Revelation Records: BREAKING OUT THE CLASSICS

23 exclusive covers from a load of Rev hardcore bands on one album is not a bad offer! Some are a bit hi or miss, after all it's a tough call covering the likes of Quicksand, but just to own this is a bit of an obligatory mission for any dedicated HC fan. Expect to hear Ignite, SOIA, Terror and Warzone covering Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Shai Hulud. Exciting stuff and worth shelling out the cash - especially as half goes to charity.

Romeo Must Die

To gig or not to gig, that is the question.
Tonight the awesome Romeo Must Die lads will be rocking the Purple Turtle and it'd be a crime not to go. Way better than Stampin Ground ever were, I've seen these guys play London twice in the last year or so and on both occasions they've put the headliners to shame. Totally ferocious and with the experience and talent to back up the attitude, they will destroy the Turtle tonight, leaving only a HC club night in their wake. Oh, and all for just 6 pounds!

Infectious Grooves / Cyco Miko live album

It's really good! I mean I know the band are great and both styles are fun, but they've managed to release a double-disc release from way back when (1995, in fact) that does them real justice!
One CD is dedicated to the band playing a Cyco Miko set, and the other sees the same members all shifting guise to play the Infectious Grooves set, so it's a pretty impressive example of this lot's talent but, best of all, Rob Trujillo's particularly on fire and the recording's untouched and unaltered. Grabbing the feed straight from the sound desk may make the whole experience a little more muddy than your average Blue Ray extravaganza, but it also makes it much more 'real'.
Freestyle and funky - seriously, go grab it!

Softcore fans...

Went to Agnostic Front on Monday... Perfect example of a technically good gig ruined by a beyond boring crowd. Such a shame. The guys were on form, the stand in drummer solid and the set-list damn near perfect - but did it get anything but a 3-deep Josh and some raised fists? Did it hell. It was rammed too! I refuse to think the scene's getting old..it's obviously a glitch in the summer system. Hmph.

Refused rumours...

I've held back from putting this in writing for a while now, but I have now lost hope in just holding my breath. I am going for that 'light a fag to bring on a bus' option now. If I put pen to paper (meh...keyboard to site) it might make it real...so here goes:

Refused's label, No Sleep Records, promised that they'd be bringing out a 2 CD Tribute album at some point in 2009. It has not happened and we need it to. Anyone up for starting a massive campaign for this? Please? I beg of you...imagine it! An hour and a half or so of great Refused tracks covered by Hardcore bands worldwide. Awesome fun. It could even be followed by a swedish hardcore festival featuring the bands of the CD playing their covers, and a reformation and headline tour by the band themselves.

There are NOT and never will be dead, darn it.

Agnostic Front re-release

Just a quick one to say if you haven't yet grab this, do it now. It's the new year, it's a time to enjoy a bit of nostalgia, surely? And my god is this a worthy bit of nostalgia. I'd forgotten just how damn good this band were...tracks like Traitor and Society Suckers...argh, proper NYHC before it got engulfed by metal. I mean, metal's great, and class hybrids like Hatebreed are awesome, but there is a special place in the heart for the no-nonsense gritty rebellion that bands like AF represented back in '84.
So, yes, Victim In Pain & United Blood on one big 21 track album. Think about it. With original designs and slick packaging... Come on, what's not to like?

On an aside...just reviewed Cocoon and don't bother unless you like (a) screamo mixed with bad skate-punk drumming, or (b) anything that sounds even losely like Atreyu. Chaos In Her Wake IS worth a shout, however, as it's pretty evil in parts, but be warned that they are still better live...hey go, give em time.