DROPDEAD • Dropdead LP

DROPDEAD – Dropdead 2020 LP Armageddon

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Dropdead both musically and as long time friends. Interaction with them helped change my life for the better and helped form some of my opinions in the 90s. Yes, I will forever gush about them (and this new album). I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I’ve been a pretty apolitical person for a good few years now. I must say though that this is maybe one of the most raging of political records I’ve heard in forever and I fucking love it! Lyrics are printed big enough for old timers like me to be able to read ’em (unlike the past). This shit is so catchy.

I’ve often worried about Bobs vox for a little bit (sounded like he was really straining and losing them). Whatever has happened to them has made them have a great metal crossover feel to them. I love the idea of metal heads picking this up and it changing their musical outlook forever.

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This might be their best album to date. I know this is blasphemy to say, but the songs, the production, the layout… everything about it is just tops. It’s not a short 45 rpm LP, it’s straight up 33.

Don’t snooze on this. This will def be a top 10 for me and 2021. (NW)

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Justin Dratson: JD Nate Wilson: NW Matt Average: MA

DROPDEAD • Demos 1991 LP

DROPDEAD • Demos 1991 LP

Armagedon Label

August 2020

For me Dropdead might be one of the most important 1990s HC bands. I first saw them shortly after the demos were released in 1992 with Taste of Fear and Disrupt at a Unitarian Church in Albany, NY. Bob scared all of us by strutting around, and getting in peoples faces looking like an insane drill instructor or something. They helped to change and shape me forever. Their politics, and love for all things living really hit home with me. On top of that the fast gritty raw noise that they made was always keen to my ears. A perfect match.

If you aren’t familiar with Dropdead they are from Providence, Rhode Island, and have been around for 30 years, or something ridiculous. These demos started it all… “At the Cost of an Animal” is a brutal classic anthem that thousands of punks world wide know and sing along to religiously. It’s sort of their “Breaking the Law”… they play it at every show no mater what.  

At any rate this LP is a remastered version of the bands two 1991 demos.  Seventeen songs on side 1, and another 8 songs on side 2 (including a cool Infest cover). I’m glad to see this finally come out, I’m really not sure how it hasn’t been booted already after all these years. It’s always been evident to me that the band was really influenced musically by Swedish and Japanese HC …No Security is who first comes to mind when I listen to Dropdead, but there are many other bands that influenced these guys.  (NW)

Hit me up on Instagram if you want to send me your release for review at: nate_gloom

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

HELL BENT • Apocalyptic Lamentations LP (2019)

HELL BENT • Apocalyptic Lamentations LP (2019)

Armageddon Label

Atomic Action

This is some raw as fuck hardcore punk disguised as metal.  It rarely slows down and has elements of crust, D beat, traditional metal, thrash, black metal (at times)… I think it’s safe to just call this poor man’s metal or some type of crossover.  It’s like a lot of the stuff that I heard in the 80s and didn’t really get right away due to rawness and production. Well, I get it now.  This will resinate well with fans of extreme metal music for sure.  My favorite song on this was the slower one called “Ichthyosis” (track three).  It reminded me of Destructor.  Dudes cover a Znowhite tune as well.  

I hope these Rhode Island freaks keep at it putting out more records and playing some shows in NJ near me.  The band features members of Dropdead, and Ulcer.   I’m pretty glad I got this one on wax.  Great cover art as well.  (NW)

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

MUTILATED TONGUE Fuel the Flame LP

MUTILATED TONGUE – Fuel The Flame LP (2019)

Armageddon Records

I’m pretty out of touch with what has been happening in the DIY hardcore/punk scene for a few years now.  I can tell you this though..this shit is straight up fucking refreshingly awesome.  Total C.O.C. Animosity worship vox happening here…It’s blatant, and great!  Who doesn’t love Mike Dean 80s era Corrosion Of Conformity?

I  mean almost everything about this record is godly, and almost perfect (I’ll get into the almost perfect part later).  

The musicianship on this is stellar, and you can tell when dropping the needle onto the wax that these folks are vets.  The drums don’t stop pounding, this dude is able to do it all.  Heavy toms, fast beats, slow beats all caught on a totally raw but pro recording.  It almost makes me wish I lived in Oakland to take some drum lessons from this hero (I said almost).  The song writing is ferociously brilliant.  I love the short little melodic Discharge guitar leads that are thrown in.  This record flys by and is almost over as soon as it starts.  

It is hard to imagine that this can be pulled off live due to the fact that they are a three piece, and the guitarist sings.  Thats always a tough one to do.  Again though, these folks are vets, and they are probably pulling it off.  

I mentioned “almost perfect” at the beginning of this review. Well the almost for me is the band name… It has had me standoffish about whether this could be good from the moment I heard of them. Guess what? After three listens now, I’m starting to warm up to the name a little. I’d love to know the origin of it or what it really means to the people involved. Not a band shirt I could wear to pick up my daughter from school. I guess thats the point though, right?

I’m not going to get into all the ex bands that this group have on their resume. The music speaks for itself and really doesn’t need that hype. Just go buy this and support the people involved in making this happen. (NW)

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA