Issue 12

Are there any bands named off of medications that don't rock? Please send examples to Counterforce HQ. What we got here is five (5) tracks from the newest medicated hardcore punk outfit outta Atlanta. This is what we in the biz call no-frills hardcore punk. We're not reinventing the wheel here but I will happily sit my ass down and enjoy the bizzaro ride. Emphasis and just playing fast and fun. Yeah we hit an occasional "mosh riff" but who cares, that's not why were here. The vocals here are un...

This tape has no actual title but we're gonna call it "Collection". At the time of release this had all music previously released by LAMICTAL plus a few bonus versions. Orange County California. True freaked out, whacked out punk. Solo project of Alex from the OC's almighty X-ACTO. 20 tracks of that frantic nervous hardcore punk you crave. If the sour patch kids candy started a band, it would sound like this. File this under "Music to drink a lot of soda and rearrange my furniture to". The long...

Sometime in 2011, somewheres in and around Buffalo, NY, the MALLWAKERS were performing "Ten More Years (of 80s Hardcore)" and it seems it was more like ten and a half or twenty. Perfectly cromulent, nothing ventured, but nothing beyond the cool little guitar freak out in "Maniacy" that would make me think about DEAF DUMB & BLIND again. And that should have been the end of the review, but somehow DD&B pulled the tape's closer, "Trapped Inside" out of their fuckin' asses. Scrap the rest of the s...

Fourth tape of the year from NC's HARDCORE HEADACHE label. You'd be forgiven for thinking they're running for Unlawful Assembly, but this quick ripper is the best thing either label's done so far. Lots of palm muting and little metal deedle-dees, strained vocals, in and out in four minutes, the art is ugly and illegible in the best of ways, big news for all you "Eye For An Eye" fans. Listen loud here: https://hardcoreheadache.bandcamp.com/album/3-song-demo 3 SONG DEMO, by DISILLUSIONED3 track...

Big yellow cover art, BIG all caps band name. Dance Music? This is already speaking to me. Hardcore punk, leaning more hardcore (non-derogatory). Four piece band outta Oakland. Put this band in a medium sized room. Small stage just big enough to launch off of and don't mic up anything. Throw in some pool noodles to hit each other with, turn the lights on, and now we got some Dance Music. Track 3 features some real East Bay Ray style riffing in the intro before hitting you with a mid tempo moshe...

Compilation tape of two previous releases from Orange County's ANIMATED VIOLENCE. Looney Tunes hardcore punk. The front cover says "1,000 YEARS OF VIOLENCE", the spine says "The first 4ish years", so who knows actually what this release is called. When in doubt go with the spine. Crudely drawn art of someone getting their neck snapped by a blurry pic of Michael Jordan. Perfect. The first 5 tracks come from the demo tape and simply kinda fucking rock. Fun and furious hardcore, no mosh part pande...

BARREN CANYON began in 2014 as a self-described "spa metal" project, taking atmospheric black metal and attempting to place it in literally atmospheric context: the hot steam, vapors, and scented smoke of the nordic spa. Twelve years later and our world itself is increasingly resembling the environment of the spa, but with a sinister toxicity and no chance for relief. Whereas the spa could once provide a exhilarating moment of extreme heat in the sauna, or brief and cleansing blanketing of dense...