day
7. Friday Night

Wow. This takes me back. Dallas hardcore circa 2004-5 to 2007-8. Before they were Hands of the Few they were Curbcheck and now they're Grounds of Decay. If you like Buried Alive you'll love this.

Please excuse the shitty artwork. I'm actually the person responsible for it. I've gotten much better at Photoshop since then.

Download: Hands of the Few - Hands of the Few (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Hands of the Few - Hands of the Few (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Chaotic Alliance/Unit 21 - split

Artist: Chaotic Alliance/Unit 21
Title: split
Release: 2006
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Chaotic Alliance - Idea of Destruction
2. Chaotic Alliance - Facing the Darkness
3. Unit 21 - Reckless Reality
4. Unit 21 - Force Fed Myths

This 7" is from the tour Dallas' Unit 21 and Cleveland's Chaotic Alliance did in 2006. Both sides offer up raging fast hardcore punk with attitude.

Download: Chaotic Alliance/Unit 21 - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Chaotic Alliance/Unit 21 - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Unit 21 - False Dreams False Hope

Artist: Unit 21
Title: False Dreams False Hope
Release: 2004
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Principle
2. Wrong Room
3. Are You Blind
4. Liberate
5. False Dreams False Hope
6. Fuck Conformity
7. Society's Filth
8. Lost Beneath

Here's an old one from Dallas punks Unit 21. This one's got lots of dual vocals, shredding guitars, and occasional hints of melody. To be honest it isn't quite as good as some of their later material but you can definitely see where things were headed.

Unit 21 has changed their name to Wild//Tribe

Download: Unit 21 - False Dreams False Hope (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Unit 21 - False Dreams False Hope (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Resigned to Fate - Tragedy of the Commons

Artist: Resigned to Fate
Title: Tragedy of the Commons
Release: 2003
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Burned
2. Protection for Who?
3. Terminal Genocide
4. Tragedy of the Commons

Geometry is hard and Jason Warhammer wants you to hit him up on his cell phone so he can fight you.

Download: Resigned to Fate - Tragedy of the Commons (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Resigned to Fate - Tragedy of the Commons (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Nightburner - Demo

Artist: Nightburner
Title: Demo
Release: 2011
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Not on My Block
2. Bullshit
3. Summer
4. Do the Right Thing
5. Two Worlds

This is so fresh it doesn't even have cover art.

I've made it a mission of sorts to try and track down some of the current lesser known hardcore bands from the midwest. Chicago's Nightburner is one of the better ones I've found so far. This demo is nothing out of the ordinary these days, but it's pretty darn good for what it is. Fast, angry, distorted hardcore.

The band posted this on their blog in 32-bit wave format and as one giant mp3 of unknown quality. I took the liberty of reducing the bit-depth to 16-bits (LAME will only work with 16-bit wave files), splitting the tracks, and encoding them as separate mp3s for your convenience. Just a warning though, this clips out a fair amount and is LOUD. Like REALLY loud. I just got done listening to it four times and my ears hurt.

Download: Nightburner - Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Nightburner - Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Endless Nightmare/Dissystema - split

Artist: Endless Nightmare/Dissystema
Title: split
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Endless Nightmare - Nostalgic Deathtrap
2. Endless Nightmare - Legions of the Dead
3. Endless Nightmare - No Peace
4. Dissystema - Limbless
5. Dissystema - Beggar at the Gates
6. Dissystema - A Dime's Worth of Difference

Hope ya like crust punk. Because that's what you're gonna get on both sides of this outstanding split by two bands from Philadelphia. I don't know anything about either except for what is on the inside of the sleeve (scans of which are included). I'm tentatively more fond of the Dissystema side.

Download: Endless Nightmare/Dissystema - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Endless Nightmare/Dissystema - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005

Artist: Vitality!
Title: Reality Check Demo 2005
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. What's it Worth?
2. Release!
3. Up to You
4. Step Back
5. This Walk
6. Missed the Point
7. The Reason

Before there was Seeker there was Vitality!. I picked this up at a show at Across the Street bar in 2005. I don't remember what show it was, probably something like Kids Like Us or Life Long Tragedy. It's times like this I wish my hard drive hadn't crashed in 2008 because I had a list of every show I'd been to up to that point. Naturally the list I keep now only goes back to that time.

Anyways, if you've heard Seeker and this sounds similar it's because of David Horn and his vocals that manage to come across as positive as he is in real life. This demo sounds a lot like Uniform Choice and Dag Nasty to me. Which is great because I love both those bands. If you do too you'll love Vitality!.

While I'm thinking about it, David Horn went to Africa. You should check out what he's doing there. Some people talk the talk about making a difference, very few people literally uproot their entire lives and move far away to walk the walk. If you listen to David's lyrics it's not surprising at all though.

From their MySpace (since I'm lazy):

Formed in the summer of 2004, VITALITY! originally played shows under the name AsxOne. The Houston hardcore band put out a 7 song demo, "Reality Check Demo 2k5" in the early part of 2005, with Ramiro Rangel drumming. After the release of the demo, Ramiro and the band parted ways, and Ryan Endsley became the newest member of the band. In December of 2005 and January of 2006, VITALITY! hit the studios again to record their first EP, Introspection.

Download: Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Wrists - Free Demo

Artist: The Wrists
Title: Free Demo
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Test Pattern
2. Toxic Waste
3. Main Directive
4. Bury Your Own
5. Surgery Party
6. Bomb the Dance Floor
7. Final Few
8. If I Can't Have What I Want (I Don't Want Anything)
9. Get Slit

Here's another self released CD-R by Denton/Longview's The Wrists. Some of the songs are the same, but different recordings I believe. I think this was put out before the other CD-R, but it was within such a short time period that I don't really remember at this point.

"Main Directive" is by far my favorite song on this demo. Even today, nearly 6 years later it still gets stuck in my head sometimes.

Download: The Wrists - Free Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Wrists - Free Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Wrists - The Wrists

Artist: The Wrists
Title: The Wrists
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Hatecrimes
2. Lights Out/Blackout
3. Toxic Waste
4. Livin' in the Eyeball
5. I'm a Bug (The Urinals)
6. Bomb the Dance Floor
7. Gon' Freak-Out
8. Final Few

It's not every day you hear punk bands that have forsaken guitars in favor of two basses. It's been a few years, but I seem to remember Daniel (vocals, bass) telling me that you don't need a guitar, you can just play only the higher notes on a bass for the same effect. It sounds crazy but for The Wrists it actually worked.

To say this CD-R is lo-fi might be a bit of an understatement. It sounds like it was recorded in a bedroom because it literally was. Despite the highly distorted bass, raw screamed vocals, and Casio keyboard (probably the kind you used to be able to win on Legends of the Hidden Temple) there is something undeniably catchy and memorable about this disc.

I'm still surprised that I was actually able to rip this without any errors (I left the log file in to prove it). The band thought it'd be a cool idea to take the CD-R and spray paint their logo on it. Too bad my copy got spray paint on the data side of the disc. The first few times I tried to play it my DVD drive couldn't even read it.

Members of The Wrists have been in far too many bands for me to mention. The Wax Museums, High Tension Wires, Bad Sports, Frank Castle, and The Pumpers, among others I'm sure.

Download: The Wrists - The Wrists (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Wrists - The Wrists (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Shikabane - 人間に生まるること難し・・・

Artist: Shikabane
Title: 人間に生まるること難し・・・
Release: 1997
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. 善悪
2. 人間に生まるること難し・・・
3. 独裁者
4. 現実逃避
5. 罰すべき世俗の偽善者
6. 過剰欲
7. 精神安定剤
8. 虚栄の過ち
9. 心身脱落
10. 無心無念の境界

This here is Japanese hardcore/grindcore act Shikabane's first EP. Recorded in 1996 and self released in 1997. This shit rips. If you're a fan of thrashy fast and loud hardcore that borders on grindcore half of the time this is for you.

This is a personal rip. I got super lucky and was able to snag a copy for myself a few weeks ago. I've seen this posted elsewhere many times but it's always been the same kinda sub-par sounding rip. I thought I could do better so here it is.

I really wanted to provide pronunciation/translations for the song titles but I suck at reading kanji still and even when I can read them I don't know which onyomi or kunyomi pronunciation to use in a sentence just yet (生 has 2 on and a whooping 17 kun). I can tell you the title of the EP roughly translates to "It's difficult to be human..." or something like that.

Download: Shikabane - 人間に生まるること難し・・・ (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Shikabane - 人間に生まるること難し・・・ (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Pools/Cleric - split

Artist: Pools/Cleric
Title: split
Release: 2008
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Pools - Who We Are
2. Pools - Succombs to a New Life
3. Cleric - Men of Blasphemy

I promise I'll get back to posting more hardcore records soon, but first here's the 2008 split between Denton/Austin's Pools and Dallas' Cleric.

It's rare that I meet people who actually like screamo as much as I do. It's not exactly easy listening. Even amongst fans of hardcore, which to the general public is little more than yelling and chaotic noise, "screamo" is often a four letter word no matter the context. Getting a chance to talk with Garrick, guitar and vocals for Pools, and Jason Warhammer (of Resigned to Fate) about music while sitting on his roof during Chaos in Tejas a few years ago was a memorable experience for myself. I always get a little excited whenever I talk to someone in person about bands like pg. 99, Orchid, and Saetia. It's not something I get to do often.

Even though it's so close I really wish I made it up to Denton more frequently. Pools, even though they are on hiatus or whatever now, is part of the reason for that. There's a whole lot of dudes up there who love good screamo and play in lots of awesome bands whose shows I don't go to enough.

On the other side of this split is Cleric. Birthed from the remains of Cøma in 2007/2008, my memory kinda blurs on when exactly, they play what I guess would be called doom metal. I don't really know. Much like Oi (see this post), it's something I know I like, I just don't have a whole lot of experience with so I don't feel comfortable talking about it lest I sound completely ignorant.

Regardless of what you might call it, Cleric is loud, heavy, and evil. Knowing that, it should be no surprise that Kill the Client's Chris "Hollywood" Richardson is the mastermind behind it all. Before Cøma/Cleric I knew he sure as shit could play guitar but it turns out he's pretty good at vocals too.

Needlessly high resolution scans included. I dunno if I'm gonna keep including high res scans of my own records. It takes too damn long to do and it increases the file size of the download by as much as 200%.

Download: Pools/Cleric - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Pools/Cleric - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Chest Pain - Chest Pain

Artist: Chest Pain
Title: Chest Pain
Release: 2009
Label: Self Released?

Track List:
1. Yellow Noose
2. False Self
3. Murderers / Shop Till You Drop
4. Reverse Baptism
5. A Lifetime of Spit and Swearing

When I first met Matt Needles I figured "Needles" was just some nickname he'd acquired long ago that had just stuck well enough for everyone to know it. About a year later I asked him what his last name was and he said it was Needles. I thought he was just bullshitting me. But then he showed me his drivers license. Needles is seriously his last name, at least according to the great state of Texas.

I got this rip from another blog, so the credit goes to them for posting what I assume is their own rip from the cassette.

Matt (who plays Bass) was kind enough to give me the proper track listing since he knows how anal I am about that sort of thing. So what you'll find below isn't really anything you can't find elsewhere, but I like to have all my i's dotted and my t's crossed when it comes to my mp3 collection. Matt suggested I throw this up here, but I probably would have done it anyways since this little demo (I guess it's a demo) is really fucking good.

Don't let the first minute or so of the first track "Yellow Noose" fool you, Chest Pain is fast as hell hardcore. Some might even say power violence, but whatever. 6 songs in just over 8 minutes is perfect as far as I'm concerned.

I like to think Texas has consistently produced some of the best hardcore for decades now. Bands like Chest Pain are part of the reason that belief is continually reaffirmed.

Download: Chest Pain - Chest Pain (FhG 192 kbps)

Lie and Wait - 2 Song Tour Demo

Artist: Lie and Wait
Title: 2 Song Tour Demo
Release: 2007
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. King for a Day
2. Apostasy

I've posted Lie and Wait before. As this release's title suggests this is a two song demo Lie and Wait handed out during a tour some time in 2007. I don't really remember which tour at this point, but I do know I got this from them at The Way it Is fest which they played.

The first track "King for a Day" is pretty par for the course with Lie and Wait. For the most part mid paced with plenty of distortion on the guitars. Tyler is pissed at something and I'm pretty certain it's either society or religion or both.

"Apostasy" is a little bit faster at times but slows down just before a pretty awesome build up about half way through. This song reminds me of earlier No Warning more than anything else Lie and Wait did.

I seem to recall this coming out after their last album "Led Astray", but that may just be because I might not have seen them in the months immediately before its release. I got my copy after the album was out. The fact that a far more polished version of "Apostasy" appears on the album I'm inclined to believe this is from before it. "King for a Day" doesn't appear on anything else so maybe it just didn't make the cut. Next time I see any of them I'll ask.

Good luck finding this anywhere else.

Download: Lie and Wait - 2 Song Tour Demo (LAME 3.98r V0)

Power Trip - Demo 2008

Artist: Power Trip
Title: Demo 2008
Release Date: 2008
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. What Have We Done
2. This World
3. Acid Trip
4. Untitled
5. Vultures

I feel kind of conflicted about posting this. Let me preface this entire post with this: go to Withdrawl Records and order the demo in 7" format. While your at it head over to Double or Nothing Records and order their latest 7" on all three colors.

For those not in the know Power Trip is fronted by Riley from Balls Out. If you're from outside of Texas you probably aren't familiar with them since they (to my knowledge) only went on one tour with Look Out! (now Lie and Wait) back in early 2006. Power Trip sounds very little like Balls Out, but Riley's intensity as a vocalist is still present, in fact he's gotten even more angry and more passionate than he was when Balls Out was still going. Balls Out played a show tonight actually, but it was because it was one of the last shows at Red Blood Club, the last punk venue in Dallas. Power Trip played as well and they opened with a Leeway intro which is only fitting given how the rest of their songs sound. I should also mention that the rest of the dudes in the band used to be in a band called Reality Check which was pretty good, but Power Trip is on a whole other level. Most of them aren't even out of high school yet which blows my mind. Nick also has a new zine out that's pretty gnarly. Power Trip is the real deal.

Download: Power Trip - Demo 2008 (LAME 3.98r V0)

Out To Sea - Mouth Like A Sailor Demo 2008

Artist: Out To Sea
Title: Mouth Like A Sailor Demo 2008
Release Date: 2008
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. Out To Sea
2. Hearts For The Heartless
3. There Was A Man...
4. Broken Mirrors
5. The Animated Dummy
6. A New Flame

I told Kurt I would post this online just to spite him so here it is. Out To Sea is from Dallas. Kurt (guitar) is also in Highlife who is doin' big thangs in 2008. Jeff (guitar) was in Balls Out and he's one of the best dudes ever. I play D&D with Blake (vocals). Ernest (bass) is only half Mexican and he was in Serious Youth so who cares about him. I don't really know Chris (drums) but he seems like a nice guy. I really can't stop listening to this demo, it's recorded so amazingly well. It sounds like a full fledged release on a major label, but they put it out themselves. Blake's vocals are the kind of sorta melodic screaming that used to be so huge many years ago now and it works perfectly with the music which is also pretty melodic in places but with just enough crunch to still be hard as fuck. Kurt told me they overlayed the guitar tracks 6 times in the mastering process. I really can't say enough good things about this band, good dudes, good music. I don't know if they're sending out these demos through the mail, but you should send them a message on myspace and ask them to sell you a demo and a t-shirt (designed by Ernest's brother-in-law).

Download: Out To Sea - Mouth Like A Sailor Demo 2008 (LAME 3.98r V0)

Seeker - Demo 2008

Artist: Seeker
Title: Demo 2008
Release Date: 2008
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. Intro
2. Losing
3. Life Not Lived
4. Subtle Cull
5. Lush

TEXAS STRAIGHT EDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My friend Ernest thinks Seeker isn't quite as good as I and some others around these parts make them out to be. I have to respectfully disagree. Seeker fucking rules. It's so good to see another awesome straight edge band from Texas. Currently On My Side holds the title of my favorite, but Seeker is a close number two. They're from Austin and comprised of members of Vitality!, Layin' it Down, Black Past, and probably a bunch of other bands I don't know about.

This is a sorta bad rip I did myself from the cassette demo. There's better sounding tracks available on their myspace but you can't download them. I have no idea if they'd be angry at me for posting this here, but it's so good I can't resist.

Update: Seeker was kind enough to make available a digital copy of the demo straight from the source so we can skip all the awkward analog to digital business. It sounds MUCH better than the copy I had previously supplied.

Download: Seeker - Demo 2008 (FhG 256 kbps)

Fucked Up - Looking for Gold

Artist: Fucked Up
Title: Looking for Gold
Release Date: 2004
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. Looking for Gold Part 1
2. Looking for Gold Part 2
3. Fate of Fates

There really isn't enough that can be said of Fucked Up. They come from Toronto way up north in Canada where the air is nice and clean. They are an absolute blast to see live. And, they do crazy shit like record 18 minute songs that still manage to be no less punk than their 2 minute songs. "Looking for Gold" is one of their longest songs (not quite as long as the more recent "Year of the Pig") and is definitely an odd record. Fucked Up released it themselves in 2004 and included not a single liner note or song title. The A side has a hidden track with lots of whistling and a drum solo. The B side "Fate of Fates" was later re-recorded for the "Hidden World" LP. Good luck ever finding a real copy of this little gem.

Download: Fucked Up - Looking for Gold (LAME 3.92 APS)